Group warns vs reusing throwaway LPG canisters

MANILA, Philippines - Consumers should avoid reusing disposable liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) canisters used in hot pot and “shabu-shabu” restaurants to prevent accidents, a party-list lawmaker warned yesterday.

LPGMA party-list Rep. Arnel Ty said manufacturers designed the pressurized canisters, which contain 225 grams to 250 grams of cooking gas, for one-time use and refilling and reusing these cartridges can be extremely dangerous.

“People risk life and limb tampering with these canisters. Even in small amounts, LPG packs a lot of punch when it explodes,” Ty warned. “We are also appealing to restaurants to discard their empty canisters responsibly, so as to discourage reuse.”

Hot pot and shabu-shabu restaurants use the canisters to fire up tabletop stoves where customers cook their meals in front of them.

However, the disposable canisters have also found their way into low-income households, amid the country’s growing sachet economy, he said, referring to the practice of businessmen to sell shampoo, detergent, powdered milk, coffee, and now LPG, in single-use packets to expand their sales to the poor.

The single-use canisters are being sold for as low as P99 in hardware stores, but Ty said “some consumers have resorted to refilling the empty cartridges with P20 to P25 worth of cooking gas via the use of filler couplers.”

Intended mainly for camping and other outdoor use, a 225-gram canister is good for quick-cooking meals for two people for three days.

Ty also previously warned consumers against using potentially unsafe, made-in-China LPG cylinders, with the brand name Shine Gaz, that do not have the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) mark.

The ICC mark indicates that an imported product has complied with mandatory Philippine standards.

A defective 2.7-kilogram Shine Gaz tank caused an accidental explosion that injured 15 people, including two children, in Paco, Manila on July 7.