Finally, a manual to avoid flying through the air
It seems that it takes a tragedy with thirty deaths for someone to have a lightbulb light (and not one near a gas leak). This Friday, in an act of sublime reactivity, the Official Gazette of the Federation dressed up to publish an arsenal of new energy regulations. The stated objective is to build a “more modern, solid and sustainable” sector. Or, in Christian, prevent more pipes from becoming rolling bombs.
The Executive, in an attack of legislative productivity, issued a decree that seems like the index of an encyclopedia: Regulations of the Law on Hydrocarbons, Geothermal Energy, the Electric Sector, Biofuels… and so on, in a list so extensive that one wonders if they have not also included the regulations for the use of the bathroom in government offices. But the jewel in the crown, the one that brings us together today, is the Official Mexican Emergency Standard NOM-EM-006-ASEA-2025, a name as catchy as a romantic ballad from the 80s.
The good pipero’s decalogue (or how not to kill your neighbors)
It turns out that, until now, transporting liquefied petroleum gas was an activity with a level of regulation similar to that of a game of marbles. After the accident on the La Concordia Bridge, the authority has decided that maybe, just maybe, there should be some rules. The new regulations establish that pipes must carry clear signs. Imagine: it is required to say “DANGER L.P. GAS”! What a revolutionary concept. It’s almost like putting a “CAUTION: TIGER” sign on a tiger’s cage. An unprecedented advance.
But it doesn’t stop there. They should also include emergency phone numbers. Because, clearly, before this, in the event of a leak, the logical thing was to send a WhatsApp message or, at best, a smoke signal. Now, hopefully, someone will answer the phone. In addition, they must specify the capacity of the unit at 100% in liters of water, a fact that all citizens will undoubtedly review with a magnifying glass the next time we see a burning pipe on the road.
And here comes the best: each pipe must have a portable fire extinguisher weighing at least 9 kilos. Because nothing fights a fire of catastrophic proportions better than a device the size of a dachshund. Of course, it must have its service tag and expiration date in force. Lest you try to put out a fire with an expired fire extinguisher and, instead of chemical powder, confetti and a note saying “Surprise!” come out.
The pipe of the future: more equipped than a James Bond car
The norm becomes technological. Tank trucks or tractor-trailers must have a speed governor that limits them to 80 km/h. That is, they will no longer be able to participate in illegal races on the highway. They must also have an Active GPS System, so that the authorities know exactly where on the map the explosion occurred. And, if that were not enough, a mechanical or magnetic float type level indicator. Didn’t they bring? One thought that measuring gas was something optional, like air conditioning in the car.
The container must have a legible, fixed and permanent data plate, with such crucial information as the date of manufacture and the serial number. It’s almost like the birth certificate of the pipe. Will the next requirement be that drivers pass a psychological test? Visual inspections and hydrostatic tests are also contemplated. Wow, it turns out that it’s not enough to just take a look at it and pat the tank saying “this one holds up.”
In short, it is a compendium of common sense written with legislative urgency. It’s as if, after discovering that people fall off cliffs, they decided to put up railings. These industrial and operational security measures are welcome, although one cannot avoid a touch of cynicism: did it really take thirty people to die to implement what any junior engineer would have suggested in an afternoon? The absurdity of bureaucracy and tragedy go hand in hand, once again, in a macabre dance that we hope will not be repeated. Or at least, not until the next emergency rule is published.
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