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Transportation of Dangerous/ Hazardous Goods in Ghana

Presented by

Lambert Faabeluon

Director/Manufacturing Industry Dept

EPA-Accra

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Introduction Generally, the transport sector is bedeviled

with a number of problems ranging from Air pollution, noise pollution, tragic (road, air and water) accidents and attendant spillages of goods and loss of human lives and properties.

Over the last couple of years, the increasing rate of urbanization, motorization and economic activity in sub-regional countries has resulted the increased use of heavy duty haulage transport (long vehicles) to move goods of all kinds including hazardous ones at the expense of human health, the environment and the quality of life

Introduction continues Most of the long distance haulage trucks are diesel

powered, often ‘home use’ and mostly over-aged with very weak engines

One of the major contributors to air pollution in Ghana is emissions from road transport

Other nuisance of heavy duty haulage vehicles are Noise Recklessness of drivers on the road/accidents Spillages of goods

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Introduction

Combustion Emissions

Lead** Hydrocarbons Carbon Monoxide Oxides of Nitrogen Carbon Dioxide Particulates Other toxic pollutants Water Vapor

Ambient Air Diesel Fuel

Engine/EmissionTechnology

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Definition of dangerous/hazardous Goods

(a) Simply put, hazardous goods are goods that are detrimental to human health and the environment whether through contamination with water, air, soil /land or

(b) through ingestion, contact with any part of the body or inhalation.

(c) hazardous goods may also be inflammable or toxic

(d) The goods can be in different states i.e: solid (powder), liquid (fluid), pasty or gaseous

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Definition continues "Dangerous goods" means those substances and

articles the carriage of which is prohibited or authorized only under the conditions prescribed and having the following characteristics:

(a) combustion or evolution of considerable heat; (b) evolution of flammable, asphyxiant, oxidizing or

toxic gases; (c) corrosive or the formation of corrosive

substances; (d) the formation of unstable substances; or (e) dangerous rise in pressure (for tanks only);

State Policies & Regulations There is no single policy or regulation in Ghana governing

the entire scope of dangerous/hazardous goods handling and transport except for diffused institutional mandates. There are however a number of laws regulating the importation, handling, transportation of individual hazardous substances eg: the mercury ordinance, explosives, petroleum products, etc

However, the Ghana Chamber of Mines and the Environmental Protection Agency have developed guidelines for the management of hazardous/dangerous goods/substances. These guidelines are however not enforceable and assist stakeholders to avoid accidents

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Scope of dangerous goods handling

All transporters (sea, air, road, rail) of dangerous/hazardous goods/substances must understand that transport regulations internationally recognizes:

(a) dangerous goods which are barred from international carriage;

(b) dangerous goods which are authorized for international carriage and the conditions

attaching to them (including exemptions) particularly with regard to:

- classification of goods, including classification criteria and relevant test methods;

- use of packagings (including mixed packing);

- use of tanks (including filling); - consignment procedures (including marking and

labelling of packages and placarding and marking of means of transport as

well as documentation and information required); - provisions concerning the construction, testing

and approval of packagings and tanks; - use of means of transport (including loading,

mixed loading and unloading).

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Exemptions related to the nature of the transport operation

Exemptions related to quantities carried per transport unit Applicability of regulations of other countries in the

corridor (axle load) Carriage other than by road Training and certification of persons involved in the

carriage of dangerous goods Safety obligations of the participants Checks and other support measures to ensure

compliance with safety requirements Transport restrictions by the competent authorities and

security provisions

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SAFETY OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTICIPANTS The participants in the carriage of dangerous goods shall take

appropriate measures according to the nature and the extent of foreseeable dangers, so as to avoid damage or injury and, if necessary, to minimize their effects. They shall, in all events, comply with the safety requirements.

When there is an immediate risk that public safety may be jeopardized, the participants shall immediately notify the EPA or other emergency services within 8 hours and shall make available to them the information they require to take action.

Where any participant fails in their responsibilities, the criminal code shall be applied in determining legal consequences (criminal nature, liability, etc.) stemming from the fact that the participant in question is e.g. a legal entity, a self-employed worker, an employer or an employee.

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Handling: Responsibilities of participants Consignee The consignee has the obligation not to defer acceptance of the

goods without compelling reasons and to verify, after unloading, that he complied with his obligations.

He shall in particular:

-carry out in the prescribed cleaning and decontamination of the vehicles and containers;

-ensure that the containers once completely unloaded, cleaned and decontaminated, no longer bear danger markings

-If the consignee makes use of the services of other participants (unloader, cleaner, decontamination facility, etc.) he shall take appropriate measures to ensure that the Safety requirements are complied with.

-If verifications bring to light any infringement of the requirements, the consignee shall return the container to the carrier only after the infringement has been remedied.

