Notable regulations on safety assurance for liquefied petroleum gas establishments in Vietnam

Notable regulations on safety assurance for liquefied petroleum gas establishments in Vietnam (Internet image)

Circular 41/2011/TT-BCT regulates safety assurance for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage establishments in Vietnam as follows:

1. General provisions for LPG storage establishments in Vietnam

LPG storage establishments must implement provisions from Article 3 to Article 6 of Circular 41/2011/TT-BCT and other additional measures in order to prevent risks of fire, explosion and minimize risks when being leaked LPG.

2. The provisions for installation of tanks

- LPG tanks must be put outdoor, outside of houses, outside of closed construction works. Do not put tanks on roofs,  balconies, in basements and under works.

- LPG tanks must be installed full measuring, checking and safe equipment as prescribed.  Tanks must be installed emergency closure valve.

- Tanks are not overlapped on one another.  Cylinder tanks laying horizontally are not put in a straight line along to vertical axle and directed toward dwelling houses or service works.

- The safe distance from LPG tanks to surrounding objects must be assured as prescribed in Annex 1 enclosed with Circular 41/2011/TT-BCT.

3. The provisions for operation of tanks in Vietnam

- LPG filled in tanks does not exceed the prescribed level. On meter indicating the filling level must have a warning line of the maximum filling level.

- All LPG tanks must be protected against corrosion. The protective covering layers must be examined not exceeding two years once in order to prevent corrosion of tanks. Periodically, must examine thickness of shell of tanks and examine inside as prescribed but not exceeding 5 year once.

4. LPG pipelines

- Floating pipelines of establishments storing LPG must have unshakeable racks, painted with prescribed colors.

- Underground pipelines must be protected to prevent corrosion by suitable measures. Periodically, pipelines, thickness of pipelines must be examined as prescribed.

5. The strengthened technical-safety measures for LPG storage establishments in Vietnam

In case have not yet fully meeting provisions on distances or in order to raise safe level, LPG storage establishments must apply suitably-strengthened-technical-safety measures stated in item 4 of Annex 1 enclosed with Circular 41/2011/TT-BCT. 

The reducing level of distances for strengthened measures specified in item 4 of Annex 1 enclosed with Circular 41/2011/TT-BCT applies to LPG storage establishments existing only, not applies to newly-build establishments.

More details can be found in Circular 41/2011/TT-BCT, which comes into force from February 1, 2012.

Thuy Tram

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