CHEMICAL SAFETY TRAINING MODULES

PART IV: TRANSPORT AND STORAGE

3. Transport and storage of dangerous goods

Whenever dangerous goods are transported certain measures should be taken to ensure that the potential risks are adequately communicated to all who may come into contact with the goods in the course of the transport. This can be accomplished through marking and labelling of packages to indicate the hazards of the consignment, through including relevant information in the transport documents, and by placing placards on the transport units: containers and vehicles.

3.1. Labels, marking, documents

Each package should be marked with the appropriate shipping name, hazard class and UN number, followed by packing group reference:

Detailed instructions on how dangerous goods should be classified and packed are given in international agreements and national provisions.

Labels should be placed on containers and vehicles so that they are clearly visible.

During the transport of dangerous goods, the appropriate warning labels, based on the classification of dangerous goods into the 9 classes described above, should be on every single package.

Only one danger class label should normally be fixed on a package. However, if the substance or article presents more than one significant risk, such as fire and poisoning, the package should bear labels indicating important subsidiary risks.

The documentation for the transport of dangerous goods should contain:

Transport document containing

• the appropriate shipping name;
• the Class and, when assigned, the category in this class of the goods;
• the UN number and, where assigned, packing group for the substance;
• the total quantity of dangerous goods covered by document (by volume, mass, or net explosive content, as appropriate);
• the name and address of the consignor and the consignee.

In addition:

• other elements of information deemed necessary by national authorities, such as flash point;
• if dangerous waste is transported for disposal, the proper shipping name should be preceded by the word "WASTE".

Declaration or certificate that the consignment offered can be accepted for transport, and that the goods are properly packed, marked and labelled.

3.2. Vehicle requirements

Transport by road may take place as bulk materials, or in containers and tanks. The detailed technical requirements for different transport methods are usually given in national regulations. The transporter should check that the following documents are attached: transport document (letter of consignment); declaration that the packing and labelling is properly done; transport emergency card (instructions in writing in case of accident or emergency that may occur during transport); driver's training certificate; certificate of approval given by technical inspection for the tank and vehicle; labels and placards for the vehicle; packing certificate of the container. Every transport unit carrying dangerous goods should be equipped with: fire-fighting appliances (chosen according to the type of load); tool kit for emergency repairs to the vehicle; at least one scotch (mechanical brake) of a size suitable for the weight of the vehicle and the size of the tire; two amber lights independent of the electrical system of the vehicle; placards, according to the transported goods; protective equipment (for personal protection, absorbing material for spills, etc.).

3.3. Incompatible dangerous goods

Detailed instructions pertaining to classified dangerous goods may also restrict the transport of specific goods together in the same vehicle, or the minimum distances between two such packages may be given. Those loading the goods have to rely on the information found on packages and transport documents. Opening of the transport containers or the packages during the transport or intermediate storage is not permitted. Once the labelling is properly completed, loading personnel can use the attached key symbols to judge how to construct the load according to regulations and in a safe way.

3.4. Limited quantities

Dangerous goods require special treatment, equipment, extra vehicle crews and supervision when stored, handled, parked, and at places of loading and unloading.

Detailed instructions in international and national provisions specify quantity limits for certain dangerous substances. These maximum package quantities can be transported in one transport unit, and the above-mentioned special precautions need not all to be applied. Such limits are given in the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. They are adapted and more detailed in the European Agreement Concerning the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR).

4. Organizing safety

Safety measures should be part of procedure from the first request for transport up to the delivery of the goods at the end-point; including the cleaning of the vehicle afterwards. All levels of personnel involved should be well informed and these people should share the responsibility. Safety measures should include organizational, personnel and engineering aspects, and co-operation between operational staff during the transport should be emphasized. Collaboration between the employer and employees is essential. Collaboration with authorities, such as responsible community and health care institutions and Labour Inspectorate is equally important in order to exchange information and plan for emergencies.

4.1. Organizing safety communication

Proper communication within the transport chain is the basis for all other safety measures.

Safety activities are targeted to:

• point out practical problems concerning either the workplace as a whole or individual tasks;
• create a forum to discuss these problems and to try to find solutions that improve the health of workers and reduce loss of materials;
• find out the risks of the work and the effects of these risks and to suggest a solution to minimize them;
• establish a priority list of improvements, with respect to time and resources;
• ensure that the suggested practical solution are properly implemented and the results are improving the situation;
• promote good housekeeping in the working environment.

This should involve all parties in the workplace. The task could be given to a committee including representatives of different parts of the transport company.

