5 Ways to Prevent Gas Cylinder Accidents at Home

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) on Thursday, June 29, raised concerns over rising accidents caused by malfunctioning Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders commonly referred to as cooking gas.

The authority revealed that Kenyan households experienced an average of 30 avoidable cooking gas accidents annually.

Consequently, EPRA, in a detailed advisory gave Kenyans five tips on how to prevent gas cylinders from blowing up in their homes resulting in untold damage.

EPRA warned Kenyans against purchasing LPG cylinders from unlicensed brands and retailers warning of an increasing number of players that had not been subjected to safety standards developed by EPRA and the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).

“Before making a purchase, always check the LPG cylinder and hose validity,” EPRA advised Kenyans.

EPRA requires all cooking gas cylinders in Kenya to have a mandatory safety notice. Kenyans were urged to ensure that these notices are visible before completing any purchase.

“If there is a malfunction in your LPG cylinder, do not try to fix it,” EPRA warned noting that only technically qualified personnel should fix a cooking gas cylinder.

More often than not, gas cylinders are purchased along with hose accessories. EPRA warned that worn-out hoses were a major cause of home accidents.

EPRA advised that LPG hoses should be changed at least once every five years and other accessories replaced upon the expiry of the validity period.

According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), nearly a quarter of Kenyan households use LPG gas for their cooking needs.

EPRA's safety advisory is expected to protect over 3 million households from gas-related accidents.

In a separate statement issued earlier, EPRA gave safety tips on how merchants should handle and transport gas cylinders to avoid malfunction.

This includes; securing the cylinders to avoid rolling, transporting the gas in an upright position, and placing the cylinders in an easily accessible place.