National Academies Press: OpenBook
Page i
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident Data for Root Cause Analysis. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14336.
×
Page R1
Page ii
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident Data for Root Cause Analysis. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14336.
×
Page R2
Page iii
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident Data for Root Cause Analysis. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14336.
×
Page R3
Page iv
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident Data for Root Cause Analysis. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14336.
×
Page R4
Page v
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident Data for Root Cause Analysis. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14336.
×
Page R5
Page vi
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident Data for Root Cause Analysis. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14336.
×
Page R6
Page vii
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident Data for Root Cause Analysis. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14336.
×
Page R7
Page viii
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident Data for Root Cause Analysis. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14336.
×
Page R8
Page ix
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2009. Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident Data for Root Cause Analysis. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14336.
×
Page R9

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

TRANSPORTAT ION RESEARCH BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. 2009 www.TRB.org H A Z A R D O U S M A T E R I A L S C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M HMCRP REPORT 1 Subject Areas Planning and Administration and Environment • Operations and Safety • Freight Transportation Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident Data for Root Cause Analysis BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE Columbus, OH Research sponsored by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM The safety, security, and environmental concerns associated with transportation of hazardous materials are growing in number and complexity. Hazardous materials are substances that are flammable, explosive, or toxic or that, if released, produce effects that would threaten human safety, health, the environment, or property. Hazardous materials are moved throughout the country by all modes of freight transportation, including ships, trucks, trains, airplanes, and pipelines. The private sector and a diverse mix of government agencies at all levels are responsible for controlling the transport of hazardous materials and for ensuring that hazardous cargoes move without incident. This shared goal has spurred the creation of several venues for organizations with related interests to work together in preventing and responding to hazardous materials incidents. The freight transportation and chemical industries; government regulatory and enforcement agencies at the federal and state levels; and local emergency planners and responders routinely share information, resources, and expertise. Nevertheless, there has been a long- standing gap in the system for conducting hazardous materials safety and security research. Industry organizations and government agencies have their own research programs to support their mission needs. Collaborative research to address shared problems takes place occasionally, but mostly occurs on an ad hoc basis. Acknowledging this gap in 2004, the U.S. DOT Office of Hazardous Materials Safety, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the U.S. Coast Guard pooled their resources for a study. Under the auspices of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the National Research Council of the National Academies appointed a committee to examine the feasibility of creating a cooperative research program for hazardous materials transportation, similar in concept to the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) and the Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). The committee concluded, in TRB Special Report 283: Cooperative Research for Hazardous Materials Transportation: Defining the Need, Converging on Solutions, that the need for cooperative research in this field is significant and growing, and the committee recommended establishing an ongoing program of cooperative research. In 2005, based in part on the findings of that report, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) authorized the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to conduct the Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program (HMCRP). The HMCRP is intended to complement other U.S. DOT research programs as a stakeholder-driven, problem-solving program, researching real-world, day-to-day operational issues with near- to mid- term time frames. Published reports of the HAZARDOUS MATERIALS COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from: Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet at: http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore Printed in the United States of America HMCRP REPORT 1 Project HM-02 ISSN 2150-4849 ISBN: 978-0-309-11810-1 Library of Congress Control Number 2009940430 © 2009 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA, FMCSA, FTA, RITA, or PHMSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not- for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP. NOTICE The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the Governing Board’s judgment that the program concerned is of national importance and appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the National Research Council. The members of the technical committee selected to monitor this project and to review this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and, while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical committee, they are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical committee according to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research Council, the Federal Highway Administration, the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, and the Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of this report.

