News
Health & Safety Executive warns of LPG Explosion danger
15th March 2007
Police in the Newry and Mourne area of Northern Ireland recently seized 3500 illegally refilled gas cylinders and bulk storage tanks amounting to some 24 tonnes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in an operation targeting illegal sales of gas based in South Armagh.
More than 50 officers from Crime Operations and local police from Newry and Mourne supported by the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service and Officers from HM Revenue & Customs were involved.
Superintendent Alan McCrum, who coordinated the operation said, "Whilst the action taken by police and other agencies was in the interest of public safety it will also have a significant impact on the level of criminality in the South Armagh area and that this operation sends a clear message that police will be pursuing anyone involved in the selling of illegal goods."
"The operation is not only about enforcement but also about public safety. The fact of the matter is that the filling of gas cylinders is a highly dangerous operation and to do this without proper safeguards so close to residential and other property in the village of Cullaville is both reckless and illegal. Furthermore filling cylinders in this unregulated way means that faulty and unsafe cylinders can enter the supply chain putting people who purchase and use these at grave risk."
"The sale of illegal goods not only damages the businesses of legitimate suppliers of the goods - it damages local legitimate businesses selling the products."
A spokesperson from the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland stated. "Clearly the search has revealed a major threat to public safety arising from the operation of a LPG cylinder filling plant in the village of Cullaville."
"The search unearthed a number of unsafe practices which could have resulted in a major fire and explosion that would have put members of the public in the area at risk. Had HSENI been consulted in relation to the suitability of the site for the purpose of filling or storing LPG it would have strongly opposed such an undertaking being set up."
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