An education campaign to prevent more accidents involving the 385 kilometer-long liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline network in Guangdong was launched on Wednesday.

Dapeng LNG Co. (DPLNG), the constructor and manager of the LNG pipelines in Guangdong, launched a safety education program at Shenzhen's biggest excavator dealership market. It wants to prevent contractors from repeating accidents such as the one last May when one person was killed and 16 injured after construction workers broke an underground gas pipe in downtown Futian, causing liquefied petroleum gas to leak and explode.

Engineers from DPLNG handed out safety brochures to excavator dealers and placed safety stickers on more than 200 excavators at the Shenzhen Shoulder-To-Shoulder Excavator Market.

Martin Whetter, general manager of HSSE (Health, Safety, Security and Environment) Department of DPLNG, said the company would carry out similar education programs in the future.

Residents in Shenzhen started to use LNG on Aug. 12, and about 80,000 households are expected to use LNG by the end of this year.

DPLNG manages the 385-kilometer pipeline network covering five major cities including Shenzhen, Huizhou, Dongguan, Guangzhou and Foshan.

The high-pressure pipeline is buried more than a meter deep but inappropriate use of excavators is the main cause of accidents.

With many construction activities going on, Shenzhen has a tough job protecting the pipelines, said officials with the city's work safety bureau.

(Shenzhen Daily November 9, 2006))