Legal regulations regarding the transport of hazardous materials
<\/strong>Hazardous materials are primarily products manufactured by the chemical industry. The transport of these materials poses a serious threat to both people and the natural environment. Road transport of hazardous materials is subject to international regulations that apply in all European countries. The basis here is the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) and its implementing acts: the Government Declaration of January 16, 2009, regarding the entry into force of amendments to Annexes A and B of the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR), drawn up in Geneva on September 30, 1957 (Journal of Laws No. 27, item 162). Detailed regulations governing the transport of hazardous materials are contained in the Act of October 28, 2002, on the road transport of dangerous goods (Journal of Laws of 2002, No. 199, item 1671, as amended; in Journal of Laws of 2005, No. 141, item 1184). The purpose of these regulations is to: limit risk, increase transport safety, and reduce the probability of an accident involving dangerous goods. The basic legal acts imposing obligations on transport companies involved in transport are general regulations relating to this industry:<\/p>
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Act of September 6, 2001, on road transport (Journal of Laws of 2007, No. 125, item 874)<\/div>
<\/li>Act of April 16, 2004, on the working time of drivers (Journal of Laws of 2009, No. 79, item 670).<\/div>
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<\/ul>In addition to the Act on the transport of hazardous materials, there are also regulations in Poland that relate to the transport of hazardous materials. One such regulation, which refers to the obligations of carriers and advisers, is the regulation on the template of the annual report on activities in the field of road transport of dangerous goods and the method of its completion, which imposes an obligation to submit reports on the quantity of transported materials once a year. This regulation applies to every enterprise that performs the transport of materials for which the vehicle must be marked with orange plates.
Another act, important from the point of view of safety, is the regulation of the Minister of Transport of June 4, 2007, on dangerous goods whose transport is subject to notification. It specifies the list of materials whose transport must be reported, the scope of information subject to notification, and the form of notification.
The provisions of the Act on the transport of hazardous materials of October 28, 2002, also established the institution of a safety adviser. This Act imposed on enterprises performing the transport of dangerous goods (or loading or unloading related to this transport) the obligation to conduct internal supervision over these activities. For this purpose, they must appoint a safety adviser for the transport of dangerous goods.
The process of transporting hazardous materials, due to its characteristics, can be considered critical and fraught with enormous risk at all stages of implementation. Throughout the process, two stages can be distinguished in which different types of risk occur. These are: the transport process (for example, tanker transit) and loading and unloading. In order for hazardous materials to be transported with maximum safety, transport units must meet rigorous technical requirements. Transport units in the provisions of the Agreement have been divided into several categories, depending on the construction and materials for which a given unit is intended. These vehicles undergo annual approval tests, which are confirmed by an Approval Certificate.<\/p>Defensive driving
<\/strong>The threats posed by the transport of hazardous materials are enormous. Nevertheless, not only the number of transports, the condition of vehicles, and compliance with regulations are important, but also the appropriate training of people driving vehicles transporting hazardous materials. Knowledge of the principles of defensive driving among drivers can contribute to reducing the number of road accidents involving materials that pose a direct threat to the environment and human health.
Driving a car in a defensive manner is an effective method that can contribute to reducing the number of accidents on the roads. It is driving without risk, with conscious avoidance of threats and dangerous situations on the road caused by poor road conditions and errors made by other road users.
Defensive driving is based on the principles of limited trust in other road users. One of the basic principles is maintaining so-called air cushions around the vehicle, i.e., proper distances between vehicles. A driver driving a tanker transporting hazardous materials must always have enough space around the vehicle to be able to avoid a collision in a dangerous situation. Defensive driving is based on several principles:
1) drive with foresight; 2) observe the situation on the road; 3) anticipate the behavior of other road users; 4) control the situation around you; 5) keep free space around; 6) be visible.
Transport companies, especially those involved in the transport of hazardous materials, should invest in training their drivers in defensive driving.<\/p>Results of research among drivers
<\/strong>The authors in this article processed and developed primary data obtained for the purpose of completing a diploma thesis. The study collected drivers’ opinions on their knowledge of the regulations and procedures applicable to them in transport, as well as their application of defensive driving principles. The survey method was conducted on a group of 95 professional tanker drivers transporting hazardous materials. These were people of different ages, with the 31-51 age group dominating. The average age of the surveyed driver is 41, and the typical surveyed driver was in the 32-50 age range (m=40.98; s=8.80). Most of the respondents had long experience in the driver profession (average 17 years, typical experience in the range from 7 to 27 years), but they clearly differed in terms of experience in driving a tanker. Two distinct groups could be distinguished here – those with shorter and longer work experience. The structure of the surveyed population is shown in Figure 1.<\/p>The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 1\/2010.<\/p>