When tragedy strikes and LP gas becomes a trending topic
It turns out that in this country of soap operas and TikTok virals, sometimes reality surpasses fiction in the most brutal way. After the pipe accident on the La Concordia Bridge, Iztapalapa – an episode so tragic that it hurts even on the timeline – the death toll of 31 people forced the authorities to pull out of the hat not a rabbit, but two emerging norms. Because, apparently, it took a catastrophe of Dantesque proportions to remember that transporting flammable fuel is not the same as delivering pizzas.
In the now classic morning conference – that morning reality show that some follow with more devotion than the Netflix series –, President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and her head of the Ministry of Energy, Luz Elena González, did their act of regulatory magic. They presented NEOM-EM-006-ASEA-2025 for transport and NEOM-EM-007-ASEA-2025 for distribution. Names as sexy as an SAT procedure, but that promise to be “more specific.” Spoiler alert: specificity was what was missing.
Driver training: Because driving a rolling pump is not a game
It seems obvious, right? Whoever drives a vehicle loaded with liquefied petroleum gas should know more than changing lanes without turning signals. Well, the new regulations, in a burst of lucidity, oblige technical and practical training that must be accredited through a competency standard. Basically, it’s going from “I felt like it” to “I know what I’m doing.” A revolutionary concept in industrial safety in the energy sector.
But not everything is theory. The transport units – that bureaucratic jargon for naming the monstrous pipes – must have speed control devices (the famous governors, so that they do not become an improvised Fast & Furious) and, oh surprise, GPS. Yes, the same technology you use to avoid getting lost going to the taco shop will now be mandatory to track the whereabouts of containers full of combustible material. Welcome to the 21st century, gentlemen permit holders.
And the story doesn’t end here. The head of the Sener ruled, with the seriousness of a judge in a trial, that these rules will be mandatory for all units. It is not a suggestion, it is not a recommendation like “for your health, eat more vegetables.” It’s a “do it or face the consequences.” A totally new mood in the regulation of domestic fuel par excellence.
Maintenance and inspections: Goodbye to the era of “this is how it more or less works”
It turns out that before this tragedy, the maintenance scheme had more holes than a Gruyere cheese. The maintenance programs existed, but now it will be mandatory to present an opinion to the ASEA that verifies their compliance. That is to say, the classic pat on the back and a “yes, boss, we already maintained it” is no longer enough. Now we must present evidence. How demanding.
And speaking of tests, the jewel in the crown: hydrostatic pressure tests. In the previous rule, these were only carried out after accidents or repairs – closing the door when the horse, or in this case, the gas, escaped. The new energy regulations require these tests periodically, along with both external and internal visual inspections. Basically a complete checkup, not just seeing if the pipe looks pretty on the outside.
The verification package includes physical-mechanical conditions of the units, the state of the container’s safety elements, the validity of the permits and the registration of the vehicle registry. A checklist as extensive as the to-do list of a functional adult, but applied to safety in the handling of hydrocarbons.
The end of this story is that these emergency regulations will travel to the Official Gazette of the Federation (DOF) for publication, seeking that the tragedy of Iztapalapa is not just another hashtag forgotten in the digital maelstrom. An attempt to transform grief into action, negligence into prevention.
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