Transporting any quantity of hazardous materials requires a lot of research and regulation. At the same time, it can be difficult to understand these regulations and adequately implement them.
The good news is that transporting hazardous material can be made easier by following four best practices.
What Is the HMTA?
The Hazardous Material Transportation Act (HMTA) was established in 1975 with the goal of protecting lives and property from damages from hazardous materials. Specifically, it aims to do this by regulating the transportation of hazardous materials.
Regulations related to the transportation of hazardous materials are broken down into four different areas: procedures and policies, material designations, packaging requirements, and operational rules.
In addition to the HMTA, the Hazardous Materials Transportation Uniform Safety Act (HMTUSA) was established in 1990 with the goal of establishing some level of uniformity between the extensive list of often confusing and conflicting state, local, and federal hazardous material regulations.
In terms of specifics, the HMTUSA does this by developing criteria for the issuance of federal permits to transporters of hazardous materials and regulating the transport of radioactive materials.
What Are Some Examples of Hazardous Materials?
Not all hazardous materials are the same, in fact, there are many different types of hazardous materials that present different dangers and must be treated differently. For example, there are hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, marine pollutants, and elevated temperature materials. Let’s learn more about some of these different types of hazardous materials so that you can transport them safely:
Example #1: Hazardous Substances
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
A hazardous substance is any biological agent and other disease-causing agents which, after release into the environment and upon exposure, ingestion, inhalation, or assimilation into any person, will or may reasonably be anticipated to cause death, disease, behavioral abnormalities, cancer, genetic mutation, psychological malfunctions, or physiological deformations in such persons or their offspring.
Contrary to popular belief, hazardous substances are quite common, and many are encountered on a daily basis. They can also take many different forms, including biological agents in the form of fungi, bacteria, and viruses; natural substances in the form of grain, flour, and enzyme dust; work-generated substances, including wood dust and welding fumes; and chemical products, including adhesives or cleaning agents.
Here are some examples of hazardous materials that you may regularly encounter both at work and at home:
- Gasses such as chlorine and carbon monoxide
- Liquids such as cleaning products with bleach
- Fumes from welding, soldering, and galvanizing
- Vapors released from adhesives, paints, or inks
- Sprays or mists from spray paints and acid mists
- Dust, powder, or paste from wood, cement, rubber, etc.
Even substances that are commonly used for everyday tasks could become hazardous if they aren’t used correctly according to the labels. For example, acetone or nail polish remover is highly flammable in addition to being an irritant — making it a hazardous substance. Hydrogen peroxide commonly used as an antiseptic is corrosive and can also be quite flammable — making it also a hazardous substance. Finally, the gasoline that you put in your car or even yard equipment is considered a hazardous material as it is highly flammable and can cause damage to skin, eyes, and the respiratory system.
Example #2: Hazardous Wastes
According to the EPA, a hazardous waste is a waste with properties that make it dangerous or capable of having a harmful effect on human health or the environment. These waste products can be generated from things like industrial manufacturing and can come in the form of liquids, solids, gasses, and sludges.
As a result, hazardous wastes are regulated by the EPA to protect human health and the environment. These regulations cover the transport, treatment, recycling, storage, and disposal of hazardous wastes. Depending on the specific type of waste, some can be safely treated and then recycled, whereas others must be treated and disposed of. In any case, measures must be taken to avoid spills, leaks, and fires resulting from hazardous waste that could potentially contaminate the soil and our drinking water.
Some common examples of hazardous wastes include types of pesticides, herbicides, paints, industrial solvents, fluorescent light bulbs, and mercury-containing batteries. Medical wastes are also considered hazardous wastes and can come in the form of cultures, human tissues, and contaminated instruments.
Example #3: Marine Pollutants
A marine pollutant is a type of hazardous material that’s potentially harmful to aquatic ecosystems. Since these hazardous materials can potentially harm fish and other aquatic animals, it’s important to make sure that they don’t infiltrate bodies of water, including rivers, lakes, streams, and oceans. The International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code Index provides a comprehensive list of marine pollutants that you should know about.
