African Oxygen : News 2019-05-07 LPG winter safety campaign

Safety and product steward ship go hand-in-hand and Afrox is underscoring the importance of these two factors with the launch of a campaign focused on LPG in the run up to winter, confirmed Head of SHEQ Stephen Moran.

He said: 'As one of the largest suppliers of LPG into the domestic and hospitality markets in South Africa, we have a duty of care to make our customers aware of what they must do and not do in the event of an incident.

'To this end, we have formulated a poster around LPG leaks and fire emergencies; while this doesn't happen often, users of Handigas must still be vigilant if we are to avoid any incidents and injuries while using LPG.'

The new poster will be sent out to all Afrox Gas & Gears and distributors of Handigas before the winter rush. With the uncertainty around Eskom and power supplies this winter, there is an expectation that many more South African's will be using LPG for the first time.

Afrox has negotiated long-term import agreements that have resulted in more cost-effective imports and ensured security of supply.

Last year Afrox LPG distributor, Ulula Energy, launched our lightweight 5kg Safety Gas cylinders in the Western Cape. The new cylinders, thousands of which have been imported into the region by Afrox, will complement the 6kg Handipack cylinders already offered for sale to the public in low-income housing, residential sectors and light industry.

'With the domestic use of Handigas growing each year we need to ensure people think about safety on a constant basis,' said Stephen. 'We already have the Red Seal, which ensures the public know that our cylinders have been checked, tested and filled correctly, and are safe to use. Now we will have this poster campaign rolling out across South Africa in time for winter when we can expect a spike in consumer demand.'

The poster gives practical advice on what to do if there is the smell of gas detected and what to do in the event of a gas fire.

Afrox has imported a 'substantial amount' of new LPG cylinders to meet demand this winter and is currently ramping up prefilling operations to ensure stocks are ready for distribution when the cold weather hits, confirmed Ben Cohn, Afrox LPG Commercial Manager.