TRANSPORTATION OF HAZARDOUS GOODS

Due to unprecedented growing of chemical Industries, the amount of hazardous chemicals in total goods traffic is increasing at a rapid rate. Of the carriers that carry dangerous goods nearly two-thirds of them bring combustible petroleum products including Kerosene, Petrol, LPG, Naphtha, CNG etc. The transport of such substances is more prone to accident than the movement of other goods. When involved in a road accident , may cause terrible consequences like fire, explosion, injuries, in addition to property loss and environmental pollution. Bhopal tragedy of 1984 was shadowed by various organizational and governmental measures to revise and increase the overall protection condition in various industries, particularly dealing with hazardous chemicals. The safety codes and protection requirements to be followed in movement of dangerous materials are set down in Central Motor Vehicles Rules.

TRANSPORTATION OF GOODS OF HAZARDOUS NATURE

Every hazardous goods carriage transporting dangerous or hazardous goods shall show a different mark of the class label appropriate to the type of hazardous goods. Every package containing hazardous goods shall show the different class labels appropriate to the type of hazardous goods. In the case of packages containing goods which represent more than one hazard, such packages shall display different labels to indicate the hazards. Every dangerous goods carriage carrying goods of hazardous nature shall be fitted with a tachograph or GPS.

WAYS OF DISPLAY OF CLASS LABELS

The class label shall be so put that the size of the label is at angle of 45 degrees to the vertical and the size of such label shall not be of less than 25 mm square which can be separated into two portions, the upper half portion being held in reserve for the pictorial symbol and the lower half for the test.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CONSIGNOR FOR SAFE TRANSPORT OF HAZARDOUS GOODS

The company has to ensure the following points

• The vehicle is equipped with required First-aid, Safety equipments and antidotes as may be necessary.
• The transporter or owner of the goods carriage has full and appropriate information about the hazardous goods being transported.
• The driver of the goods carriage is trained in control the dangers posed during transport of such goods.
• Every consignor shall supply to the owner of the goods carriage full and appropriate information about the dangerous or hazardous goods, being transported as to enable such owner and its driver
• To make aware of the safety rules for shipping of hazardous materials.
• To make aware of the threats created by such goods to health or safety of any person.
• The goods carriage has a legal registration to carry the hazardous goods.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OWNER OF GOODS CARRIAGE

• It shall be the responsibility of the owner to ensure the following
•     The goods carriage has legal registration and permit and is safe for the handling of the said goods.
•     The Vehicle is equipped with required First-Aid, Safety equipment, tool box and antidotes as may be required to contain any accident.
• The owner should fulfil himself that the information given by the consignor is full and accurate.
• The owner should ensure that the driver being allotted for shipping is trained to handle such Dangerous materials.
• The owner should provide the route map.
• The owner of the goods carriage should confirm that the driver holds a driving Licence as per provisions of Rule 9 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules.

Driver should have the capability to read and write at least one Indian language stated in VII Schedule of the Constitution and English language.

The driver successfully passed a course related with the transport of hazardous goods.

RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DRIVER

It is the duty of the driver to keep all data provided to him in writing in the system TREM Card . This is to be kept in the driver’s cabin and is available at all times while Dangerous goods related to it is being tranported.

EMERGENCY INFORMATION PANEL (EIP)

It is important for every dangerous material carrier to show correctly the emergency information panel.
EIP should be legibly and clearly marked in each of the three places stated. So that the EIP faces to each side of the carriage and to its back and such panel shall contain the following information The correct technical name of the hazardous goods in letters not less than 50mm high.

• The United Nations class number for the Hazardousgoods in letters not less than 100mm high.
• The class label of the goods in the size of not less than 250mm square.
• The name and telephone number of the emergency services to be communicated in the event of fire or any other accident in letters and numerals that are not less than 50mm high and the name and mobile number of the consignor of the dangerous goods or of some other person from whom expert information and advice can be obtained about the measures that should be taken in the even of emergency.

DRIVER TO BE TRAINED

The owner of every goods carriage transporting hazardous goods shall ensure to the satisfaction of the consignor that the driver of the goods carriage has recieved suitable instructions and training to enable him to understand the nature of the such goods being transported, by him, the nature of the risks raising out of such goods.

DRIVER - REPORT TO THE POLICE STATION ABOUT ACCIDENT

The driver of a goods carriage transporting any hazardous goods shall, on the incidence of an accident involving any hazardous goods transported by his carriage, report to the nearest police station, its owner and the consigner