CBA issues new Load Securing Guidelines
23 November 2011
The Chemical Business Association (CBA) has issued new guidelines to help ensure the safe transport of packaged chemicals. The guidelines aim to complement the Department for Transport’s Code of Practice which sets basic standards for load stowage and securing.
CBA’s guidelines have been endorsed by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). It its foreword, HSE points out that ‘unsafe loads on vehicles injure more than 1,200 people every year and cost UK business millions of pounds in damaged goods.’
Providing best practice advice for everyone involved in loading, stowing, segregating, securing and unloading packaged chemical cargo, the guidelines also provide a basis for driver training as well as setting a standard which can be referenced by enforcement authorities and the courts.
The guideline outlines the legal duties and general principles to be followed in order to ensure a safe and secure load - such as weight distribution. They also provide a matrix which establishes four criteria for the safe segregation of products: considerations, separation, segregation, and isolation.
Also highlighted are questions of vehicle and package design and – importantly - recommended securing methods for different types of packaged goods receptacles – from intermediate bulk containers, drums, and small packs, to bagged materials, samples and pressure receptacles.
The guidelines emphasise the importance of effective induction and refresher training for staff in loading, unloading, and risk assessment procedures.
Launching the new guidelines, CBA Director, Peter Newport, said, “We are pleased to create our sixth HSE endorsed industry standard for the chemical supply chain. The securing of loads is an essential element in the safe distribution of chemical materials and in maintaining the confidence of both the general public and regulators in the industry.”
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Further information from:
Peter Newport, Director,
CBA Douglas Leech, Technical Director, CBA
01270 258200
NOTES TO EDITORS
(1) For the text of CBA’s guidelines, click here
(2) The guidelines were developed in conjunction with the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and with input from the Health & Safety Laboratory (HSL).
(3) Over recent years, CBA has published a series of industry guidelines which have been endorsed by the Health & Safety Executive. These include guidance on: · Storage of Flammable Liquids in sealed packages in specified storage areas · Storage of Flammable liquids in IBCs (March 2008) · Non-metallic tank inspections (July 2009) · Safety Performance Leading Indicators for Chemical Warehouses (December 2009) · Safe handling and storage of packaged Hydrofluoric Acid (January 2010)
(4) Each year CBA members distribute more than 2.2 million tonnes of chemicals with a market value of almost three billion euros. CBA's logistics companies handle more than 6 million tonnes of chemicals annually. The Association’s members, the majority of which are SMEs, are the key industry interface with thousands of UK downstream chemical users.
