The Department of Energy’s Oil Industry Management Bureau said Tuesday it completed the draft Philippine National Standards on the liquefied petroleum gas dealer’s showroom and warehouse requirements with safety practices.
The OIMB completed the draft standards through the Oil Industry Standards and Monitoring Division in cooperation with the Technical Committee on Petroleum Processes and Facilities in coordination with other government agencies, industry players and safety practitioners.
“This draft PNS has been prepared by the technical working group in response to the policy direction of the DOE to offer guidance and prepare a document reflective of the local regulations and safety requirements associated with the minimum facility requirements for LPG dealers who engage in trading or sale of LPG cylinders and canisters directly to end consumers,” it said.
The standards provide for the minimum requirements for LPG dealer’s showroom and warehouse to ensure safe and proper storage of LPG cylinders and canisters during retail operations.
OIMB said an LPG dealer’s facility may be a showroom, or a showroom and a warehouse. This showroom consists of the LPG display area, office space for business transactions, and stock area for LPG cylinders available for sale, and empty or returned cylinders/canisters.
“These standards also incorporate the safety practices that must be observed in the operations and upkeep of warehouses and showrooms used for the storage and sale of LPG in cylinders,” it said.
Covered in the safety practices are cylinder storage, cylinder stacking, LPG cylinders handling, personnel safety and informational signage.
“Furthermore, this standard also provides for all existing government regulations and requirements in the operation and maintenance of LPG dealer’s showroom and warehouse,” it said.
Among the standards are an open-air storage where LPG cylinders should be kept in well-ventilated or open air and ground level. The showroom should have a maximum allowable cylinder per floor area and maximum of two staking is allowed for 5 to 11-kilo cylinders.
The storage should also not be part of a theater, school, hotel, supermarket or place of worship and its posts, walls, roofing and trusses must be made of non-combustible materials.