Preventing gas accident requires awareness of proper usage

Over the past few days, there have been reports of deaths due to gas cylinder explosions. Recently, another person has died in Gazipur due to a cylinder explosion, bringing the total death toll to 17. It can be imagined what a catastrophe befell the lives of these people on that fateful evening.

Eyewitness Najma Begum, whose husband Abdul Kuddus perished in the tragedy, described the events. In the area of Kaliyakoir upazila in Gazipur, Shafiq Khan was arguing with his wife over a gas cylinder purchase. Later, in a fit of rage, Shafiq Khan threw the cylinder on the ground after buying it, exclaiming, "Here, take this cylinder!" At that moment, the valve of the cylinder was opened, releasing gas. Meanwhile, someone nearby was cooking. After about four to five minutes of gas leakage, the cylinder exploded upon contact with the flames of the nearby stove.

According to Najma Begum, she was also cooking herself when the gas leaked. However, she quickly turned off her stove with water. Najma Begum instructed the woman nearby to turn off her stove, but she did not heed her advice. As a result, the gas ignited swiftly, leading to the tragedy. At least 35 people were injured in this incident. Among them, 30 were in critical condition and were admitted to the Sheikh Hasina Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit.

Upon analyzing the entire incident, it is evident that the cylinder did not explode due to impact with the ground. Rather, the highly pressurized liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) inside the cylinder entered due to pressure. Therefore, when the valve of the cylinder was opened, the gas quickly dispersed. Upon coming into contact with the air, an explosion occurred, much like in the case of an accident.

The second point to note is that LPG's main components, propane and butane, are heavier than air. Therefore, if the gas leaks, it tends to accumulate at the lower levels. Unlike natural gas or methane, this gas does not dissipate quickly but remains in the same area for a long time. In this case, the gas had been leaking for about 5-6 minutes before the explosion occurred upon contact with the fire.

With a little awareness, this accident could have been prevented. When LPG was being released, if the cylinder had been covered with a wet cloth, the gas wouldn't have escaped. Even if a fire had occurred for some reason, covering the cylinder with a thick wet cloth would have prevented the flames from spreading.

Moreover, if the stove near the cylinder had been turned off before the gas leakage, the fire incident wouldn't have occurred either.

Currently, such accidents are frequently heard of. People are losing their lives tragically. But all these incidents are the result of reckless behavior. If the cylinder is treated as a bomb and proper inspection is conducted, people could prevent such accidents. Otherwise, it's not possible.

However, the regrettable fact is that neither the government nor the businessmen are taking any initiative to raise awareness about accident prevention. As a result, most consumers using cylinders are unaware of the potential dangers they pose to their lives.

Nowadays, in every upazila, there are Fire Service and Civil Defense Centers. They rush to extinguish fires and rescue people, but if efforts were made to promote prevention using them before fires occur, people would become more aware.

Consumers who use cylinders at home should keep them in a safe place where gas accumulation, even if it occurs, doesn't lead to explosions. Opening windows and doors for at least 15 minutes every morning before lighting the stove facilitates air circulation. However, one thing to keep in mind is to ensure the electric switch inside the house is off before opening windows or doors, as sparks can occur when turning on electric switches, which could also lead to fires.

Another important point is to regularly change the gas cylinder's regulator. In our country, this is not done. Once a regulator is connected to the stove, people want to continue using it. Thirdly, the plastic pipe used between the stove and the cylinder should be inspected regularly to detect any leaks. Fourthly, the cylinder's valve should be changed at specific intervals.

On the other hand, in big cities like Dhaka, reticulated LPG is used. This means cylinders are kept somewhere below the house, and pipes are connected to the kitchen. In some cases, cylinders are kept underground, and cars are parked on top of them. If there's a spark when starting the car, it can ignite the gas, leading to disaster. Therefore, cylinders should be kept in a safe place where even if there's a leak, the gas doesn't accumulate or spread.

Currently, another trend is being observed, where gas cylinders are refilled from auto gas stations. Customers are doing it themselves, or sometimes unqualified people are doing it.

Here, the problem arises when a cylinder is refilled at a factory; it is filled at the correct pressure and undergoes inspection. However, there is no opportunity to check these at auto gas stations. Now, many people in the district areas have established auto gas stations to supply fuel for vehicles. Consequently, in order to save a little, you are risking your life by taking the cylinder with you.

Furthermore, another business involving cylinders is sometimes refilling three 12 kg cylinders from a single 35 kg cylinder. While this may bring some profit to the seller, it puts people's lives at risk.

As long as people are not fully aware of gas usage, such accidents will continue to occur. Not only in Bangladesh but also globally, LPG is used for cooking, but accidents like these don't happen daily in every country. Even in our country, there is an Explosives Department, an institution named after such incidents, which investigates after accidents occur. But what is the real outcome of such investigations where life is at stake? If the institution takes responsibility for raising awareness among people to save lives, then it would be more beneficial.