:: Editorial

Oil safety rules need overhaul

Oct.31 : As the fire rages at the Indian Oil depot in the Sitapura industrial area of Jaipur, it seems an eerie coincidence that only last week a very concerned minister for petroleum and natural gas, Mr Murli Deora, had called for the topmost priority to be given to safety and security in the hydrocarbon sector. This is important because there is very little anyone can do once a fire of that magnitude breaks out. At the time of the fire there were 50,000 kilolitres of oil in 11 tanks at the depot. Only when this oil burns out will the fire kill itself. A week ago, Mr Deora, who was at an Oil Industry Safety Directorate (OISD) function, had said the necessary steps would be taken to make OISD a statutory body for the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil industry. His assurance has now assumed an urgency that cannot be ignored. Whatever needs to be done to give the OISD statutory powers under the Oil Regulatory and Development Act must be done without further delay. It is an inexplicable irony that the OISD, the most competent body to handle safety hazards in the oil sector, which is the most hazardous, does not have statutory powers even though it is one of the bodies that sets standard procedure and practice for safety and firefighting in the industry. The other two organisations that regulate safety in the industry are the chief controller of explosives and the directorate of mines safety. These two have statutory powers, though the former is basically a licensing authority.

Most accidents in the oil sector occur due to human error. The big fire at the Vizag oil refinery some years ago was sparked off by a cleaner lighting his beedi near a tanker. So, no matter what safety devices may be inbuilt into the system, it is only effective management of the "total system" that can prevent fires such as the one raging in Jaipur. Of course, it could be due to mechanical failure, or like the Indian Oil depot fire, which, it is said, may have been caused by a leaky valve. A high-level committee headed by HPCL former chairman M.B. Lal will be looking into the cause of this devastating fire, which has already consumed seven lives. The death toll could increase as four IOC workers are still missing. Whatever the reason for the fire, the immediate imperative is to audit the safety standards at all depots and take action where needed. Global experience shows that fires at oil depots are primarily due to human failure where the establishment did not follow protocol, like routine equipment checks, or where someone down the line ignored signs of flaws. A body like the OISD, armed with statutory powers, would go a long way towards overcoming human and other failures. The OISD keeps abreast of the latest in design and operating practices in safety and firefighting in the oil industry, it conducts regular safety audits and suggests improvements. It also undertakes training and awareness programmes.

Another aspect arising out of the Jaipur fire is the location of such depots. The minister said they should be outside city limits. However, when this depot was completed between 1993 and 1995 in the Sitapura area, it was 20 km outside the city limits. Over time a town grew up around it. It is for state governments to see that such areas are cordoned off and no industrial or residential activities allowed within a certain radius of the depot.