Santo Domingo. GB Energy-Texaco hosted a workshop on safe handling of liquid fuels and emergency planning for the Dominican Republic’s Fuel Control Specialty Corps (CECCOM), aimed at reinforcing controls in the logistics of hydrocarbon fuel delivery.
Julian Rojas, Regional Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) Manager of GB Energy-Texaco said that the Oil Industry nowadays has mechanisms in place to reduce risk and ensure safety in fuel handling, by implementing national and international occupational safety standards, and environmental protection safeguards, as well as developing effective control devices.
In addition, the Oil Industry has raised its security standards for transporting and transferring fuel, which has considerably lessened the risk. As explained by Paulo German, Transportation Supervisor at GB Energy-Texaco, fuel arrives at the Dominican Republic by merchant ships. Upon arrival, it is unloaded at the port and pumped to storage tanks through pipelines. Then, fuel is shipped from the Dominican Oil Refinery (Refidomsa) or the storage terminals, by ground transportation in tanker trucks specially designed to reduce the risk of tipping over, spillage, and fume leakage.
Mr. German said that storage facilities in Refidomsa, as well as those in stations and tanks from both industrial and commercial clients have anti-spill devices. Despite strict preventive measurements, GB Energy-Texaco has developed effective emergency response protocols aimed at reducing the impact of an unforeseen undesired event.
GB Energy-Texaco routinely conducts trainings and regional meetings with its retailers to provide updates regarding legal, safety, environmental and other issues that they must address in their operations at the station level, to comply with brand standards.
The most recent training was offered to 86 members of CECCOM, a division of the Department of Defense responsible for applying national policies regarding safety and control during the distribution and marketing of fuel to ensure compliance with rules, procedures, and regulations.
After the event, which took place in National Air Force facilities, participants received certificates of attendance from GB Energy – Texaco’s CEO, Pablo Portes, at CECCOM facilities in Haina.
