Transporting dangerous goods poses considerable threats to people and the environment through explosions, radioactive spills, fires, toxic leaks, and the inhalation of corrosive substances.
Fremont, CA:Transporting dangerous substances can bring notable financial, environmental, and health-related risks. Hence, a robust legislative infrastructure must be in place to lessen the risk of accidents while such substances are transported.
Transporting dangerous goods poses considerable threats to people and the environment through explosions, radioactive spills, fires, toxic leaks, and the inhalation of corrosive substances. Such threats make safe chemical transportation a problem of paramount importance, irrespective of whether the chemicals are being carried between laboratories or countries.
External Chemical Transport Best Practices
Chemical transport of damaging substances externally arguably presents a risk of larger-scale incidents than on-site chemical transport, as the quantities of chemicals transported externally are generally much larger. Some best means for external chemical transport incorporate:
• Often carry a suitable spill kit—employing spill kits appropriate for the chemicals is extremely important. Hazmat kits are utilized for corrosive acids, solvents, and other ‘aggressive’ chemicals. Universal spill kits are for spills processing either water or hydrocarbon chemicals. Oil-only kits are particularly for oil.
• Ensure you properly segregate classes of damaging substances to bypass the risk of a reaction while they are in transport.
• Completely safe hazardous substances on the vehicle or other transport mode so they can’t move or fall.
• Often classify chemicals according to their hazards designated by the UN so you can choose proper packaging for all goods transported.
• Just hire competent and registered carriers to transport dangerous substances for domestic and international transport. The carrier company should get written proof of competency before transport.
• Properly label all packaging with the proper diamond-shaped transport hazard label.
Incorporating best practices for on-site and external chemical transport can help reduce the risk of chemical incidents causing damage. Employing the right chemical containers is particularly important.
Chemical Transport On-Site Common practice
Perhaps the more general form of chemical transportation would be the chemical transfer from room to room or between buildings in the same location, like a university campus or factory site. Although it might seem like the possibilities of an accident are slim over such small distances, extra precautions must be taken to evade an accident. Some best procedures for the transport of dangerous substances on-site are:
• Anyone involved in transporting unsafe goods on-site should wear proper PPE for the chemicals they are transporting.
• Often employ secondary containment by positioning bottles, jars, or other chemical receptacles in a tray or carrier when moving chemicals on-site.
• Don’t carry trays comprising hazardous chemicals by hand—use proper equipment, like laboratory carts.
• Never place incompatible chemicals in the same container during transport—you must prevent unwanted reactions in case of a leak or spill.
• Bring a spill management kit to rapidly respond to any accident when transporting hazardous goods.
• Never try to clean up a spill without help if you are uncertain what to do, feel unsafe, or don’t know what materials have been spilled.