CRP STAFF FOR HMCRP REPORT 1 Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs Crawford F. Jencks, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs William C. Rogers, Senior Program Officer Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications HMCRP PROJECT 02 PANEL Lori Pavlish, Dow Chemical Company, Scadrift, TX (Chair) John L. Conley, National Tank Truck Carriers, Inc., Arlington, VA Ronald J. Duych, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Washington, DC Phil Olekszyk, World Wide Rail, Inc., Gloucester, VA William R. Rhyne, Kingston, TN E. Jan Skouby, Missouri Department of Transportation Robert A. Richard, PHMSA Liaison Thomas Palmerlee, TRB Liaison C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S

While there has been considerable progress in the development of hazardous materials accident databases, the coverage of incidents reported to the U.S. Department of Transporta- tion is insufficiently comprehensive for identifying root causes or contributors to incidents. This research focused on potential technical improvements to hazardous materials accident databases that are collected and managed by various agencies. The research identified gaps and redundancies in reporting requirements and estimated the extent of the under-reporting of serious incidents. The scope included all transportation modes covered by 49 CFR Parts 100–180. The report can be used by public agencies and industry to identify and prioritize measures that could further enhance the usefulness of hazardous materials transportation incident data. The suggested technical improvements are those of the research team and not the Transportation Research Board or the National Research Council. Publicly reported incidents can be used for understanding the root causes of, or major contributors to, events involving a spill or release of hazardous materials during, or inci- dental to, transportation. This understanding can be used by regulators and industry to pri- oritize areas for attention and to develop or improve safety recommendations, regulations, and programs focused on preventing or reducing the likelihood of future incidents. How- ever, complete, detailed, and accurate data are needed for meaningful analyses that reflect actual issues, and there is concern that the coverage of incidents reported to the U.S. Depart- ment of Transportation (under 49 CFR 171.16) is not sufficiently comprehensive. Under HMCRP Project 02, Battelle Memorial Institute, along with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Calspan, RA-LUX, Mark Abkowitz, and Christopher Barkan, examined the recent literature on hazardous materials transportation incidents; interviewed carriers, shippers, and federal database managers; conducted detailed database analyses; and provided suggested technical changes to the databases that could improve the availability and quality of hazardous materials transportation incident data. The report also describes a pilot program to link the Hazardous Materials Incident Report- ing System (HMIRS) and the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) that could show how such an enhancement might more effectively identify root causes. F O R E W O R D By William C. Rogers Staff Officer Transportation Research Board

1 Summary 9 Chapter 1 Introduction 9 1.1 Project Purpose 10 1.2 Research Approach 10 1.2.1 Literature Review 11 1.2.2 Survey of Agencies, Shippers, and Carriers 11 1.2.3 Analysis of Databases 12 1.3 Effective Methods to Ensure High-Quality Data 13 1.4 Potential Measures to Enhance the Ability of Databases to Identify the Root Causes of Hazmat Crashes 14 Chapter 2 Literature Review 14 2.1 Introduction 14 2.2 Synopses of Relevant Studies 14 2.2.1 Rail Equipment—Train Accident Data 15 2.2.2 Project 5 Overview—Developing Common Data on Accident Circumstances 16 2.2.3 “National Crash Data Bases Underestimate Underride Statistics” 16 2.2.4 Transportation Research Circular 231: Truck Accident Data Systems: State-of-the-Art Report 17 2.2.5 Accident Models for Two-Lane Rural Roads: Segments and Intersections 17 2.2.6 The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System—HFACS 18 2.2.7 “Human Factors Root Cause Analysis of Accidents/Incidents Involving Remote Control Locomotive Operations” 18 2.2.8 Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) Analysis Series: Using LTCCS Data for Statistical Analyses of Crash Risk 18 2.2.9 Highway Safety: Further Opportunities Exist to Improve Data on Crashes Involving Commercial Motor Vehicles 19 2.2.10 In-Depth Accident Causation Data Study Methodology Development Report (SafetyNet) 19 2.2.11 Comprehensive Safety Analysis 2010: 2006 Listening Session 20 2.2.12 Safety Report: Transportation Safety Databases 20 2.2.13 Illinois Department of Transportation Crash Data Process Audit 20 2.2.14 User’s Guide to Federal Accidental Release Databases 20 2.2.15 Comparative Risks of Hazardous Materials and Non-Hazardous Materials Truck Shipment Accidents/Incidents 20 2.2.16 Hazardous Materials Serious Crash Analysis: Phase 2 21 2.2.17 Unified Reporting of Commercial and Non-Commercial Traffic Accidents 21 2.2.18 “Crashes Involving Long Combination Vehicles: Data Quality Problems and Recommendations for Improvement” 21 2.2.19 “Use of Emerging Technologies for Marine Accident Data Analysis Visualization and Quality Control” C O N T E N T S

