www.truckandtrack.com Summer 2024 Truck and Track 59 DANGEROUS GOODS working load]. Consideration must also be made with SWL of Forklift/Material Handling Equipment to be deployed. Live Loads and The Intermediate Bulk Container [IBC] Road tankers with liquid cargoes, are termed live loads, so if a driver has to take evasive action or come to an emergency stop, an awareness of liquid-surging must be made. Road tankers have ‘baffles’ internally within the barrel to help dampen some of the liquid surging. With packaged goods, IBCs are also termed live loads, for when transported by truck or FLT, sudden movements can cause surging of the liquid within. IBCs and heavy drums must never be placed on the Top Deck, for both ‘live load’ reasoning as well as safe working load [SWL] per deck considerations. Also, IBCs must be loaded onto a vehicle with the bottom outlet tap facing the curtains, so the unloading FLT operator can ensure that when he pushes his forks, he can see the outlet valve to prevent possible damage. IBCs have a nominal capacity of 1,000 litres and should have sufficient space [aka ullage] between the meniscus [liquid level] and the top of the IBC, to allow sufficient space for the vapour and liquid from surging out if the relief valve or ‘O’ – Ring that forms the seal from the cap to the body of the IBC is compromised. The relief valve is in case the IBC becomes over-pressurised, if left out in direct sunlight, or heated inadvertently especially if the product is particularly volatile. Gas Cylinders We covered the issues of Gas Cylinder Carriage in some detail in a previous column but, as this is an important area where I have seen many errors, it is useful to concisely recap the requirements of the consignor and carrier, especially how gas cylinders are palletised. In Transit & Ventilation, considerations are crucial, as gas cylinders must be transported on a ventilated vehicle, if on a curtain-sider, staff trained that when unloading, the curtains opened gingerly, and then left open to ventilate for at least 15 minutes before unloading. It is not recommended that gas cylinders be carried in closed vans, but if sent in a van, the rear doors must have a ‘ventilate before entry’ sign on the outside. Gas Cylinders must also be robustly palletised and, if using a double-deck trailer, never placed on the top deck. Security issues must be considered when handling Toxic Gas Cylinders [Class 2.3] which fall under ADR High Consequence Dangerous Goods [HCDG]. “Empty” Cylinders are still regulated under ADR as they may well contain residual product. Sometimes this is not insignificant so will fall under ADR regulations [as they are termed ‘empty dirty’]. Vertical Standing on Pallet – is required with gases that are in the Liquid Phase, such as Acetylene, Propane, Butane, Carbon Dioxide, Nitrous Oxide, Ammonia etc This is to prevent the valve inadvertently coming open in storage or transit, and liquid gas escaping and potentially pooling in a void space. Some liquid phase gases have internal dip-tubes from the valve to the cylinder bottom, to allow liquid product to release upon the opening of the valve, by pressure siphon action. These often have a white stripe on the outside of the cylinder like Liquid Carbon Dioxide. Horizontal position on a Pallet – is allowed when the gas is in the gaseous phase such as Nitrogen, Helium, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Argon, Mixtures and many others – and they can also be allowed to be in the Vertical position. If cylinders are presented in the horizontal position, they must be secured firmly to the pallet and not overhang the pallet edge to avoid impact damage to the valve in movement. Valve Guard – Gas Cylinder design is regulated, with the weak point being the position where the valve is screwed into the cylinder shoulder. To prevent impact damage and high pressure and gas release, the valve needs to be guarded while in the supply chain. There are two general types – the ‘tulip’ which encapsulates the valve with a gap to allow a regulator to be attached to the valve for usage – or the ‘bell-end’ which is screwed into the top of the cylinder to fully protect [and encapsulate] the valve. Also ensure that there is no overhang from the pallet to prevent inadvertent pressure/gas release. Load Restraint and Cargo Operations While in transit, dangerous goods, as well as non-ADR regulated goods, must be secured/restrained to the vehicle and there are several methods to assist this including ‘span-set’ type ratchet straps [but care is required not to let the ‘teeth’ of the ratchet mechanism on the strap, damage bagged traffic or tightened too harshly so they damage the packaging]. Inner nets and associated load restraints are also deployed to secure freight from moving/falling during de-curtaining and causing an incident. It is also vital when a driver is unloading/de-curtaining that he concentrates on the job in hand [not chatting or distracted by others]; carefully checking for bulges/deformations/protrusions from behind the curtain, as freight may have moved from securing points and could fall and pose serious injury or fatality. Pallet Condition and Presentation The quality of the pallet and how robustly the goods are banded/ wrapped to the pallet is vital. A backing-board should be placed between the surface of the pallet and the items placed on the pallet. This is to prevent nail/stud damage on bagged items or plastic drums as any sharp imperfections can pierce drums or tear bags causing leakages in transit. A backing-board also helps prevent heavy bags getting caught between the pallet ‘slats’ and being caught/torn or snagged by FLT forks. If the goods are declared as Limited Quantity [LQ] under ADR, TRUCK & TRAILER SOLUTIONS WELCOME TOALLPORTS GROUP allportsgroup.co.uk
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