Owner Operators - Ask Safety

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Please send in your Safety questions and I will do my best to answer as many as I can. If I do not answer your question in the column, then there is the possibility that a similar one has already been answered in a previous column, so I encourage reviewing the archives whenever possible. For next month, let me know what your number one concern is about trucking safety.

1. The HazMat Emergency Guidebook
Question: I don't understand the parts of the Emergency Response Guidebook - can you help?
Answer: While most drivers will not use this guidebook, as they will not have an incident, anyone hauling HazMat must utilize it, be knowledgeable of the contents, and know how to look up particular information. The latest edition of the Emergency Response Guidebook was published in 2008 and is easy to understand. Look at the open page side and you will see several sections. These sections are listed as:

• Front White - Guidebook familiarization
• Yellow - Placard ID number listing
• Blue - Name of Material
• Orange - Emergency Response Guide number
• Green - Initial Isolation and Protective Action Distances
• Rear White - Protective Equipment Information and Glossary

An example is: A parked semi has a placarded trailer and has a clear substance dripping from it; you are parked beside it and happen to notice the leak. What do you do?
First recognize what the material may be. Look at the placard and look up the number; in this instance, we use number 1090. In the Yellow, section look up 1090 and you find that the material is Acetone. In the yellow section, the next column has number 127 in it; look in the Orange section under Guide 127 and you find the emergency response for Acetone. It is a highly flammable product - Do Not Smoke around the spill area.

You now have successfully used the Emergency Guidebook! Further actions required will depend on your training, on company policies, and on how much is leaking. Always keep a level head and be aware of what is around you at all times.


2. Load Securement
I was asked about tie down standards for flatbed loads. The specific standard comes from the Code of Federal Regulations...49CFR§393.102.

49CFR§393.102 What are the minimum performance criteria for cargo securement devices and systems?
Concisely, a driver must prevent a load from moving in any direction with this standard:

a) 0.8g deceleration in the forward direction;
b) 0.5g acceleration in the rearward direction; and
c) 0.5 g acceleration in the lateral direction.

What does that mean? Let me explain. You have a 10,000-pound device on your trailer.
a) You must (block, brace, strap or chain) the device with 8,000-pounds of restraining force to prevent forward movement in case of an emergency stop
b) You must (block, brace, strap or chain) the device with 5,000-pounds of restraining force to prevent rear movement for speedy take-offs or rear end collisions
c) You must (block, brace, strap or chain) the device with 5,000-pounds of restraining force to prevent side-to-side movement in case you are broadsided or decide to run the salmons with your loaded tractor-trailer.

Always think about how you load and how you secure that load to your trailer. Tight is Right! Remember that if you secure your load properly, you will never have a loose load! Additionally, proper placement of edge protection not only protects the load, but also protects your tie-down equipment from getting damaged, too.

Please feel free to forward any Safety question. I will do my best to answer your questions, but it is important to realize that your company policies and guidelines supersede my answers. You may contact me by using this article's feedback or by sending an email to chett@yourcompliancecenter.com. All submissions are subject to editorial review and may be edited or abbreviated to conform with space allocation and other publishing guidelines. Unless noted in writing, by sending your submissions, you grant layover.com nonreversible permission to edit, reproduce, distribute, and publish your submission to meet guidelines or formats for publishing. Layover.com, Inc. reserves the right to not publish any submissions at their discretion.

 

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Due to the amount of questions we receive, we are unable to answer all of them individually. We will answer as many as possible in this column.

All submissions are subject to editorial review and may be edited or abbreviated to conform with space allocation, and other publishing guidelines. Unless noted in writing, by sending your submissions, you grant layover.com nonreversible permission to edit, reproduce, distribute, and publish your submission to meet guidelines or formats for publishing. Layover.com, Inc. reserves the right to not publish any submissions at their discretion.