21 2.3 Summary of Findings and Implications 22 2.3.1 Data and Analysis Problems 22 2.3.2 Solutions Being Implemented or Under Consideration 23 Chapter 3 Summary of Interviews with Carriers, Shippers, and Database Managers 23 3.1 Introduction 24 3.2 Summary of Responses from Carriers 25 3.2.1 Carrier Satisfaction with HMIRS 26 3.2.2 Carrier Satisfaction with MCMIS 26 3.3 Shipper Responses 26 3.3.1 Shipper 1 27 3.3.2 Shipper 2 28 3.4 Interviews with Database Managers 28 3.4.1 Interviews with Agencies Maintaining Databases (PHMSA) 29 3.4.2 Interviews with Agencies Maintaining Databases (FMCSA) 30 3.4.3 Interviews with Agencies Maintaining Databases (FRA) 31 3.5 Summary of Findings from Interviews 32 Chapter 4 Database Analysis 32 4.1 Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) 32 4.1.1 MCMIS Database Description 33 4.1.2 Location and Ownership of Data 33 4.1.3 Database Format 34 4.1.4 Threshold for Exclusion or Inclusion 34 4.1.5 Years of Coverage 34 4.1.6 Types of Fields Covered 35 4.1.7 Database Purpose and Function 36 4.1.8 Data Collection 36 4.1.9 Data Compilation 36 4.1.10 Accuracy and Completeness of Data 37 4.1.11 Identification of Hazmat Incidents in MCMIS 42 4.1.12 Quality Control Process 43 4.1.13 Interconnectivity with Other Databases 44 4.1.14 Analyses Using Database 45 4.1.15 Summary and Potential Measures for Improving Root Cause Analysis 46 4.2 Hazardous Materials Incident Reporting System (HMIRS) 47 4.2.1 Database Description 49 4.2.2 Purpose and Function 49 4.2.3 Data Collection 50 4.2.4 Data Compilation 50 4.2.5 Accuracy and Completeness of Data 54 4.2.6 Quality Control Process 54 4.2.7 Interconnectivity with Other Databases 54 4.2.8 Analyses Using Database 60 4.2.9 Summary and Potential Measures for Improving Root Cause Analysis 61 4.3 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 62 4.3.1 Agencies/Organizations Responsible for Data Collection and Entry 62 4.3.2 Database Years of Coverage

