Carriage of dangerous goods

When transported dangerous goods need to be packaged correctly as laid out in the various international and national regulations for each mode of transport to ensure that they are carried safely to minimise the risk of an incident. There are four different modes of transport which dangerous goods are carried: road, rail, sea and air.

However, transporting goods by road or rail involves the risk of traffic accidents. If the goods carried are dangerous, eg. petrol or chemicals, there is also the risk of an incident, such as spillage of the goods, causing hazards such as fire, explosion, chemical burn or environmental damage. For this reason there are regulations which deal with the transport of dangerous goods. Their aim is to minimise the risk of spillage etc. but, if spillages do occur, to make it easier for the emergency services to deal with them. The regulations place a duty upon those involved in the carriage of dangerous goods to ensure that they know about the measures needed to minimise such risks. Table 1 shows some abbreviations for various regulations applying to the transport of dangerous goods.

Most goods are not considered sufficiently dangerous to need special precautions during transport. However, some goods have properties which mean they could present a danger while being carried, such as explosive, toxic, corrosive or flammable substances. If you wish to carry such goods, you need to identify the hazards first. This process is called classification.

Dangerous goods should be packaged so that they do not escape during handling and carriage. The packages used should be suitable and adequate.

Table 1- Abbreviations for regulations applying to the transport of dangerous goods

Abbreviation	Regulation
ACL	Approved Carriage List: Information approved for the carriage of dangerous goods by road and rail other than explosives and radioactive material.
ARCRR	Approved Requirements for the packaging, labelling and carriage of radioactive material by rail.
ARTM	Approved Requirements and test methods for the classification and packaging of dangerous goods for carriage.
ATR	Approved Tank Requirements: The provisions for bottom loading and vapour recovery systems of mobile containers carrying petrol.
CDGCPL2	Carriage of Dangerous Goods (Classification, Packaging and Labelling) and Use of Transportable Pressure Receptacles Regulations.
CDGRail2	Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail Regulations.
CER ACOP	Suitability of vehicles and containers and limits on quantities for the carriage of explosives.
CLER	Classification and Labelling of Explosives Regulations.
PEC	Packaging of Explosives for Carriage Regulations.
RAMRail	Packaging, Labelling and Carriage of Radioactive Material by Rail Regulations.
TDGSA	Transport of Dangerous Goods (Safety Advisers) Regulations.

This means that they must be able to withstand the normal conditions of transport (such as vibration, humidity, pressure or heavy braking), or the normal stresses of handling during loading and unloading, so that the risk of leakage is minimised.

Dangerous goods in packages need to be labeled according to their classification. Labels should be clearly visible so that everyone involved is aware of the potential hazards.

For rail transport, if you are an operator of a container, tank container, tank wagon or wagon, you should make sure that the operator of a train, which is to carry dangerous goods, is provided with the necessary carriage information about those goods. Train operators, in turn, need to pass the information to the infrastructure controller on whose railway the goods are to be carried.

Any vehicle, container, tank or wagon used to carry dangerous goods should be suitable for the purpose. For example, some dangerous goods (radioactive materials) are allowed to be carried in tanks. Carriage in bulk is the carriage of solid dangerous goods without packaging.

If a vehicle carrying dangerous goods is involved in any sort of accident or incident, the appropriate emergency action needs to be taken. Drivers must follow the emergency instructions provided and, if necessary, notify the emergency services by the quickest and safest method.

Exercise 3. Explain the following statements. Work in pairs.

1. Transporting goods by rail involves the risk of traffic accidents.

2. When transported dangerous goods the various international and national regulations for each mode of transport are used.

3. If you wish to carry dangerous goods, you need to identify their hazards.

Exercise 4. Find English equivalents to the following Russian phrases in the text.

1. опасные грузы

2. международные и национальные правила

3. риск дорожно-транспортных происшествий

4. определить опасность

5. выдерживать стандартные условия транспортировки

6. погрузка и разгрузка

7. разрешается перевозить в цистернах

8. перевозка опасных грузов без упаковки

9. инструкция по действиям в аварийных ситуациях

10. маркируются в соответствии с их классификацией

Exercise 5. Study table 1. Do you know similar Russian regulations applying to the transport of dangerous goods?

Exercise 5. Read the following text from Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety. Translate it into Russian. Use a dictionary. Then compare your translation with a partner to improve.

Hazardous commodities generally remain contained during such accidents because of the attention given to crash proofing in the design of shipping containers and bulk rail cars. During an accident, the contents are removed from the damaged car by emergency response crews that represent the shipper*. Equipment maintainers repair the damage to the extent possible and put the car back on the track, if possible. However, the track under the derailed car may have been destroyed. If so, repair or replacement of track occurs next, using prefabricated sections and special techniques.

In some situations, loss of containment occurs and the contents of the car or shipping container spill onto the ground. If substances are shipped* in quantities sufficient to require placarding because of transportation laws, they are readily identifiable on shipping manifests*. However, highly hazardous substances that are shipped in smaller quantities than mandated for listing in a shipping manifest can escape identification and characterization for a considerable period. Containment at the site and collection of the spilled material are the responsibility of the shipper.

Railway personnel can be exposed to materials that remain in snow, soil or vegetation during rehabilitation efforts. The severity of exposure depends on the properties and quantity of the substance, the geometry of the site and weather conditions. The situation could also pose fire, explosion, reactivity and toxic hazards to humans, animals and the surrounding environment

U.S. Encyclopedia of Occupational Health and Safety