Ensuring safe transportation of petrol

As Africa’s largest oil producer, Nigeria relies heavily on transporting petroleum products by trucks through mostly deplorable roads to meet its energy demands. However, moving petrol and other inflammable substances poses significant risks to human life, the environment, and the economy.

The frequency of tanker explosions, fires, and spills has become alarmingly common, highlighting the urgent need for improved safety measures. The Federal Road Safety Corps, police and other safety agencies must enforce the necessary road safety protocols to curb this menace.

About 120 persons were roasted to death in Majia town of Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State on October 15, 2024, when a petrol-laden tanker crashed and exploded as residents jostled to scoop spilt fuel. Several properties were also destroyed by the inferno.

Twenty-four hours later, another tanker explosion razed down houses, five vehicles and left two persons injured in Ibafo, Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State. A spokesman for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement, Babatunde Akinbiyi, explained that the spilt content resulted in a fire that quickly spread to vehicles parked at a filling station.
FRSC and NBS data state that over 1,500 tanker accidents occurred in Nigeria between 2015 and 2020. Over 500 lives were lost in tanker-related accidents in 2020 alone. The estimated economic loss from tanker accidents exceeds N100 billion annually.

The reasons for the crashes are not far-fetched: Nigeria’s transportation network, comprising roads, railways, and pipelines, is plagued by inefficiencies and lack of maintenance. The majority of petroleum products are transported by road, using tankers that often fail to meet basic safety standards. Overloaded vehicles, poor vehicle maintenance, and untrained drivers aggravate the risks.

Worse still, the failure of most fuel tanker owners to renew their fleets or retrofit them with modern safety devices posed far-reaching dangers to lives and property. The valves are crucial for preventing fuel spillage in the event of accidents.
The prevention of conflagrations, especially those resulting from tanker accidents, hinges on proper safety measures and effective enforcement of regulations. The installation of safety valves on tankers is a critical component of these safety protocols. These valves are designed to automatically seal off the flow of fuel if the tanker overturns or experiences a collision, preventing fuel spillage that can ignite and lead to large-scale fires.

When these safety measures are not enforced or are overlooked, accidents involving fuel tankers are far more likely to escalate into devastating fires that can quickly spread, threatening lives, property, and the environment.

Despite several directives and policies aimed at ensuring that tankers are equipped with safety valves, enforcement has been inconsistent. One of the key reasons cited for this failure includes inadequate coordination between the FRSC and other regulatory bodies, and stakeholders in the petroleum industry.
Additionally, tanker operators have also resisted compliance, citing the cost of retrofitting their vehicles. The consequence of this enforcement failure has been evident in the numerous accidents involving fuel tankers, often resulting in devastating fires that cause significant casualties and property damage.

The FRSC must insist on stricter enforcement of the laws, better training for drivers, and the establishment of safer standards for conveying petroleum products. The corps managers cannot remain supine and complacent in the face of the avoidable conflagration on our roads occasioned by the arrogant refusal of fleet owners to comply with standard safety measures.

The consequences of negligence in transporting petrol and inflammable substances are devastating: tanker explosions and fires claim numerous lives annually; spills and leaks contaminate soil, water, and air, harming ecosystems and public health; damage to infrastructure, lost productivity, and costly clean-up operations burden the economy while the disruption to community life causes fear, displacement, and trauma.

 Investigations into accidents attribute the causes to human error—driver fatigue, recklessness, and lack of training; vehicle condition―poor maintenance, faulty brakes, and worn-out tyres; overloading—exceeding vehicle capacity, compromising stability and lack of enforcement: inadequate regulation and monitoring.
In the United States, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulates tanker safety, enforcing strict standards for vehicles, drivers, and operators. The EU’s Transportable Pressure Equipment Directive sets safety standards for tankers, while the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road regulates transportation.

In Canada, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and Regulations ensure safe transportation, with emphasis on training, vehicle maintenance, and emergency response.

To ensure safe transportation of petrol and inflammable substances, the FRSC and other regulatory agencies must enforce strict safety standards for vehicles, drivers, and operators. There should be periodic vehicle inspections and maintenance.

Drawing from international best practices and regulations, there should be a comprehensive framework for ensuring the safe transportation of petrol and inflammable substances in Nigeria. Furthermore, the government could create an independent agency to oversee tanker safety, enforcing regulations and standards.

More importantly, rigorous implementation of safety standards for tankers and alignment with international best practices would ensure the safe haulage of petrol and inflammable substances in Nigeria. By addressing the root causes of accidents and implementing robust safety measures, we can mitigate risks, protect lives, and preserve the environment.