Ghana has witnessed unprecedented growth in places of worship over the last two decades. While freedom of worship is enshrined in the Constitution and remains a cornerstone of democratic society, an emerging trend poses a significant threat to public safety: the growing number of churches established within, above, beside, or adjacent to fuel filling stations, particularly in Accra and other major urban centres.
This phenomenon has become so widespread that it is no longer unusual to find a church occupying the upper floor of a fuel station building or a converted shop within a fuel station complex. Unfortunately, this trend appears to be outpacing the regulatory framework designed to protect lives and property. Memories of the June 3, 2015, disaster at the GOIL station at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, where flooding and a fuel station fire combined to claim more than 150 lives, remain painfully fresh. However, Ghana seems to be drifting toward another avoidable catastrophe.
Research and safety studies consistently identify fuel stations as high-risk facilities because of the storage and handling of highly flammable petroleum products. Fuel stations are associated with fire, explosion, fuel leakage, toxic emissions, and accident risks. Studies in Ghana have also highlighted concerns over inadequate compliance with safety regulations and the siting of fuel stations in densely populated areas. https://www.cell.com/heliyon/fulltext/S2405-8440(24)05995-
Why churches and fuel stations are a dangerous combination
A fuel station is fundamentally a hazardous industrial installation. A church is a place of mass assembly. Combining the two creates a dangerous mix of combustible substances and large concentrations of people. Fuel stations store gasoline, diesel, and, in some cases, LPG, all of which are highly flammable. Fuel vapours can ignite from relatively small ignition sources. Church services often involve large congregations, electrical equipment, loudspeakers and amplifiers, power generators, extensive wiring and often use candles or ceremonial items in some denominations. The presence of hundreds of worshippers near fuel storage facilities significantly increases the potential consequences of accidental ignition or explosion. Studies identify fuel stations as locations with substantial fire and explosion hazards. (https://safetyculture.com/topics/gas-station-safety/fuel-safety).
A typical fuel station is designed for transient customers who spend only a few minutes on-site. Churches, however, attract hundreds of worshippers, sometimes with overnight prayer sessions or all-night vigils, conferences, weddings, and funerals, which bring large crowds of people to such premises. Church congregations often include vulnerable groups, such as young children, pregnant women, elderly persons, and persons with disabilities. These groups are generally less capable of rapid evacuation during emergencies, making their presence near hazardous fuel facilities particularly concerning. An accident that might affect a handful of motorists could become a mass casualty event when a congregation is gathered nearby.
Many churches generate heavy traffic before and after services. Vehicles parked along station entrances and exits can obstruct fuel delivery vehicles, impede emergency responders, delay evacuation efforts, and increase the risk of accidents. In the event of a fire, every second is crucial. Congestion around a fuel station could prove fatal.
Air pollution and health hazards
Fuel stations emit volatile organic compounds and fuel vapours that may affect human health, especially after prolonged exposure. Worshippers who spend several hours at services may be exposed to hydrocarbon fumes, vehicle exhaust emissions, fuel odours, and airborne pollutants. Research in Ghana has noted concerns about air pollution, health risks, and environmental exposure around fuel stations (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311886.2023.2282473). Furthermore, the use of mobile phones is prohibited at fuel stations for safety reasons. However, churchgoers on the premises may be less likely to comply with this restriction, thereby increasing the potential safety risk.
Noise distraction and other risks
Religious activities frequently involve loud music, drumming, and dancing, amplified preaching, and outdoor public address systems. These activities can distract drivers entering or exiting stations, fuel tanker operators, and fuel attendants. Fuel stations regularly receive tanker deliveries, which represent one of the highest-risk operational periods. The presence of a large congregation during fuel off-loading can increase the danger from static electricity, fuel spills, equipment failure, and vehicle collisions. A small operational incident could become a major disaster when hundreds of people are nearby.
Why regulatory authorities must act now
The continued proliferation of churches within fuel station premises reflects broader weaknesses in urban planning enforcement, development control, building permit oversight, fire safety inspections, and environmental regulation. Several agencies have mandates relevant to this issue, including the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Physical and Land Use Planning Authorities, and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
There is an urgent need for these institutions to act with dispatch to avert any potential disaster that may arise from this growing problem. These institutions must collaborate to:
1. Conduct a nationwide audit of churches operating within fuel station premises.
2. Enforce existing zoning and fire safety regulations.
3. Establish mandatory separation distances between fuel stations and places of public assembly.
4. Educate religious organisations about petroleum-related hazards.
5. Impose sanctions on operators who convert fuel station facilities into worship centres without regulatory approval.
Conclusion
Ghana has often learned painful lessons only after disasters occur. The increasing establishment of churches within or near fuel stations represents a ticking time bomb that demands urgent attention. The combination of highly flammable petroleum products, large congregations, traffic congestion, and inadequate emergency preparedness creates an unacceptable level of risk for fire accidents.
The question is not whether such arrangements are convenient or profitable. The question is whether they are safe. If regulatory authorities fail to act decisively, the country may soon wake up to another preventable national tragedy. Prudence demands action now, before a disaster occurs, rather than after lives have been lost or destroyed.
The author is Ayaga Agula Bawah, PhD; Professor of Demography and Population Health, Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, Accra.
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