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Loader the loader has the following obligations in particular: (a) he shall hand the dangerous goods over to the carrier/transporter only if they

are authorized for (b) he shall, when handing over for carriage packed dangerous goods or

uncleaned empty packagings, check whether the packaging is damaged. He shall not hand over a package the packaging of which is damaged, especially if it is not leakproof, and there are leakages or the possibility of leakages of the dangerous substance, until the damage has been repaired; this obligation also applies to empty uncleaned packagings;

(c) he shall, when loading dangerous goods in a vehicle, or a large or small container, comply with the special requirements concerning loading and handling

(d) he shall, after loading dangerous goods into a container comply with the requirements concerning danger markings conforming to international codes

(e) he shall, when loading packages, comply with the prohibitions on mixed loading taking into account dangerous goods already in the vehicle or large container and requirements concerning the separation of foodstuffs, other articles of consumption or animal feedstuffs.

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Packer the packer shall comply with in particular: (a) the requirements concerning packing conditions,

or mixed packing conditions; and (b) when he prepares packages for carriage, the

requirements concerning marking and labelling of the packages.

Transport units

A transport unit loaded with dangerous goods may in no case include more than one trailer (or semi-trailer).

Documents to be carried on the transport unitIn addition to the documents required under other regulations such as EPA transport form, the following documents shall : insurance, road worthy be carried on the transport unit:

(a) The transport documents covering all the dangerous goods carriedand, when appropriate, the container packing certificate

(b) The instructions in writing relating to all the dangerous goodscarried e.g MSDS, invoices;

(c) Means of identification, which include a photograph, for each crew member

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(d) The certificate of approval for each transport unit or element hereof;-The driver's training certificate-The permit authorizing the transport operationThe instructions in writing shall be kept in a readily identifiable form in the driver's cab. The carrier shall ensure that the drivers concerned understand and are capable of carrying out these instructions properly.

Instructions in writing which are not applicable to the goods which are on board the vehicle shall be kept separate from pertinent documents in such a way as to prevent confusion.

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Hazardous goods transport related realities in Ghana’s Transport CorridorsThe goods involved are limited to sodium cyanide,

acids, bases, mixtures containing heavy metals, petroleum products including LPG and still have issues with.

Documentation Packaging and Labeling Transportation (vehicle) suitability and road worthiness Driver’s competence Definition of route and hazard mapping Movement times Reporting during accidents

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Introduction From 2001 to 2012, 5,380 people were killed in only the

chemical transport related cases The accidents ranged from collisions, tipping over,

spillages resulting in fires, explosions, toxic emissions, leakages and occupational and accidental exposure of “hazardous chemicals”

In 2012 alone 10 industrial and 18 warehousing fires/explosions have been recorded ALL related to chemicals and fuel/gas

The chemical poisoning units of 8 hospitals in 4 regions have reported 14,890 domestic chemical poisoning (mostly agro-chemicals) with 3,400 deaths between 2001 to 2012.

Impact of non-compliance with requirements From 2001 to 2012, 5,380 people were killed in transport related cases Between 2001 and 2008, 110 chemical related accidents were reported

in Ghana and of this 80% of this occurred in 3 regions (Greater Accra, Eastern and Ashanti) .

From 2010 to 2012, 1,862 undifferentiated road haulage accidents were reported

Of this, 462 serious cases were transport related chemical accidents on the Tema-Kumasi-Tamale-Paga corridor involving acids, solvents, caustics, fuel & gas , agro-chemicals

100 of them within Ghana outside the Tema-Ougadougou corridor and are transported to industries and mines

30 warehousing, 8 fuel stations and others as miscellaneous accidents in nature

Of the 462 chemical related (transport) accidents 1,860 people were directly affected, 80 drivers and 259 persons died and the rest with serious degrees of injuries.

Fire from naphthalene accident -flat bed overloaded with drums with nylon ropes fastening

The accidents ranged from collisions, rollovers, spillages resulting in fires, explosions, toxic emissions, leakages and occupational and accidental exposure of “hazardous chemicals”

In 2012 alone 10 industrial and 18 warehousing fires/explosions have been recorded ALL related to chemicals and fuel/gas

Between 2001 and 2012, the poisoning units of 8 hospitals in 4 regions reported 14,890 chemical poisoning cases (mostly agro-chemicals) with 3,400 deaths between 2001 to 2012.

Some of the chemicals were stolen from accidents and/or spillage scenes

Impact

Chemical Safety management in Transport corridors

Building capacity to deal with hazardous goods safety management along the supply chain involving NADMO, Ghana Road Safety Committee, MTTU, Drivers certified to carry restricted cargo, DVLA (with vehicles defined to carry categories of cargo)

Elaborate capacity building for staff of GPHA and critical stakeholders as Train-the-trainer group for sustainability and institutionalization in the Ports operation. (some the groups will include Customs, clearing agents, hazardous goods importers, security agencies, transport owners and companies etc)

Set up dedicated terminals/depots for (specific) dangerous cargo and train staff in cargo handling and to ensure right vehicles, drivers, fastening before dispatch

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Thank you