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PURPOSE

MANUAL OF FLEET MANAGEMENT

PURPOSE

The purpose of this procedure is to outline the process of how the company will manage the transportation of hazardous materials (HM’s).

INTRODUCTION

MANUAL OF FLEET MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION

HM’s are any materials with properties that in certain circumstances may/will pose a risk of injury to health or destruction of materials and facilities. HM’s can be physically large or small. A tanker carrying fuel is one obvious example while one smoke detector would generally not be considered a hazard but several boxes in the same location could be. HM’s can be categorised as having either one or a combination of the following characteristics:

  • Corrosive: the ability to corrode or eat away material or human/animal tissue,
  • Ignitable: present a fire hazard because they are flammable in nature;
  • Reactive: explode or release fumes when mixed with other materials or substances, or react to changes in temperature or pressure;
  • Radioactive: both high and low radioactivity;
  • Toxic: are poisonous, exposure to which should be avoided;
  • Infectious: are also toxic wastes but in the form of a germ, bacteria or virus.

Many HM’s do not have a taste or an odour and are only detected because they cause physical reactions such as watering eyes or nausea.

PROCEDURE

MANUAL OF FLEET MANAGEMENT

PROCEDURE

With all materials being transported and/or stored the company must identify whether there are HM’s present and identify the criteria for handling/transportation/signage and emergency response.

Vehicles transporting HM’s should be clearly and correctly marked identifying the HM characteristics. Drivers must be trained in the correct emergency responses, including contact details for emergency response teams, for the materials that are under their responsibility.

At marshalling and storage areas the company must have designated containment areas suitable for the HM’s involved as well as trained incident response teams.

Where an employee witnesses a HM emergency they should, without putting themselves in danger, report the size and markings on the vehicles, specifically the colour of the placards and the identification number, if possible. All employees should be instructed to ensure that there is sufficient distance between themselves and any spilt HM before using a mobile phone.

HAZMAT EMERGENCY RESPONSE INFORMATION

MANUAL OF FLEET MANAGEMENT

HAZMAT EMERGENCY RESPONSE INFORMATION

Most HM emergencies require notification to local/state authorities and vehicles transporting HM’s require all the relevant contact details.

DANGEROUS GOODS CODE

DANGEROUS GOODS CODE

AUSTRALIAN DANGEROUS GOODS CODE

MANUAL OF FLEET MANAGEMENT

AUSTRALIAN DANGEROUS GOODS CODE

7th Edition (ADG7) New Regulations 1 January 2008

New Australian Dangerous Goods Code 7th Edition (ADG7) regulations took effect on 1 January 2008 following their unanimous approval by Transport Ministers. The 6th Edition of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code (ADG6) will continue to apply until 31 December 2008, allowing a one year transitional overlap between editions of the Code for training and education.

ADG7 more closely aligns with United Nations (UN) Model Regulations for the transport of dangerous goods across all modes, while retaining Australian-specific provisions.

  • Other features of ADG7 include:
  • the licence exemption for certain herbicides and pesticides transported in Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC) up to 3,000 kg/l in total;
  • stronger Chain of Responsibility provisions; including specific duties on consignors to prevent the movement of goods too dangerous to be transported;
  • Emergency Information Panels on IBCs and all placard loads are still required to ensure easy incident response identification;
  • concessions for small quantities of dangerous goods transported solely for personal use, or by trades people in the course of their business;
  • concessions for small quantities of dangerous goods in mixed retail distribution loads; and
  • Technical updates from UN15 recently ratified by the UN.

ADG7 was developed in close consultation with government agencies and a wide range of industry sectors. The NTC will work with governments to resolve a number of outstanding implementation issues, which could lead to minor inconsistencies in the national framework.

Copies of the new Code and Information Guide are available for purchase in hardcopy and electronic formats. The model regulations will be included in the published version and will also be made available online.

RESOURCES

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