Challenges in Transporting Hazardous Cargo

The success of any project largely depends on the management of logistics that also includes prompt and safe movement of materials. This aspect has more significance when the materials are of hazardous nature. Thus dangerous goods shipping services in India deserve a special mention and only certain agencies have the expertise in this field, be it by the surface (rail, road and sea) or air modes of transportation.

To cite an example of such specialised services, the New Delhi-based company Air Shagoon has packages of comprehensive solutions. These encompass a wide range of facets like packaging, quality and safety including risk management and responsive action in case of emergencies. With these in view, the concerned personnel are thoroughly trained in handling and managing the services in different environments.

Reportedly, just a few have the required expertise in special handling cargo services in India. The Ministry of Environment and Forests through Gazette Notifications periodically publicises the specifications about hazardous materials, their packaging and labelling by describing them as per the United Nations guidelines. On this score, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has a highly informative web portal on transportation of hazardous substances.

Of course, the focus has been on fire, explosion, injuries in flammable petroleum products like kerosene, petrol, LPG, Naphtha etc. As per Central Motor Vehicles Rules, there are safety codes to be followed in transportation of hazardous materials. Every goods carriage carrying goods of dangerous or hazardous nature is supposed to be fitted with a techograph, an instrument to record the lapse of running time of the motor vehicle like GPS, logging of time speed, acceleration and declaration etc., and also a spark arrester. Above all, the assigned truck (referred by the British term, lorry in south India) must have a valid registration to carry the hazardous goods and fully equipped with mandatory First-aid, Safety kits and antidotes as may be necessary.

Further the duly qualified driver is expected to have the ability to read and write at least one Indian language in addition to English and also retain all information provided to him in writing in the form known as TREM CARD (Transport Emergency Card). This is to be kept in the drivers’ cabin and made available at all times while hazardous material related to it is being transported. He should be perfect in defensive driving.

According to the guidelines prescribed by the United Nations, the following are classified as dangerous and hazardous consignments:

• Explosives

• Gases, compressed, liquified, dissolved under pressure or deeply refrigerated .

• Non-flammable gases

• Inflammable gases

• Poison (toxic) gases

• Inflammable Liquids

• Inflammable solids, substances liable to spontaneous combustion including those which on contact with water, emit inflammable gases

• Inflammable Solids

• Substances liable to spontaneous combustion

• Oxidizing substances and organic peroxides

• Infectious substances

• Harmful substances

• Infectious, Radioactive and corrosive substances

Incidentally, since 2011, the Government of Maharashtra and the Indian Chemical Council (ICC) in association with TRIUM Consultants - Institute of Logistics Management have been jointly conducting training programmes for drivers on safe transportation of hazardous goods.

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Created on Aug 30th 2018 03:50. Viewed 331 times.

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