Example #4: Elevated Temperature Materials
An elevated temperature material refers to:
A material that is in a liquid phase at a temperature at or above 100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit; is in a liquid phase with a flashpoint at or above 38 degrees Celsius or 100 degrees Fahrenheit that is intentionally heated and offered for transportation or transported at or above its flash point; is in a solid phase at a temperature at or above 240 degrees Celsius or 464 degrees Fahrenheit.
These requirements apply to materials that are shipped using bulk packaging. If materials are not shipped using bulk packaging, they are not considered elevated temperature materials. Elevated temperature materials could harm human health by causing burns if not handled properly. Elevated temperature materials could also prove to be flammable, corrosive, or reactive.
Some common examples of elevated temperature materials include the asphalt that’s used for paving roads and the tar that’s used to complete roofs.
How Can Hazardous Materials Be Transported Safely?
Now that you have a better idea of what hazardous materials are, it’s time to talk about how you can transport them safely. The good news is that there are tons of guidelines out there that can help you transport hazardous materials safely and efficiently. The bad news is that figuring out all of these regulations can be quite confusing.
So here are four best practices to follow when transporting hazardous materials to promote both environmental and human safety:
Best Practice #1: Risk-Reducing Packing
For starters, you can transport hazardous materials safely by using risk-reducing packaging. Standards for the packaging of hazardous materials have been developed by the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods that detail acceptable packaging materials, construction, and maximum capacity.
Packaging requirements for hazardous materials are based on the Packaging Group of the material, the vapor pressure of the material, and the chemical compatibility between the package and the hazardous material.
There are three Packaging Groups:
- Packaging Group I is for hazardous materials with a great degree of danger,
- Packaging Group II is for hazardous materials with a medium degree of danger,
- Packaging Group III is for hazardous materials with a minor degree of danger.
Packaging manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that their packaging meets the UN standards by conducting a number of different performance tests, including
- Drop tests,
- Leakproofness tests,
- Hydrostatic pressure tests,
- Stacking tests,
- Cooperage tests,
- Chemical compatibility tests,
- Vibration standard tests.
From there, manufacturers must mark these packages in a specific way to show that they can be used to transport hazardous materials safely.
For starters, they must contain the United Nations symbol and a packaging identification code that consists of the type of packaging, construction material, and packaging category.
They also must show Packaging Group compatibility, with an “X” indicating that the packaging meets standards for Packaging Groups I, II, and III; a “Y” indicating that the packaging meets standards for Packaging Groups II and III, and a “Z” indicating that the packaging meets standards for Packaging Group III.
If applicable, the packaging should be marked with an “S” for packaging that’s only intended for solid materials or inner packaging components.
In addition, the manufacturer must include the specific gravity or mass of the packaging, the last two digits of the year of manufacture, the letters indicating the country of origin, and the symbol identifying the person applying the marks to the packaging.
Best Practice #2: Properly Trained Drivers
In order to safely transport hazardous materials, you also need properly trained drivers. Again, there are standards in place to ensure that all drivers of hazardous materials receive adequate training. Specifically, there are four types of training required:
- General awareness training: Helps to familiarize drivers with hazardous materials regulations and teaches about the purpose of the hazard communication requirements
- Function-specific training: Teaches the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities for a specific job description
- Safety training: Teaches about the hazards posed by hazardous materials and how to employ personal protection methods
- Security training: Teaches about the security risks involved in transporting hazardous materials and requires the development of a security plan
Drivers new to the transportation of hazardous materials must receive this training through an initial training course that must be completed within 90 days after employment. In addition, drivers must receive recurrent training every three years or any time there is a change in job function or description.
Best Practice #3: Carefully Designed Processes
You also need carefully designed procedures when transporting hazardous materials. For example, you are required to maintain emergency response procedures in case of an emergency. Specifically, you must provide drivers with an actively monitored phone number where they can reach an expert in the case of an emergency.
You also need to be diligent about your recordkeeping. For example, you are required to keep a record of current training for each employee for three years. This record needs to include the employee’s name, the most recent date of training, a description of the training materials, the name and address of the trainer, and the training certification.
These are just two examples of processes that need to be in place to ensure the safe transport of hazardous materials.
Best Practice #4: Automate What You Can
Finally, it’s a good idea to automate what you can when transporting hazardous materials. For example, an electronic logging device (ELD) can be attached to the vehicle and monitor important information including driving time, idling time, speed, etc. In addition to a basic ELD, you may also want to utilize other safety-related tools and devices.
