Ghatkopar Billboard Collapse: Petrol Pump Safety Audit Ordered

New Delhi, Dec 8 (PTI) The oil regulator has ordered fuel retailing firms to undertake a comprehensive risk assessment of all petrol pumps in the country, identifying hoarding and billboards within the outlet premises that could pose safety risks.

The action by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) follows the May 13 incident of a giant billboard collapsing onto a petrol pump at Ghatkopar in Mumbai, killing 17 and injuring 75.

In a December 6 order, PNGRB said it had constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the billboard collapse onto a petrol pump of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) following a sudden dust and rainstorm.

Without revealing the findings of the committee, PNGRB said based on recommendations given in the final investigation report, all fuel retailers and stakeholders have to, within one month, review and firm up a mitigation plan.

All structures not adhering to guidelines have been ordered to be reviewed, according to the PNGRB notice.

The retailers have been asked to conduct a "review and ensure that the layout (including all facilities/structures within the retail outlet and around 100 metres from retail outlet) and capacity of all retail outlets strictly adheres to licence" conditions.

They have been asked to "conduct a thorough risk assessment for all retail outlets, with a focus on identifying hoarding, billboard, structures, building, etc., within or nearby the retail outlets that could pose safety risks to the retail outlet."

The companies have been asked to "develop and implement a mitigation plan to address identified risks. The plan should include measures, such as the removal or reinforcement of potentially hazardous hoarding, billboard, structures, building, etc."

All retail outlets, PNGRB said, must adhere to its dispensing rules and an action plan should be submitted with timelines in every case of noncompliance.

Beams from the massing advertising hoarding, measuring 120 feet by 120 feet, had crushed the petrol pump in May. Most petrol pumps in the country are dotted by massive advertising boards. Safety aspects of all these structures will now have to be reviewed.

India has 92,508 petrol pumps as of October 31. State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) owns the maximum with 38,432 outlets. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) has 22,631 petrol pumps and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) 22,549.

Private sector Nayara Energy has 6,589 outlets and a joint venture of Reliance Industries Ltd and BP Plc has 1,832, while Shell has 362 outlets.