Beijing Gas Stations To Get Safety Upgrade

On November 25, officials from the Beijing Administration of Work Safety revealed that explosion-proof devices would be installed inside the oil tanks of all gas stations within the fourth ring road as part of ongoing safety inspections.

A fuel station under repair in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai exploded on November 24, leaving four dead and many others wounded. The tragic accident was a wake-up call for the Beijing municipal government. The next day Zhao Fengtong, vice mayor of Beijing, led government officials on an examination of gas stations in order to learn the extent of viable oil-gas recovery and safety measures.

According to officials, there are 200 gas stations within 50 meters of residential buildings. These stations must install filter devices to treat emissions from their underground oil tanks and monitoring devices to ensure safety during the oil-gas recovery process.

As of the end of October, 191 filling stations had been equipped with oil-gas treatment devices and six oil storage facilities had installed oil-gas recovery equipment. The city's 1,462 fuel stations will be all equipped with oil-gas recovery and treatment devices by the end of next May.

Currently, explosion-proof devices have been installed in the 19 fuel stations near Olympic stadiums.