For example, there are cameras that can be installed on the sides of the vehicle to help drivers see their blind spots and avoid accidents. There are also dash cameras that can be installed on the front of the vehicle to monitor driving, improve safety, and aid in any insurance claims. There are even systems designed to limit speed and prevent dangerous speeding, stabilize the vehicle to prevent rolling, and mitigate rear-end collisions.
What Are the Hazards of Transporting Hazardous Waste?
Although it may be obvious that hazardous waste is indeed hazardous, how exactly it’s hazardous is not so obvious. Transporting hazardous waste can potentially damage the environment, cause physical damage, and impact your bottom line.
Hazard #1: Damaging the Environment
For starters, transporting hazardous waste incorrectly could potentially damage the environment. Hazardous waste can easily end up in the soil if not disposed of properly. From there, it can easily end up in the food we eat or the animals we eat. Hazardous waste can also end up in the water we drink — getting into rivers, streams, and eventually the aquifer. Finally, hazardous waste can get into the air we breathe and into our lungs.
Additionally, hazardous waste can cause damage to the environment by killing off organisms and eventually entire ecosystems in hazardous waste dumping areas. For example, if hazardous waste is dumped into the ocean, it can affect the coral, fish, and other sea life in the area. If hazardous waste is dumped in the forest, it can affect everything from small mammals like rats to larger mammals like deer.
Hazard #2: Causing Physical Damage
Transporting hazardous waste incorrectly can also cause physical damage. Hazardous waste can be extremely irritating to the skin and eyes. Some types of hazardous waste are strong enough to cause chemical burns if not handled correctly. Hazardous waste can negatively affect the respiratory system and make it hard to breathe.
Hazardous waste can also cause annoying symptoms like headaches and nausea. However, there are much more serious issues to worry about with hazardous waste. Hazardous waste can also cause cancer, genetic mutations, birth defects, physical deformations, and physiological malfunctions affecting reproductive organs, kidneys, and more.
Hazard #3: Impacting Your Bottom Line
Finally, transporting hazardous waste incorrectly can impact your bottom line. This hazard may seem inconsequential compared to the other two, but it’s still important to note. This is because mitigation measures performed in response to improper handling can be incredibly expensive and time-consuming. Improper handling of hazardous materials can also cause you to lose valuable business that can cut into your bottom line.
How to Find a Transporter for Hazardous Material
As you can see, not just anyone can safely transport hazardous material. As a result, you need to find a company that is able to transport hazardous material, including hazardous chemicals and hazardous waste, safely. For starters, you need to find a company that’s qualified to transport these materials with the proper licenses and training.
You then need to make sure that the company has adequate experience transporting hazardous materials and working within your industry. Finally, you need to make sure that the company has the ability to transport hazardous materials using the right trailers.
RPM is a top logistics provider that works with a network of over 30,000 carriers, including licensed and trained carriers to transport hazardous material. We have nearly 10 years of experience in the shipping industry and have built up our business and network to handle 15,000 shipments a month. Additionally, we have specific experience with hazardous materials through our work within the chemical industry.
Thanks to our carrier network, we are able to offer a wide range of freight transportation services for hazardous materials, including less-than truckloads (LTL), full truckloads (FTL), expedited shipping, cross-border shipping, drayage shipping, and more. We can ship with dry vans, flatbeds, bulk trailers, and temperature-controlled trailers.
Conclusion
Transporting hazardous materials should not be taken lightly. It’s extremely important to follow the proper procedures and regulations to ensure the safe transport of these materials to protect human health and the environment. Instead of worrying about these rules and regulations yourself, it may be best to outsource to a company with the capacity and experience to transport these materials.
RPM works with trained and certified carriers to properly transport these materials. We thoroughly vet and then monitor our carriers to ensure the safe transport of these potentially hazardous materials.
Reach out to our experts today to find a solution for your shipping needs and for a personalized quote.
Sources:
How to Comply with Federal Hazardous Materials Regulations | FMCSA
Learn the Basics of Hazardous Waste | US EPA
Toxic Waste Facts and Information | National Geographic
