Singapore legislation
Section 65
of Gas Act 2001
Section 65
Notified escapes of gas
(1)
Where any gas escapes from any gas pipeline owned by, or under the management or control of a gas transporter, or from any internal pipe, gas fitting or gas appliance used by a consumer to whose premises gas is conveyed by the gas transporter, the gas transporter must —
immediately take steps necessary to prevent the gas from escaping (whether by disconnecting any premises or otherwise); and
take any other steps necessary to avert danger to life or property.
(2)
A gas transporter who —
fails within a reasonable time to effectively prevent the gas from escaping; or
fails to comply with subsection (1)(b),shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $100,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $10,000 for every day or part of a day during which the offence continues after conviction.
(3)
In any proceedings for an offence under subsection (2)(a), it is a defence for the gas transporter to prove that —
it was not reasonably practicable for it to effectively prevent the gas from escaping; and
it did effectively prevent the escape as soon as it was reasonably practicable for it to do so.
(4)
In any proceedings for an offence under subsection (2)(b), it is a defence for the gas transporter to prove that it took all such steps to avert danger to life or property as were reasonably practicable.
(5)
It is the duty of any gas transporter, gas shipper or gas retailer to take all steps necessary to ensure that, if it is informed by any person (the informant) or otherwise knows of an escape of gas (other than one, in the case of a gas transporter, that it is required by subsection (1) to prevent), it passes the information on, without avoidable delay —
to a responsible person, that is to say, a person appearing to it —
to be responsible (whether under this section or otherwise) for preventing the escape; or
to be the gas transporter from whose gas pipeline network the gas is escaping; or
to a person nominated by a responsible person to receive information on the responsible person’s behalf about escaping of gas.
(6)
For the purposes of subsection (5)(b), there is sufficient compliance if the gas transporter, gas shipper or gas retailer is reasonably satisfied that the informant has passed on the information, without avoidable delay, to the nominated person.
(7)
For the purposes of subsections (5) and (6), references to the passing on of information to a nominated person are references to the passing on of information to that person in such manner (if any) as may be specified by the responsible person by whom that person was nominated.