Highways Agency

• Traffic Incident Management Bulletin

January 2008

This article has been produced to answer an action which has arisen from a cold debrief, but also to follow up on the September 2007 article on hazardous loads. To achieve the above, the article will supply responders with an awareness of how to spot a vehicle carrying dangerous goods.

What type of vehicles carry dangerous goods?

Any vehicle travelling on the Highways Agency's network could be carrying dangerous goods. A vehicle must be marked up only if it is carrying a quantity greater than a threshold determined in the ADR legislation.

The threshold quantity will vary depending on the dangerous goods and their associated risks. For example you can carry 1000 litres of diesel (UN1202) without being obliged to mark up the vehicle but only 20kg of chlorine (UN1017). Equally you can carry as many matches (UN1331) or firelighters (UN2623) as you like without any warning marks at all. Just because the vehicle has no markings does not mean it is not carrying potentially dangerous goods.

Tankers are the vehicles people commonly associate with carrying dangerous goods. However, the goods could be in liquid, gas or powder form. The construction of the tanker will give an indication of the type of product it may contain:

• Gas tankers are quite distinctive; often with a box at the rear with the valve gear within it. They also have a tank access plate at one end which is bolted in place with numerous large bolts in a ring and typically no access platform on the top of the tank.
• Powder tankers are distinctive in terms of the shape of the tank. Flour or cement tankers are fairly common examples of powder tankers albeit these loads are not classified as dangerous goods.
• Liquid tanker construction can even give clues to the product that they may contain. Corrosives tankers tend to have smaller diameter barrels due to the dense product. Fuel tankers often have oval tanks to aid drivability when transporting comparatively less dense fuels.

Shipping containers come in various shapes and sizes. Goods can be transported in containers in one of three ways. Firstly in a tank container which is just the same as a normal tanker except the tank is mounted in a standard container frame.

The more frequently seen 'box' containers carry goods either in packages (boxes, bottles, drums etc) or can carry dry goods in bulk. If carrying goods in 'bulk' a large plastic bag lines the container and is filled in situ via filling ports on the container.

Powder or granular dangerous goods can be transported in tipper trucks although the load area must be sealed to prevent any loss of product as the vehicle makes its journey. Fertilizer is often moved in this way.

Packaged dangerous goods in boxes, bottles, drums etc are transported in all vehicle types from small vans to full 44t articulated vehicles. In fact they could be in what appears to be a domestic vehicle.

How can you spot them?

If the vehicle is not marked up at all it is very difficult to spot what may be dangerous but from the above section it is important that dangerous goods are considered at an early stage in any incident. Vehicles come in all shapes and sizes but a big clue is the company logo on the trailer. There are certain hauliers that regularly carry dangerous goods whilst others do so less frequently. For example fuel companies regularly transport large quantities of petrol whereas a furniture delivery van is unlikely to contain dangerous goods.

The common markings requirement for all vehicles carrying dangerous goods is an orange board with black border mounted on the vehicle front and rear. The exact marking requirements will vary in relation to the way the goods are being transported and if the load is on a domestic or international journey.

Certain load types and / or vehicles will supply more information on the goods being carried. The UN number, emergency action codes and specialist advice phone number are displayed on road tankers for example but this is not required for packaged goods. The only way of knowing exactly what a vehicle carrying packaged goods is actually carrying is the paperwork held by driver and the haulier. The load should have the UN number on its packaging but would you want to enter the load area without knowing the risks?

In summary

The key message is that some of the products transported on the UK road network are very hazardous and have grave consequences if an individual were to come into contact with even small quantities. Please ensure the safety of yourself, your colleagues and the public by being cautious and if in doubt obtaining advice from those trained and experienced in managing dangerous goods incidents. It only takes a phone call to check.

The TIM Bulletin will be running a further update article to this in the near future discussing the vehicle markings, what they mean and what you should do with the information.

Thanks goes to Cleveland Police Emergency Planning Unit for their assistance with this article.

Has this article been worthwhile reading? Why not take a moment to send us your comments, thoughts or questions. Please e-mail TIMbulletin@highways.gsi.gov.uk.