By MAIMBOLWA MULIKELELA –
THE Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) has inspected 595 local road tankers to assess levels of compliance with the Zambian Standard (ZS) 371 of 2008.
ZS is a compulsory standard that specifies general requirements for road tank vehicles.
ZABS head of marketing and public relations Hazel Zulu said 595 local road tankers had been inspected to check on compliance levels of the ZABS standards and to guarantee the safety of the public.
This is contained in a statement made available to Business Times in Lusaka yesterday.
Ms Zulu said tankers were inspected to see if local transporters moving white products such as diesel, petrol and kerosene adhered to required standards and ensure they were safety conscious.
This is also to guarantee safety in the delivery of products from the depots to the filling stations.
Most of the inspections were conducted in Ndola on the Copperbelt Province because that was where the biggest depot for TAZAMA Pipelines was  and most trucks pick up products from there.
“ZABS inspected the tankers to confirm that they are safe in terms of electrical and mechanical systems among other parameters and also to ensure that all possibilities of sources of ignition coming into contact with flammable liquids are eliminated.
The tankers were also inspected to confirm that they have necessary labelling for adequate visibility and hazard identification,” Ms Zulu said.
She appealed to all local transporters of white products to adhere to the requirements of ZS 371 and ensure that their tankers were safe for use. This will also help avert unnecessary road carnage.
Ms Zulu explained that tankers are inspected by ZABS at first registration before they start operating and thereafter, once a year and a certificate issued which is valid for a year.