Adewale Sanyaolu

A report by the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on the Need to Relocate Tank Farms in Residential Areas of Ijegun, Kirikiri and others may have indicted the Lagos State government over the tank farm fire that erupted at OVH Energy terminal 1 in Apapa, Lagos last Thursday.

The extract of the Committee’s report/recommendations signed by its Chairman, Sergius Ogun, which was sent to Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and copied the Commissioner for Special Duties, a copy exclusively obtained by Daily Sun, revealed that the failure of the government to implement the recommendations may have led to the inferno.

The report under 4.3(b) Firefighting Media directed that AFFF foam concentrate should be replaced as a matter of urgency with F-500 encapsulating agent which is more effective and environmentally friendly.

A source, who worked closely with the Committee but pleaded anonymity, said the Committee was appalled to discover that virtually all the tanks had no F-500 fire fighting extinguisher in their possession.

On recommendation 4.1(b): Fixed firefighting Assets, the Committee recommended that fire fighting assets installed in their facility is regularly inspected, tested and  maintained while facilities in the bund wall should make provisions for one and tank farm with the foam pourers valve installed within the bund should have it removed and placed in a safer position.

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Recommendation 4.2(b); Mobile Firefighting Assets and Ancillary Equipment, urged tank farms to provide gas detectors to monitor the atmosphere.

Other recommendations included 4.4(b);Emergency Communication and Preparedness  which stipulated that facilities with ATGS(Automatic Tank System) should link Audible Level Alarm to the system while facilities without ATGS should upgrade and install it in their tank and tank farm owners should ensure that the cluster central fire station is constructed as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, OVH Energy in a statement on the inferno explained that the fire emanated from a tank within the terminal.

It added that while an investigation has been launched to ascertain other details, a team of professional fire fighters on ground to manage the outbreak.

‘‘We are happy to state that as at the time of this report, there are no causalities recorded. Safety remains our priority at OVH Energy as we operate under high safety standards to curb incidences of fire outbreaks as well as other health and safety risks from happening at any of our stations.’’