Lisbon, 09 Aug (Lusa) – People who are storing fuel inside their homes jerry cans are in breach of the law regulating the Technical Fire Safety in Buildings, National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC).

According to a reply sent to Lusa by ANEPC, the decree-law regulating the technical subject of Fire Safety in Buildings states that “in places of use inside buildings and enclosures only the existence of combustible gases in exclusively for LPG and non-LPG gas bottles or cartridges”.

The same ordinance, in the article concerning “Collection of Condominiums” refers to the prohibition of storing combustible liquids, namely “combustible or toxic gases”, in addition to “combustible liquids whose flash point is below 21º C (…) or flash point between 21 and 55 ° C in quantities exceeding 10 liters” and “combustible liquids with flash point greater than 55 ° C in quantities exceeding 20 liters”.

The storage of liquids and combustible gases, in violation of the requirements determined for their location or permitted quantities, may lead to violators of fines ranging from 275 euros to 2,750 euros for individuals or up to 27,500 euros

Already the Protection and Relief Association also warned today about the unsafe transportation of the jerry cans with fuel, considering that the authorities are failing the inspection.

“[Transportation] also puts people at risk and road safety at stake, as in the event of an accident the possibility of these fuel containers burning in the event of a fire increases,” he told Lusa João Paulo Saraiva , President of APROSOC – Protection and Relief Association.

Despite realizing that people need fuels “and do what they can to maintain the normality of their daily lives,” João Paulo Saraiva points a finger at the authorities he criticizes for not monitoring how fuels are being transported.

João Paulo Saraiva considers it important that, besides the citizens being alerted to the fines to which they may be subjected by the authorities, it would also be advisable to explain “that the fuel transportation limit is also related to their safety and not to say only that another 10 liters or 60 liters are subject to this and that. ”

According to the official, the containers should be transported fixedly, with the opening valve facing upwards, “in order to ensure that in case of an accident they are not dislodged”.