Truck and Track Summer 2024 www.truckandtrack.com 58 DANGEROUS GOODS In this issue, our Dangerous Goods Columnist, Ali Karim FRSC FCILT of Adler and Allan’s Environmental Services discusses the importance of robust presentation and securing of palletised freight of Dangerous Goods in Multimodal Transportation. The palletised freight may be handled many times on its journey from Consignor to Consignee. Safety and Technical guidance are contained within the ADR [Road] and IMDG [Sea] regulations to manage not just full receptacles, BUT also what is termed ‘empty-dirty’ containers. At Adler and Allan, we contractually work with many logistics operators as well as assisting the emergency services when there is an incident involving Dangerous Goods on the road, loading/delivery point or port. A significant proportion of the incidents we tackle [in order to restore order] is a direct result of poorly presented Dangerous Goods. ADR and IMDG regulations are clear that the responsibility for carriage of Dangerous Goods lies with the carrier – HOWEVER there is a crucial duty of care with the Consignor – INCLUDING the formal [and documented] training of staff being crucial in ensuring safety in transit. These matters are adroitly addressed within the ADR ‘orange book’ [current edition available in paper and digital format from Labeline – link at the bottom of this article]. There are also many products that are not regulated as Dangerous Goods under ADR or IMDG but are harmful as they pose significant risks to people and the environment should they leak, spill or become damaged whilst in store [warehouse] or while in transit. When Dangerous Goods leak, get spilled or are involved in a road traffic incident [RTI] or in a warehouse, there can be serious consequences. Incidents can be minimised when the consignor is aware of what can occur when goods [under ADR and/or IMDG] leak, and risk assessed in terms of their presentation for carriage. When Dangerous Goods leak or are spilled whilst in the supply chain [during a custody transfer], the first key issue the consignor and carrier must understand are the rules that come with ADR and IMDG with regards to packaging. When an item is termed ‘Dangerous Goods’, emergency responders need robust and accurate information regarding the product so that the response can be proportionated, and the situation brought under control thereby preventing a drama becoming a crisis. We covered the role of the DGSA in previous columns. It is critical that labelling is robust, as is declaring goods accurately with Proper Shipping Name, Packing Groups, Tunnel Codes, UN Number, Weight, Packing Container Type Security Provisions if they are High Consequence Dangerous Goods [HCDG]. We covered the documentary and security requirements for ADR in previous columns at Truck and Track. Consignors should also be aware that palletised freight [carried under Multimodal Logistics] maybe handled several times and may travel long distances [delivered as well as collected from warehouses/stores] as collaborative supply chains are now the most efficient manner for distribution, such as the Pallet Network model which is basically a Hub-and-Spoke infrastructure [with a central hub]. Robustly presented pallets [as well as correctly consigned in terms of information] are key considerations to ensure safety as well as to minimise damage during the custody transfer process from what we term the Three ‘C’s of Carriage – namely Consignor to Carrier to Consignee. Centre of Gravity Consignors and Carriers must understand this term, in relation to the goods carried and vehicle deployed. Centre of Gravity is the point from which the weight of a body or system may be considered to act. In uniform gravity it is the same as the centre of mass. The lower the centre of gravity ‘on/of’ the pallet, its truck positioning, then the safer in terms of stability and safety in carriage. If you are old enough you will have noticed that new Road Tankers/Barrels, especially Petroleum tankers tend to be designed in an oval as opposed to the cylindrical shape. One key reason is that as a horizontal container, the oval shape [as opposed to a cylindrical one] has a lower centre of gravity, which ensures greater vehicle stability when cornering, hitting a kerb or encountering uneven ground, or when involved in an RTI. With palletised freight, especially when loading both Straight Frame and Double Deck Trailers, it is critical that the loader is aware of safe working load [SWL] per deck, axle positions and loading points. When loading, it is vital that the Operator ensures that the SWL is adhered to. So, it is vital the consignor declares the pallet weight accurately. Heavy items should always be placed on the bottom deck, and there must never be any gap between the front [headboard] position and the freight. If the driver has to take evasive action or come to a stop abruptly, the goods must not come through the headboard and injure the driver. At no time must the top deck be deployed if there is room/space on the bottom – as we keep the centre of gravity as low as possible, for stability in transit. Tail-lift and FLT Considerations Consignors must be aware that, when a tail-lift delivery is required, they ensure they check with their carrier as to maximum footprint and weight. Many companies have imposed restrictions on maximum allowable tail-lift payload. [SWL = safe Multimodal Safety in Carriage of Packed/Palletised Dangerous Goods by Ali Karim Ali Karim TRUCK & TRAILER SOLUTIONS WELCOME TOALLPORTS GROUP allportsgroup.co.uk
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