LPG-truck tanker accident and consequence management during Covid-19 pandemic: A case from India

Volume 4, Issue 2, April 2021     |     PP. 11-33      |     PDF (911 K)    |     Pub. Date: September 28, 2021
DOI: 10.54647/tte58041    100 Downloads     105404 Views  

Author(s)

Ramesh Kumar Behera, Directorate of Factories and Boilers, Odisha, India

Abstract
The ever-growing use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for domestic and industrial purposes increased the chances of accidents during transportation. The risk of fire, explosions, and environmental hazards due to LPG- truck tanker mishaps loom large on national highways and their mitigation became a concern during the Covid-19 pandemic. This paper reports on the characteristics of LPG-truck tanker mishaps in India and proposes a revised disaster response model for pandemic scenarios. This study is based on secondary data and field experiments from two real cases in India. We have analyzed fifty LPG-truck tanker incidents during the period 2009-2020, examined the type, distribution, and cause of cases, the influence of weather, engineering and regulatory interventions, and looked at the psychology of first responders in the lockdown phase. We have used R and MS-Excel for data analysis. The study showed that the largest share of accidents (26 %) occurred early in the morning between 4.00-8.00 hours. Cold weather increased the vulnerability with 41% of cases reported in the winter season. The percentage of incidents resulting in the toppling of tankers was maximum (50%) followed by collision and equipment failure. The study showed that accidents were less during the Covid-19 pandemic. Defective road design, poor maintenance, and negligent driving increased the accident rate. However, a slowdown in inspection, audit and mock drills was conspicuous which could be detrimental in the long term. The findings of this study and the recommendations such as enforcement of traffic norms, proper road design, and construction, implementation of SOPs and IEC measures, mock exercises, and revised emergency protocols could be helpful for prevention of HazMat-accidents in future.

Keywords
Transportation accident; LPG-truck tanker mishaps; Covid-19 and accident control; Accident and emergency response; Emergency management in India, Regulatory interventions

Cite this paper
Ramesh Kumar Behera, LPG-truck tanker accident and consequence management during Covid-19 pandemic: A case from India , SCIREA Journal of Traffic and Transportation. Volume 4, Issue 2, April 2021 | PP. 11-33. 10.54647/tte58041

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