To ensure meeting regulations on safety of liquefied petroleum gas-bottling stations in Vietnam

To ensure meeting regulations on safety of liquefied petroleum gas-bottling stations in Vietnam (Internet image)

Circular 41/2011/TT-BCT regulates safety of liquefied petroleum gas-bottling stations (LPG-bottling stations) in Vietnam as follows:

1. General provisions for LPG-bottling stations in Vietnam

LPG-bottling stations must implement provisiosn from Article 3 to Article 6 of Circular 41/2011/TT-BCT and the following requirements:

- LPG-bottling stations must abide by provisions from Article 16 to Article 19 of the Government’s Decree 107/2009/ND-CP, of November 26, 2009 on trading liquefied petroleum gaz (hereinafter referred to as the Decree 107/2009/ND-CP), granted certificate of eligibility of LPG bottling.

- To prohibit to arrange the LPG-bottling stations at basements or in floors of buildings.

- Floors of the bottling stations must be flat, equal or higher than the surrounding premises. If a floor is lifted up, the under space must be filled up or must have measure to be aerated if letting blank. Not keep, preserve things, as well as flammable substances, in this blank space.

- The safe distances from tanks to surrounding objects, from LPG-bottling houses to adjacent works and to tanks are specified in Annex 1 enclosed with , granted certificate of eligibility of LPG bottling..

2. Examination before filling

- To examine common situation, tanks, accessories, equipment for filling LPG not being decayed and not having sign of leakage.

- Safe, measuring and checking equipment, fire prevention and fighting equipment are full, in good and ready condition for use.

- Safe instructions when filling LPG have been applied fully.  The LPG-filling stations must have the approved process of filling LPG, laid in the place of filling LPG, in which stipulated the maximum level of filling LPG in order to not happen the filling LPG excessively.

- Not fill bottle with LPG, and must implement inspection upon appearing one of following cases:

+ Bottles have been overdue for inspection;

+ Bottles have not yet inspected or the inspection term cannot define.

- Do not filling bottle with LPG, and must implement assessment to reject or repair bottles in the following cases:

+ Weight of shell is unreadable or absent;

+ Bottles having defects or broken on handle or the bottom belt;

+ Trunks of bottle have physical flaws;

+ Bottles are corroded that can see;

+ Bottles with burns due to arc or fire;

+ Bottles, valves or structures reducing pressure (if equipped) are leaked or corrupted.

- Strictly prohibit filling LPG for bottles of other owners without contract of LPG-bottling with the filling station, bottles have unclear origin.

3. Assessment for rejecting, repairing bottles

- Assessment for rejecting bottles must be implemented by owner of bottles as prescribed in item 5 of TCVN 7762:2007 – Gas Bottles- Refillable, welded and steel bottles used for LPG. The process of checking before, during and after filling.

- Bottles which not ensure safety must be destroyed in order to not reuse.

- Repair of bottles must implement at establishments producing, repairing bottles which are qualified and have been granted certificate.

4. LPG bottling

- To implement LPG bottling in accordance to the process of bottling of the bottling station. Weight of LPG filled for bottles must be performed properly with volume stipulated for each bottle, but not exceeding levels prescribed in the Annex B of TCVN 6485:1999 – LPG. The filling gas in bottles of up to 150 liter water capacity. Safety requirements.

- Bottles filled excessively must be drawn part of superfluous LPG until attain the filling level as prescribed (weight, volume).

When reducing partly the LPG weight, must comply with process on safety assurance and not discharging directly out environment.

- All bottles filled excessively after discharging the redundant, must be re-check the filling level.

- Bottles after filling LPG must be checked tightness, labeled of goods on shell of bottles and sealed at valves of bottle. 

5. Preservation, loading and unloading of LPG-containing bottles in LPG bottling stations in Vietnam

- Warehouses for preservation of LPG-bottling stations must have equipment to check, warn leakage of LPG.

- Places preserving LPG-containing bottles must be aerated, not preserve in places lower than the surrounding premises, in the containing cellars, in underground floors.

- Warehouses containing LPG bottles outdoor, of from 1000 kg or more, must be divided into small lots.   Warehouses containing bottles not yet filled with LPG must have a distance of at least 03 m from warehouses containing bottles filled with LPG.

- Warehouses containing bottles indoor must meet requirements on weight of storage, place of storage as prescribed in item 5.3 TCVN 6304:1997 – Bottles containing LPG.  Safety requirement in preservation, loading and unloading, transport.

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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