Cylinders banned in some buildings

The General Directorate of Civil Defence-Abu Dhabi has announced it has banned the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders in all the buildings and facilities using central gas.

All restaurants, bakeries, cafes and cafeterias located in buildings that use central gas will have to convert to central gas within three months; otherwise, certificates showing their compliance with prevention conditions will stop to be renewed for these facilities.

The directorate stressed the need for all owners of buildings and facilities using central gas to contract a civil defence-approved company to carry out the necessary maintenance of their central gas systems in order to avoid the fines stipulated in the Cabinet resolution no. 24 for 2012 with respect to regulating the civil defence services in the UAE.

The directorate explained that it would launch field inspection campaigns for all restaurants, bakeries, cafes and cafeterias to check if the gas cylinder installations used in the buildings that have no central gas systems meet the required conditions, noting that these installations should be carried out by civil defence-approved companies and that gas detectors should be installed.

Brigadier Mohammed Ibrahim Al Ameri, Deputy Director General of Civil Defence in Abu Dhabi, called on home and shop owners and shops to comply with safety requirements when dealing with gas cylinders and to follow the guidelines related to the storage, transport and use of gas cylinders.

Gas cylinders should be placed on the ground level in the open air outside the building with adequate natural ventilation provided to them, he said, adding that they should be kept in a dry and clean place and to be exposed to the direct sunlight away from emergency exits and glass fronts.

He pointed out that no more than two 24-kg gas cylinders should be kept in one place and it is recommended to place a gas detector in the kitchen to detect any gas leak as early as possible.