The committee could consider emergency planning and safety education. Ideas from both workers and the employer should be encouraged and discussed.

4.2. Organizing safety measures

Transport order, booking

Whether the batch contains dangerous goods should be declared already at accepting a transport order. If the batch does or is suspected to contain dangerous goods, the consignor should be reminded of the need to label the goods according to regulations and to prepare documents which include instructions in the local language in case of emergency or spillage.

Some companies have developed checklists of different aspects of information, which the consignor can use to describe the load in order to facilitate the communication between different stages of the transport chain.

If the cargo is transported in a tank-container or as bulk transport, a special check should be made that the vehicle is properly equipped, that proper placards are chosen, that the vehicle, its pipes and connections are empty and clean, and that the protective equipment is intended for those hazards the transported goods can cause (such as provision of the right type of filter for the driver's gas mask).

Loading

Before leaving the loading place all documents should be checked. Always remove old documents from the vehicle to avoid any misunderstanding in case of an emergency. See that the documents are completed. If passing through customs, check that the emergency instructions are written in the appropriate languages. The packages and containers should not be broken, and the actual amount should be the same as stated in the documents. Dangerous goods should always be well attached to avoid load movements during transport and they should be loaded away from food and animal feedstuffs. Attach the placard to the vehicle. Remember grounding to avoid static electricity, and personal protective equipment when loading dangerous goods in/from tank-containers. A sketch of the load showing where the dangerous goods are situated could save time in unloading.

Unloading and re-transport

A check should be made that the documents are always attached to the goods. To avoid unnecessary risks an intermediate storage should be planned, according to the class to which the goods belong, to avoid contacts between incompatible chemicals. A checklist for re-transport helps the workers in the storage area and enhances safety.

Some dangerous goods must be under surveillance at all times, such as explosives and organic peroxides. Some other dangerous goods need limited surveillance while parked in a restricted area or isolated place if the amount exceeds specified quantities.

Delivery

You should check that loaded dangerous goods have not moved and that the packages/containers are not leaking. Follow cleaning instructions described in the attached documents in case of a spillage.

Dangerous goods can be delivered only to the authorized persons and should not be left without surveillance.

Check that the name(s) of the goods and the amounts correspond to those in documents. In the case of liquids being transported in a tank-container, check that connections and pipes are not leaking. Supervise the unloading to avoid an overflow.

The documents are given to the receiver of the cargo. Remember to remove the placards when they are no longer needed.

4.3. Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the consignor to see that goods are classified according to national and international regulations; the limitations on the transport of certain goods are respected; the goods are properly packed and marked; the appropriate documents are attached to the goods.
The responsibilities of the transporter are to equip the vehicle to meet national and international regulations; to see that the workers and drivers are trained to transport dangerous goods; to plan the transport, e.g., to select routes avoiding dense residential areas, and to arrange supervision during parking.
The driver of a vehicle is responsible for having necessary documents for the load at hand; accepting only undamaged, marked or labelled packages and containers; checking that he is well informed about the transport details; following the instructions given, such as the use of personal protective equipment, and not undertaking certain tasks alone.

ANNEX 1.

COMMON RULES THAT APPLY TO TRANSPORT OF DANGEROUS GOODS:

• Read the transport document(s) before loading in order to master the loading and to know what to do in case of an accident or spill
• Do not leave the vehicle containing dangerous goods unattended
• Loading and unloading of some dangerous goods in public places requires the presence of or notice to authorities (police, customs)
• Do not take passenger(s)
• No smoking during loading operations, or close to a vehicle that is waiting to be unloaded, or inside the vehicle
• Never use open flames of any kind in the area where there are dangerous or unknown goods
• Do not keep engines running when they are not needed for loading (pumping, lifting...)
• See that the goods, the names and the amount are the same in reality as in the enclosed documents
• See that dangerous goods do not come into contact with food and feedstuff
• See that the labels are placed on the dangerous goods and on the vehicle
• Separate dangerous goods from other goods that are transported and place them properly (make a sketch where they are located in the vehicle)
• See that the load can not move during the transport (well fixed, no oil on floor that would make it slippery)
• See that there is available the necessary equipment to conduct (un)loading and transport safely (e.g. grounding cables, personal protection equipment)
• Do not accept for transport damaged dangerous goods or leaking packages or containers
• Drivers have no right to open packages or containers of dangerous goods

ANNEX 2.

