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Safety of dangerous goods
Following is a question by the Hon Zachary Wong Wai-yin and a written reply by the Secretary for Economic Services, Mr Gordon Siu, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
The explosion of a goods vehicle carrying LPG cylinders in Tsing Hang Path, Tuen Mun, in 1992 aroused public concern about the safety of dangerous goods vehicles, and immediate action was taken by the authorities concerned to prevent similar incidents from occurring. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a)
what actions and measures have been adopted during the past two years to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents; and whether such actions and measures have been effective;
(b)
(c)
of the number of prosecutions against the illegal parking of dangerous goods vehicles since the explosion, together with the highest and lowest penalties imposed in the convicted cases; and
which sites can be used to provide parking spaces for dangerous goods vehicles; and whether the provision of such sites is adequate to meet the demand, and if not, whether additional sites have been planned and when they will be made available for use?
Reply:
The incident at Tuen Mun on 30 September 1992 involved two parked goods vehicles permitted to carry both LPG cylinders and kerosene. The kerosene on the vehicles was ignited in suspicious circumstances, engulfing the LPG cylinders and causing them to explode.
In the past two years, the Gas Authority has taken a number of measures to reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring, including prohibiting the joint conveyance of LPG and kerosene, stepping up enforcement against illegal parking of LPG cylinder wagons and looking for sites away from built-up areas where LPG cylinder wagons could be parked safely overnight. Specifically:
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