The transportation of hazardous materials is riskier than most other jobs and requires more protective measures to keep handlers, drivers, and the general public safe at all times. Hazardous materials can range from dangerous explosives to corrosive chemicals, so you need to follow all guidelines to avoid jeopardising yourself, the environment or risking accidental damage.
Knowing what safety equipment you need and the rules you must follow are some of the first steps to staying safe. Here is everything you need to know about how to transport hazardous materials safely.
How to safely transport hazardous materials safely?
Classification
The first thing that needs to be established is what type of hazardous material you’ll be transporting. There are nine different classes of hazardous goods and each one has different infrastructures, storage, and health and safety regulations. Flammable liquids will not have the same travel requirements as corrosives for example.
It’s essential that you identify standard transportation protocols for the hazardous goods you’re moving as any leakage could be toxic for humans and the environment.
Regulations
Any dangerous materials or goods that are transported by road or rail in Great Britain must comply with transportation and vehicle regulations. This includes guidance on shipping, packaging, and labelling dangerous items, including whether a dangerous good safety advisor will be necessary for the journey.
You’ll also need to familiarise yourself with laws and rules regarding tanks and pressure receptacles. This requires any container that holds dangerous material to be tested, inspected, and certified before they are first used and then checked each time after.
Driver safety
The safety of your drivers when out on the road is a priority and you are responsible for providing them with any necessary equipment and safety information. You should provide drivers with PPE to keep them secure while handling dangerous material, like warning clothes, goggles, and masks for each member of the crew.
You should also consider taking out transport insurance to help keep you and your employees protected in the case of an accident. Other necessary safety equipment can include fire extinguishers, self-standing warning signs, and pocket lamps.
Technological advances that make transport safer
Since the COVID pandemic, there has been an increase in digital innovation as a tool for transporting dangerous goods. This is typically in the form of digitisation and automation.
Digitization has been hailed as the underlying solution to the transportation of hazardous material as the digital supply network acts as a technology platform that better connects suppliers, buyers, shippers, and third-party logistics providers.
Automation is another solution for hazardous material transport. For example, DG Autocheck removes the need for paperwork and to manually find the necessary information on how to ship and handle dangerous goods.
Transport Hazardous Materials article and permission to publish here provided by Megan at Eleven-Tenths. Originally written for Supply Chain Game Changer and published on March 17, 2023.