62 4.3.3 Criteria for Reporting and Inclusion of Data 62 4.3.4 Types of Hazmat Data Included 63 4.3.5 Usefulness of the Data for Determining Root Causes 63 4.3.6 Data Quality 64 4.3.7 Additional Fields 65 4.3.8 Potential Measures to Improve Data Quality 65 4.3.9 Compatibility with Other Databases 66 4.3.10 Data Uses 66 4.4 Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents (TIFA) 66 4.4.1 Agencies/Organizations Responsible for Collecting and Entering Data into Database 66 4.4.2 Database Years of Coverage 66 4.4.3 Criteria for Reporting and Inclusion of Data 66 4.4.4 Types of Hazmat Data Included 67 4.4.5 Usefulness of the Data for Determining Root Causes 71 4.4.6 Data Quality 71 4.4.7 Additional Fields 72 4.4.8 Potential Measures to Improve Data Quality 72 4.4.9 Compatibility with Other Databases 72 4.4.10 Data Uses 73 4.5 Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) 73 4.5.1 Database Description 74 4.5.2 Purpose and Function 74 4.5.3 Data Collection 75 4.5.4 Data Compilation 75 4.5.5 Accuracy and Completeness of Data 75 4.5.6 Quality Control 75 4.5.7 Interconnectivity with Other Databases 76 4.5.8 Analyses Using Database 78 4.5.9 Summary and Potential Measures to Improve Root Cause Analysis 79 4.6 Railroad Accident/Incident Reporting System (RAIRS) 80 4.6.1 Track, Roadbed, and Structures 81 4.6.2 Signal and Communication 81 4.6.3 Mechanical and Electrical Failures 82 4.6.4 Train Operation—Human Factors 82 4.6.5 Summary of Causes and Impact 84 4.7 Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE) 84 4.7.1 Database Description 84 4.7.2 Purpose and Function 84 4.7.3 Data Collection 85 4.7.4 Data Compilation 85 4.7.5 Accuracy and Completeness 86 4.7.6 Quality Control 86 4.7.7 Interconnectivity with Other Databases 86 4.7.8 Analyses Using Database 86 4.7.9 Summary and Potential Measures for Improving Root Cause Analysis 86 4.8 NTSB Accident Investigations and Reports 86 4.8.1 Scope of Investigations 87 4.8.2 Approach to Identifying Root Causes 88 4.8.3 Insights for Analyzing Root Cause

88 4.8.4 Data Quality 89 4.8.5 Probable Cause Findings 90 4.8.6 Summary 91 4.9 The Hazmat Serious Truck Crash Project Database 91 4.9.1 Introduction 92 4.9.2 Adding Explanatory Variables to the Hazmat Accident Database 92 4.9.3 Crash Records Selection 92 4.9.4 Populating Records and Improving Data Quality 93 4.9.5 Quality Control Checks 93 4.9.6 Database Enhancements and Limitations 94 4.9.7 Summary 95 Chapter 5 Potential Measures for Improving the Identification of Root Causes for Hazardous Materials Crashes 95 5.1 Introduction 95 5.2 Information System Development 96 5.2.1 Develop Framework for Identifying Contributing Causes and Root Causes of Hazardous Material Accidents 97 5.2.2 Availability of Carrier Characteristics Inventory Information for Analysis with Accident Data 97 5.2.3 Add or Modify Inventory Data in Databases 98 5.2.4 Link Data from HMIRS, MCMIS, RAIRS, and Other Information Sources 98 5.2.5 Develop a System for Each Database That Will Target About 5% of Hazmat Crashes for More Detailed Investigation 99 5.3 Improving the Effectiveness of All Databases Required to Identify Root Causes 99 5.3.1 Ensure Data Completeness and Accuracy 99 5.3.2 Complete Values for All Parameters 103 5.4 Potential Measures for Improving Capability of Specific Databases to Identify Root Causes 103 5.4.1 Potential Measures for MCMIS 105 5.4.2 Potential Measures for HMIRS 107 5.4.3 Potential Measures for TIFA 108 5.4.4 Potential Measures for RAIRS 109 5.5 Conclusions 109 5.6 Follow-On Project 110 References 112 Appendices

Next: Summary »
Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident Data for Root Cause Analysis Get This Book
×
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

TRB’s Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program (HMCRP) Report 1: Hazardous Materials Transportation Incident Data for Root Cause Analysis examines potential technical improvements to hazardous materials accident databases that are collected and managed by various agencies. The report explores gaps and redundancies in reporting requirements and attempts to estimate the extent of the under-reporting of serious incidents.

Appendixes A through E to HMCRP 1 are available online.

Appendix A: Questionnaires

Appendix B: Questionnaire Results for Carriers and Database Administrators

Appendix C: Brief Summary of the 2005 MCMIS Crash Records

Appendix D: The Percent of Missing Data for Variables from TIFA/FARS, 1999–2004

Appendix E: Selected Analyses Performed with the Hazmat Accident Database

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!