The risks of running a 'ticking time bomb' business.

(Baonghean) - Over 90% of gas businesses in Nghe An do not have separate storage facilities; gas cylinders are stored right at the store.

Being careless when dealing with "time bombs" in business.

Mr. Le Van Thieu's gas shop on Ham Nghi Street, Tan Nam block, Hung Dung ward (Vinh City) has been in business for nearly 11 years. His business is located in a small courtyard of about 30 square meters, behind his house, right in the middle of a densely populated residential area. When we arrived with the inspection team from Fire Prevention and Control Department No. 1 (Nghe An Fire Police), the shop had more than 20 gas cylinders, each weighing 12-13 kg. However, in reality, the establishment only has the legal capacity to handle a maximum of 70 kg of gas (about 4-5 cylinders).

Investigate other fire safety conditions that the facility does not fully meet. For example, the facility may have fire extinguishers but they are not sufficient and are not inspected or maintained regularly. The owner has not regularly updated fire safety measures as required by Circular 66/TT-BCA of the Ministry of Public Security...

The Tuan Hieu gas business located at No. 3, Tran Minh Tong Street, Hung Loc Commune (Vinh City), owned by Mr. Duong Xuan Tuan, is only qualified to operate on a small scale (no more than 70 kg of gas), but the number of gas cylinders found at the store when the fire department inspected it was over 30 cylinders (each cylinder weighing 12-13 kg).

During operation, the business owner failed to comply with regulations such as: stacking gas cylinders too high; the store had fire extinguishers but they were all damaged and unusable. In addition, the store's fire safety management records were incomplete, and it had not purchased fire insurance...

Specifically, according to regulations, all gas stations must ensure safety requirements for construction design, such as: having a separate booth, having an emergency exit, and not sharing space with other flammable or explosive materials... but Tuan Hieu's gas station only uses the yard for business.

Gasoline and oil businesses in Hung Dung ward (Vinh City) do not meet the required infrastructure standards. Photo: My Ha

According to regulations, the gas business is a conditional business due to the hazardous nature of the product. To qualify for this business, establishments must meet minimum requirements regarding fire safety, construction design, and business entity (according to Vietnamese Standard TCVN 2622: 1995).

According to Government Decree 79/2014/ND-CP dated July 31, 2014, all gas retail outlets with a total gas storage capacity of 70 kg or more are classified as facilities with fire and explosion hazards and must have their fire safety design approved. To circumvent the law, some establishments only apply for small-scale business licenses, but often exceed the regulations once operational.

Strengthen management

To ensure the safety of gas businesses, in March, Fire Prevention and Control Department No. 1 inspected and re-inspected 117 gasoline and gas businesses in Vinh City. As a result, 4 establishments were fined a total of 5,500,000 VND.

Major Tran Nam Giang, Head of the Inspection Team, Fire Prevention and Control Police Department No. 1, stated: "Despite increased propaganda efforts, the awareness of some business owners regarding fire prevention and control remains limited. Therefore, the following situations still occur: fire prevention and control management records at some establishments are inadequate and merely for show; many establishments lack sufficient on-site firefighting equipment, which has not been regularly inspected, maintained, or replaced when damaged."

According to compiled data from the Department of Industry and Trade, by the end of 2016, the entire province had 845 retail gas outlets that had been granted business licenses, of which 132 gas outlets were located within petrol stations.

Over half of the gas shops (54.7%) are concentrated in rural areas. The majority of gas shops utilize residential properties, lacking separate warehouses, and sell gas alongside other goods. Most are located in densely populated areas with high foot traffic, failing to maintain safe distancing. Over 90% of these shops do not have separate storage facilities; gas cylinders are stored directly at the shop.

The quality of labor at gas retail outlets remains low, with many staff members lacking practical training in gas sales and fire prevention and control. Illegal gas refilling and brand fraud still occur in the area, posing difficulties for relevant authorities in management, inspection, and control.

My Ha