If following QUANTITY LIMITS for dangerous goods that are packed and distributed in a form intended or suitable for sale through retail agencies for consumption for purposes of personal care or household use may, be exempted from marking of the proper shipping name and UN number on the packaging and from the requirements for a dangerous goods transport documents.

List of values for quantity limits for personal care and household use: (from UN Recommendation on the Transport of Dangerous Goods)

* special provisions according to the type of substance, the package material and size.

Example: Quantity limitations for class 9

ANNEX 3.

GOODS REQUIRING SUPERVISION

Compiled from the European Agreement concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods by road (ADR).

The lists of goods and substances in different classes presented below are not comprehensive.

Transport units carrying dangerous goods in quantities above the values indicated should be supervised or, alternatively, may be parked unsupervised in an isolated location in the open at a secure depot or factory premises.

ANNEX 4:

LABELS AND DOCUMENT FOR TRANSPORT OF DANGEROUS CHEMICALS

recommended by the United Nations

Specimen labels

(* Place for class or division number as appropriate)
(** Place for division and compatibility group)
(*** Place for compatibility group)

13.5.1. CLASS 1

Explosives
Divisions 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 . Symbol (exploding bomb): black, Background: orange


Division 1.4 (except compatibility group S*) and Division 1.5. Background: orange; Figures: black; Numerals should be about 30 mm in height and be about 5 mm wide (for a label measuring 100 mmx100 mm)

*The packages should be marked 1.3S

CLASS 2


Non-inflammable gases. Symbol (gas cylinder): black or white; Backgournd: green


Inflammable gases. Symbol (flame): black or white, Background: red


Poison (toxic) gases. Symbol (skull and crossbones): black, Background: white

CLASS 3


Inflammable liquids. Symbol (flame): black or white; Background: red

CLASS 4


Division 4.1 . Inflammable solids, Symbol (flame): black; Background: white with vertical stripes


Division 4.2 . Substances liable to spontaneous combustion. Symbol (flame): black; Background: upper half white, lower half red


Division 4.3. Substances which, in contact with water, emit inflammable gases. Symbol (flame): black or white, Background: blue

CLASS 5


Division 5.1 . Oxidizing substances. Symbol (flame over circle): black; background: yellow


Division 5.2 . Organic peroxides. Symbol (flame over circle): black; background: green

CLASS 6


Division 6.1 . Poisonous (toxic) substances, Packing Groups: I and II, Symbol (skull and crossbones): bladk; background: white


Division 6.2 . Infectious substances

CLASS 7

Radioactive substances


Category I- White: symbol (trefoil: black: Background: white; Text (mandatory) black in bottom half of label: "Radioactive"; "Contents ..."; "Activity ..." . One red vertical stripe must follow the word "Radioactive".


Category II- Yellow: symbol (trefoil: black: Background: top half yellow, bottom half white; Text (mandatory) black in bottom half of label: "Radioactive"; "Contents ..."; "Activity ..." in a black outlined box."Transport Index". Two red vertical stripes must follow the word "Radioactive".


Category III- Yellow: symbol (trefoil: black: Background: top half yellow, bottom half white; Text (mandatory) black in bottom half of label: "Radioactive"; "Contents ..."; "Activity ..." in a black outlined box."Transport Index". Three red vertical stripes must follow the word "Radioactive".

CLASS 8


Corrosives. Symbol (liquids, spilling from two glass vessels and attacking a hand and a metal): black: Background: upper half white, lower half black with white border.

CLASS 9


Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles
Symbol (seven vertical stripes in upper half): black; Background: white; Figure '9' underlined in bottom corner.

DISPLAY OF SERIAL NUMBERS


**location of serial number, * location of class or division number

DANGEROUS GOODS TRANSPORT DOCUMENT

Page size: "A4" (210 x 297 mm or 8.27 x 11.69 inches)

ANNEX 5

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION NUMBER PLACARD

The following identification system is in use for placards in Europe (ADR) for road transport.

The background of the placard is orange. The border, horizontal line, and figures are black.

Identification numbers are shown in such a way, that the upper number is indicating the danger and the lower number identifies the substances with the UN-number given in the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods.

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION NUMBER

The hazard identification number consists of two or three figures indicating the following hazards:

Doubling of a figure indicates an intensification of that particular hazard.

Where the hazard associated with a substance can be adequately indicated by a single figure, this is followed by a zero.

If a hazard identification number is prefixed by letter 'X', this indicates that the substance will react dangerously with water.

The hazard identification number combinations have following meanings:

Continue to Part V: Major hazard chemicals