Fire Service revokes fire permit of Lucky Oil, Weija
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has with immediate effect revoked the fire permit of Lucky Oil filling station adjacent to Pambros at Weija, and also ordered the owner to stop construction works.
The GNFS said the order would remain effective until such a time that the Chief Fire Officer was satisfied with the safety of the facility to occupiers and neighbours.
The GNFS has also appealed to other stakeholders especially, the Ga South Municipal Assembly, to revoke the final permit issued for the construction of the filling station as it poses a “fire risk” and a potential threat to the community.
Speaking at a press conference, the Acting Head of Public Relations of GNFS, Divisional Officer Grade II, Mr Timothy Osarfo Affum, said the withdrawal of Lucky Oil’s fire permit in Accra was due to the growing concern over the building of a fuel station near Pambros.
“That facility was given a fire permit based on Fire Engineering Drawings submitted to the Chief Fire Officer for review,” he said.
However, an inspection of the facility about three-weeks ago by a team of officers led by the Greater Accra Regional Commander, revealed that Lucky Oil station, which is still under construction near Pambros at Weija, had varied the construction of the fuel filling station without the approval of the Chief Fire Officer, contrary to regulation 14 of Legislative Instrument 1724,” mr Affum said.
He said the facility as it stands now, if allowed to proceed would create a serious fire threat to both occupants and the community.
Mr Affum said the Service had conducted fire safety risk assessment in some facilities including ongoing projects; stating that LI 1729, Fire Precaution (Premises) Regulations, 2003 requires that all premises used or accessed by the public, whether for payment or not, were to obtain fire certificate.
“At any point in time, if the facilities in the premises do not provide safety for the occupants, the Chief Fire Officer has an obligation to revoke the certificate until such a time that the anomalies are rectified,” he said.
He said an analysis of fire outbreak in the country for the first quarter of the year shows that there 2,469 fire as against 2,036 fires that same period in 2015; representing 21.27 per cent increase.
He said a total of 145 electrical fires representing 5.8 per cent of the total fire outbreaks were recorded within the period.
Mr Affum said even though, this represents a reduction compared to 172 cases, representing 8.4 per cent in 2015, there was a significant shift from domestic related electrical fires as 70 of the 145 fires involved facilities and properties of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
“We, therefore, call on the ECG as a matter of urgency to put in measures to forestall the occurrence of fire outbreaks by their facilities and properties as this has consequential effects on our logistics, as well as on the economy,” Mr Affum said.
“We recommend the creation of fire belts around the electric poles as well as the application of flame retardants to the poles,” he stated.
The Director of Fire Safety of the GNFS, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Mr Michael Yarquah, said the Service would continue to take tough measures against fuel filling stations that were flouting the laws.
Source: GNA