Safety, Our Priority At PHRC – MD

Managing Director of  the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), Engr Ahmed Dikko, has stated that the company is committed to the safety of both its personnel and properties in all its operations.
Dikko, who made this declaration, following the New Year Day fire incident which razed a discharging truck at a pump bay in the premises of the company, stressed there was no cause for alarm.
“Safety is a key thing to anybody in our kind of business and we will continue to uphold safety. We will continue to improve our safety measures as we carry out our operations. Safety is top priority for us, both for ourselves, equipment and people around the facility”, he said.
He explained that cases such as the New Year fire is not something out of place in the industry, adding that “safety is our number one priority in every operation that we do”.
Dikko, who made the declaration while conducting newsmen around the incident site, observed that only a very insignificant damage was done by the incident, assuring that the incident would not deter the operations of the ongoing rehabilitation of the refinery.
“I’ll like to assure Nigerians that there is nothing to be worried about. The incident is not going to affect the ongoing rehabilitation of the refinery in anyway. We shall continue to ensure that safety is a top priority in everything we do”, he assured.
The MD explained that investigations into the fire incident indicates that it occurred as a result of a spark during the discharge of Naphtha, from a truck into a tank.
“There was a spark during the transfer of Naphtha from a truck to the tanks. It could be an electric spark that ignited the fire, based on the volatility and flammability of the Naphtha, which is just like fuel.
“We were able to mobilize in-house firefighting equipment and safety personnel to cordon the fire and then put it out. We also had the Federal fire service on ground in case it went out of hand, and luckily it didn’t.
“The damage was just the pump bay, where we have the three pumps and the discharging truck. There was no other damages outside that. There was no casualty nor any injury to anyone.
“We, at PHRC, thank the Almighty God to have limited the unwarranted activity to this scale”.

By: Tonye Nria-Dappa