Legislate now before DIY LPG kits kill someone, say industry experts
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• by Peter Lawton Industry experts are warning that the government must sit up and take notice of the dangers posed by unproven LPG (liquid petroleum gas) systems and doit-yourself conversion kits.
Various types of old technology, inadequate designs, untrained fitters and DIY kits are all accidents waiting to happen, according to clean vehicles consultants Colt Services and the LPG Association.
Colt Services director Andrew MacLellan says the government needs to act fast and introduce legislation to govern the conversion industry before someone is killed. It's not a question of if, but a question of when," he adds, explaining that there are no laws controlling what is sold or how it is fitted.
There have been no reported fatalities in the UK, but several French firefighters were killed last year while dousing a blazing car after a crash. Tanks of the same design that exploded are now being sold in the UK, says MacLellan.
Tom Fidell is the directorgeneral of the LPGA, which operates a code of practice for LPG conversions. He states: "We have been trying for two years with the DOT, and we haven't really got anywhere. It is only a matter of time before we have a serious accident."
FideII says the government seems reluctant to devote time and energy an immediate legislation for what is still a relatively small number of vehicles (about 40,000 out of a total 27 million).
He hopes that some form at regulation will be in place by the end of 2004, by which time the number of LPG vehicles is expected to have grown to 250,000, but he is not optimistic.
A DOT spokesman confirms that there are no plans to legislate on this subject. He cites the voluntary codes of conduct, an absence of recorded accidents and the low number of vehicles involved. "The cost benefit is such that there are no plans to bring about a change in the law," he says.
However, the DOT strongly advises against any attempts at DIY work, and suggests that anyone interested in converting to LPG should contact the government funding body Powershift or the LPGA.
But Powershift also thinks rules need to be introduced. Director Jonathan Murray says: "I think there does need to be a move towards bringing some of the industrial standards that have been developed within the remit of legislation."
Nobody wants the threat posed by less reputable kits and companies to put buyers off converting to LPG. MacLellan says: "Properly designed LPG systems are over-engineered for safety and, when properly installed, are considerably safer than existing fuel systems."
• Handy Lennox has recalled all the LPG Transits it converted for OHL, and has stopped using the system involved in three engine fires (0M11-14 Feb).
Investigations into the cause of the fires have been described as "fruitful" by Powershift, which funded part of the conversion cost.