Damage to explosives during transport

This alert is to advise the hazards which cause damage to packagings of explosives during transport in carry boxes and vehicles.

Scope

This alert provides important safety information for all loaders, drivers, owners, prime contractors and consignors involved in the transport of explosives.

Background

There have been a number of recent incidents arising during transport where:

1. projections such as rivets on the inside walls of the explosives carry boxes have damaged packagings of explosives, causing the product to spill
2. packagings have been found to be damaged when being unloaded
3. packagings have moved off the pallet during transport
4. pallets have fallen over during transport
5. packagings have been leaking explosive product
6. explosive compositions have been found external on the package
7. explosive articles have dislodged from the package.

Photographs illustrating some of these incidents are attached at the end of this safety alert.

Although the packagings are tested to contain the product safely, they are not designed to withstand penetration damage caused by protrusions and other rough treatment.

Issues

During transport, vehicle bodies and carry boxes are exposed to a large number of stresses. Even over short distances with a variety of road conditions, vehicles experience body flex and other forces which impact the holding ability of fasteners such as rivets used to hold the internal linings in place.

Transport companies must ensure that wooden or aluminium linings on the internal walls of carry boxes and vehicle bodies are securely fixed. The fasteners used to hold the lining in place must not stand proud of the outer surface of the lining to create a protrusion.

Damaged packagings, especially where an explosive substance is present, are an unacceptable risk during transport.

Sections 6.2(2)(g) and 6.4.1(2)(c) of the Australian Explosives Code 3rd Edition (AEC3) requires that the inner surface of a carry box or vehicle body, must be clean, in good condition, and free of any defects or projections likely to cause damage to packages during transport.

Section 7.2.1 of AEC3 requires that a person meets the following safe stowage requirements:

1. 7.2.1(1) requires packages and Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) to be stowed and secure so they remain in position despite vehicle starts, stops, jolting or swaying;
2. 7.2.1(3) requires that packages be secured in accordance with the Load Restraint Guide;
3. 7.2.1(6) requires that if outer packages of explosives are of different shape or material – the packages must be stowed so as to prevent the packages damaging one another;
4. 7.2.1(8) requires that if contents are unloaded at an intermediate stop, the explosives must be rearranged to comply with the above provisions.

Section 8.2.7(2) of the AEC3 requires that a person must not load or cause or permit to be loaded onto a vehicle any packaging or IBC of explosives which is leaking or which is otherwise impaired to the extent that explosives may spill or leak from the packaging during transport.

Section 8.1.2 of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code 7th Edition (ADG7) also details the general requirements for stowage and restraint. These requirements are essential for the safe transport and associated handling of packagings that are authorised under the Explosives Act 1999 as explosives not of Class 1.

Recommendations

All transport licence holders should review their safety management system to ensure that maintenance and inspection of carry boxes and vehicle bodies address the concerns of this safety alert.

All licence holders should check that control measures are in place, the procedures under their safety management systems are being followed and that records are being kept. In particular, licence holders must ensure that procedures are in place to identify and remove protrusions. Daily vehicle checksshould be conducted by drivers of the internal lining of carry boxes and vehicle bodies for protrusions.

All loaders, consignors and drivers should check that:

1. there are no protrusions which can damage explosives packagings during loading, transport and unloading activities;
2. all pallets are properly stacked to ensure that packagings cannot be damaged by contact with pallets and other things during loading, transport and unloading activities;
3. all pallets are properly secured to prevent movement of packagings on the pallet during handling and transport;
4. the pallet must be secured to prevent movement during transport;
5. all packagings being offered for transport are in good condition, i.e. not damaged, will not expose explosives or lose containment of the explosives.

Ensure that all persons in your organisation receive a copy of this safety alert.

Further Information

Further information is available by contacting the Explosives Inspectorate and on the Inspectorate's website.

Reference

A. Explosives Safety alert no. 24, Palletising and securing explosives in freight containers, 22 January 2009.

Authorised by Chief Inspector of Explosives

Contact: Manager, Explosives Licensing , +61 7 3199 8057 explosives@dnrm.qld.gov.au

Issued by Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation