Dubai resident: Gas cylinders must be handled with extreme care

Accidents involving gas cylinders can cause serious injury or even death. Hence, appropriate care when handling and storing them is essential.

Though fires and explosions are the primary hazards associated with such flammable materials, due to their size and heavy weight they can cause a myriad of other accidents, such as crushing injuries and property damage.

Such items are potentially hazardous due to the high pressure inside, a sudden release of which could make it a potential rocket.

Cylinders placed on crumbling ledges, like these in the Al Safia colony in Dubai, are a disaster waiting to happen.

I caution people to think about the dangers and take care when handling gas cylinders. They should never be kept outside and are best stored in a cool place inside, away from any unnecessary heat sources.

However, if people continue to leave their cylinders outside, the authorities must ensure landlords fix any crumbling ledges or balconies to prevent the possibility of a catastrophe happening.

The reader is a sales manager based in Dubai.

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