OREANDA-NEWS. The management of GAZEKS holding company (part of IES-Holding, Moscow) has submitted proposals on tougher safety measures in operation of gas facilities, particularly those in residential houses, to the Government of the Sverdlovsk Region.

"Legislative changes in the Russian Federation have shifted responsibilities for operation of gas equipment located inside houses (both in-house gas pipelines and household appliances) onto the owners of the dwelling, says Director of the holding company's Yekaterinburg affiliate Denis Pasler. - The owners of private houses and especially the owners of multi-storey buildings are in most cases not aware that diagnostics and repairs of in-house gas equipment are their responsibilities rather than those of gas-distributing organizations (GDOs) as has been the case previously. They refuse to conclude maintenance contracts with specialized organizations on the assumption that gas service experts must take care of maintenance without any contracts. If the situation is not changed now, the number of gas-related accidents in household use may rise drastically".

The management of GAZEKS has proposed to the regional authorities that the company assume control of safety measures in gas supplies that has previously lied within the scope of responsibility of GDOs and has now been transferred to dwelling owners and management companies. It implies first of all diagnostics of gas supply systems of residential houses that have been in operation for over 30 years. Such facilities account for about 25% of all gas supply systems in the Sverdlovsk Region. Major and minor repairs in such houses must also be controlled. This concerns in most cases in-house gas pipelines. Another problem is replacement of gas equipment: dwelling owners must modernize it at their own expense proceeding from the length of its service life indicated in the passports issued by the producers or after 20 years of operation. Maintenance personnel of Urals Gas Networks (an operator of GAZEKS holding company) face problems with spare parts for stoves and boilers whose production has already been discontinued. And the most important thing is that this equipment does not meet safety standards.

The proposals of GAZEKS are focused on elimination of possibilities of emergencies in household use of liquefied gas like those that occurred in Kushva and Verkhnyaya Salda in January this year when 10 people were injured in a gas cylinder blast. Automobile gas-filling stations must also be checked by the Federal Environmental, Technological and Atomic Supervisory Service (Rostekhnadzor). Household gas cylinders must be refilled with specialized equipment rather than at automobile gas-filling stations.

GAZEKS also proposes that gas operators sign insurance contracts for civil liability for damage caused to life, health and property of third parties and the environment as a result of accidents and emergencies at their facilities. This measure will provide an additional safety guarantee.

"Measures lying within the scope of responsibility of operators and including operational  control of compliance with industrial safety requirements, training sessions on localization of accidents at gas facilities, activities on preparation of gas facilities for operation during the autumn and winter season and certification of personnel in industrial safety are being implemented. Control on the part of Rostekhnadzor will suffice here", believes Denis Pasler.