Incidents of fire outbreaks during fuel truck accidents in Oyo State

Abstract

PurposeIn recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the number of fuel‐truck accidents involving fire outbreaks in Oyo State, Nigeria. These accident explosions have mechanical‐induced actions on the road, with potential costly damages to structures and non‐structural property exposed to them, and loss of lives. The need to understand causes of these accident scenarios become important in order to properly plan to avoid them. The purpose of this paper is to reveal results of a survey is carried out to reveal important elements of fuel‐truck accident in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachA survey was carried out to determine the various causes of accidents and rollover fire outbreaks in fuel trucks in Oyo State, Nigeria, using primary data collected from field and secondary data obtained from the Nigeria Police, Road Safety Commission and Fire Services Agency.FindingsFrom about 358 transport accidents recorded in Nigeria between 1999 and 2002, only 33 were due to cars while the rest involved trucks and heavy‐duty vehicles. The survey showed that about 32 per cent of truck drivers are below 30 years and probably immature. Also 62 per cent of fuel truck tanks manufactured are of inferior quality and may thus have been aiding fire outbreaks when there is an accident. The study also showed that about 54 per cent of tank leakages that may lead to fire outbreak are due to operators' carelessness.Practical implicationsThe study established the need for more education among the drivers and adequate legislation for tank manufacturers.Originality/valueThe work is perhaps the first to investigate this important area of safety research in the study area. The work would be of value to safety practitioners.

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