AMMAN — The government’s decision to end
Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company’s exclusive right to be the sole importer of gas cylinders and
allow the entry of plastic gas cylinders is raising questions about their safety.
اضافة اعلان
Hashim Akel, an
energy expert, told
Jordan News fiberglass gas cylinders are “completely
safe”, do not “blow up” and do not corrode.
At the same time,
he said, fiberglass gas cylinders are transparent, so users “can check how much
gas is left in the cylinder”, and are very light, only 5kg when empty, compared
to the steel cylinders that weigh 17.5kg.
Fiberglass gas
cylinders are used across Europe, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, Akel said, adding
that they are manufactured in the UAE now, completely matching specifications
and standards.
Despite assurances
by the
Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization that plastic gas cylinders
are subject to the Jordanian technical specification, under which 21
examinations of the containers are mandatory, the Petrol Station Owners’
Syndicate considers them “ticking bombs”.
Nahar Saidat, head
of syndicate, told
Jordan News that the Jordan Standards and Metrology
Organization neglected important points when examining the plastic cylinders.
Like the fact that
gas cylinders are usually kept in kitchens and used for gas heaters, “ignoring
the manufacturer instructions for them to be used outdoors, not indoors, and
away from sources of heat”, Saidat said.
He added that gas
cylinders could get damaged when transported and dealt with, and that the
pressure-relief valve “could get damaged by the dirt and oil due to its use in
kitchens and restaurants”; once that happens, gas could leak, he said.
“The
Petrol Station Owners’ Syndicate supports investment and encourages it, but it should not be
at the cost of citizens’ lives,” Saidat said, asserting his trust in the
Jordanian government, “which will not let the plastic cylinders get into the
local market, due to the obvious risk they pose”.
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