Tue, 27 Jun 2017 13:07:14 +0000
BY MAILESI BANDA
THE Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) is impressed with the 1,209 foreign road tankers inspected between January and May 2017 for complying with safety standards.
ZABS head of marketing and public relations, Hazel Zulu, said the foreign vehicles were inspected to ensure petroleum products being conveyed into Zambia was transported in a manner that was in conformity with the relevant standards.
She said that of the 1,209 tankers inspected in the period under review, only 34 failed to meet the set standards, representing 97 percent compliance levels.
She explained that 24 out of the 413 road tankers failed to meet the standard between January and March, four failed out of 145 in April and six out of the 651 failed in May 2017.
“We are happy with the compliance levels on foreign road tank vehicles as this is a positive step in promoting public safety,’’ she said.
She said the tankers were inspected in accordance with the Zambian Standard, ZS 371, which prescribes specifications for road tank vehicles for petroleum-based flammable liquids and ZS 429 which also prescribes specifications for the handling, storage and distribution of liquefied petroleum gas.
“ZABS inspects the tankers to confirm that they are safe in terms of electrical and mechanical systems among other parameters and also to ensure that all possibilities of sources of ignition coming into contact with flammable liquids are eliminated,’’ she said.
She stated that ZS 371 and ZS 429 are mandatory standards and non-compliance to them was an offence under the laws of Zambia.
