Gas with a safety switch

TO EVEN think about spending a day without cooking gas can be traumatic for those who have to handle the day's meals. Today, the level of dependence in almost every kitchen on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is total.

In fact, the popularity of cooking gas has reached an extent where housewives consider it as a boon and independence from the grease-filled days of coal or firewood. For green activists, it is an eco-friendly fuel.

Yet, a small negligence on the part of the users is enough to spark a disaster, causing damage to both men and material. Cooking gas cylinders in the households could well turn out to be a bomb.

This aspect, however, has not gone unnoticed among the stakeholders, be it the oil marketing companies, distributors or non-profit organisations engaged in propagating the message of safety. Everyone in the chain is improvising ways to reach the message to the targetted segment customers. A word of advice is frequently put out by the oil companies and there are frequent safety clinics, with features that attract cooking gas consumers to attend such contests and win prizes. Then, there is always the ongoing campaign with slogans about good usage.

Cooking gas is set to penetrate the rural markets soon, and Indian Oil is thinking in terms of taking the safety and conservation message by organising folk dance and drama performances. Of course, the oil companies also have strengthened their emergency cells. A few cooking gas distributors have also equipped their mechanics to attend to the emergencies at the earliest. Now comes a techno-solution, for households look for devices that make things safer with cooking gas.

Gasfuse, a safety device that serves three purposes. Says Mr.N.R.Mudaliar, Managing Director of Gasfuse India, which has its manufacturing facility in Pune, ``the device tests gas systems for minor leaks, shuts the gas supply off in case of major leaks and indicates low levels of gas''.

Priced at Rs.1,195 (MRP), the device approved by the Controller of Explosives, Nagpur and not requiring any permission from gas marketing companies is an add-on to the existing regulator on the cylinder. The pricing of the product, explains Capt.R.S.Jagadeesan, President, LPG Distributors Federation, is not a big amount for safety as Gasfuse would prevent to a large extent accidents.

By N.Ravi Kumar

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Features
Previous : `Cool' ways to learn
Next     : On the fast track, to the summit