Hazardous Materials Shipment Information For Emergency Response Special Report 239 (1993) / Chapter Skim
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4 4 7 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION 111 T >-$ FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD National Research Council
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1993 TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITFEE Chairman: A RAY CHAMBERLAIN, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Transportation, Denver Vice Chairman: JOSEPH M
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Special Report 239 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE Committee for the Assessment of a National Hazardous Materials Shipments Identification System Transportation Research Board National Research Council National Academy Press Washington, D.C.
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Transportation Research Board Special Report 239 Subscriber Categories I planning, administration, and environment IV operations and safety VII rail VIII freight transportation (multimodal) Transportation Research Board publications are available by ordering directly from TRB.
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Committee for Assessment of National Hazardous Materials Shipments Identification System BARRY M HoRowrrz, Chairman, MITRE Corporation, Bedford, Massachusetts MARK D
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Preface I n the Hazardous Materials Trans-portation Uniform Safety Act of 1990, Congress called on the National Academy of Sciences "to conduct a study of the feasibility and necessity of.
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viPreface making decisions about controlling hazardous materials transportation incidents. The national central reporting system proposal was controversial.
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Preface vii frequency and circumstances of incidents are not adequate to support evaluations. Therefore, in this study considerable effort was devoted to analyzing past hazardous materials transportation incidents.
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Contents Executive Summary Introduction 22 Study Charge, 23 History of the Reporting System Proposal, 25 Study Approach, 33 2 Hazardous Materials Transportation, Regulation, and Emergency Information 36 Characteristics of Hazardous Materials Transportation, 36 Hazardous Materials Regulation and Enforcement, 40 Emergency Response Information, 44 3 Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 54 Data Sources, 55 Critical Information Needs of Responders, 63 Kinds of Information Problems Encountered by Responders, 66 Frequency of Information Problems, 79 Costs of Information Problems, 82 Summary, 95 4 Options To Improve Information: Technological Components 100 System Requirements, 101 Design Options, 103 Evaluation with Prototypes, 116
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5 Options To Improve Information: Nontechnological Components 125 Regulatory Options, 126 Enforcement Options, 136 Training Options, 139 Summary, 150 Appendixes A Sections 1 and 25 of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Uniform Safety Act of 1990 151 B Data Needs and Sources 157 C National Transportation Safety Board Recommendations Pertaining to Emergency Response Information (1980 to 1992) 184 D Information Technologies in Transportation 191 E Shipper, Carrier, and Emergency Responder Information Capabilities 197 Study Committee Biographical Information 219
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Executive Summary F ire fighters and police regularly respond to incidents involving the release or threat of release of hazardous materials in transport. Minimizing the danger of injury and other costs of such events requires knowledge of the materials so that appropriate fire fighting and other mitigation methods can be used and decisions made regarding evacuations or traffic diversion.
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2 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION are in agreement with each of the eight recommendations. However, members differed in their ranking of the relative importance of the recommendations and therefore in their preferences for the order in which the recommendations should appear.
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Executive Summary 3 nology to aid emergency responders and reduce the costs of hazardous materials incidents.
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4 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION designs, by considering the cost, technical feasibility, and organizational requirements for implementing such systems; and o Regulatory, enforcement, and training options for solving the information problems, that is, refinements within the existing system for identifying hazardous materials that would not necessarily depend on adoption of information technology. The scope of the study was limited to matters that may affect the consequences of hazardous materials incidents after they occur, and not to methods of preventing incidents.
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Executive Summary S porting system proposal and public-sector requirements would dictate the design of any new information systems. The conclusions are relevant to all modes of freight transportation -- air and water as well as truck and rail.
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HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety Roughly 10,000 to 20,000 truck transportation incidents and roughly 1,000 to 1,500 rail incidents occur each year that involve release of a hazardous material or a circumstance that threatens a release and to which public-sector emergency responders are dispatched. In the majority of these incidents, the costs are confined to cleanup and use of emergency response resources.
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Executive Summary 7 many emergency responders interviewed expressed lack of full confidence in the system. Among the case studies, in about 25 percent of consequential highway incidents and 10 percent of consequential rail incidents, emergency responders were unable to obtain information that they sought or experienced significant delay in obtaining it.
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HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION much less common because the great majority of incidents do not involve a serious crash or fire. Results of roadside inspections to enforce truck regulations support the case study finding that regulatory violations are a common problem.
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Executive Summary 9 of the presence of the hazardous material -- the function that the placard is intended to perform. In more routine situations, more reliable information could reduce the need for evacuations or traffic diversions and allow more efficient use of emergency response resources.
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10 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION These estimates, derived from the case studies, do not include possible benefits from reduced consequences of rare but catastrophic events. In the United States from 1946 to 1989 there were at least five truck or rail incidents in each of which 15 or more people were killed as a result of the presence of a hazardous material.
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Executive Summary 11 be identified and the responder knew or suspected that hazardous materials were present. The problem of inaccessible or destroyed papers or placards is one of the six categories of information failure identified in the case studies.
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12 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Second, the evolution of an information system should, as a primary factor of design, identify and take advantage of opportunities created by investments in other technological developments. Building on existing information systems in the transportation industry would be the most practical approach to a hazardous materials information system.
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Executive Summary 13 These capabilities differ greatly by size of firm, industry, and mode. Rail is probably the most advanced, because automated car-tracking systems have been widely implemented.
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14 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Most of the estimated costs are for shipper and carrier information systems. However, the information system that shippers and carriers would have to install to comply with automated hazardous materials tracking requirements would be similar in some respects to systems that a few trucking companies and nearly all railroads have already adopted to meet internal management and customer service needs.
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Executive Summary 15 Implementing New Information Systems DOT should immediately undertake one or more limited start-ups of automated information systems. Limited start-ups should be controlled experiments with independent, rigorously designed evaluation protocols.
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16 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION to develop, so they would not progress beyond the experimental stage for some time. Also, a limited start-up using an established information network service in trucking probably would require more investment in developing new systems than would the rail limited start-up, because the services now available fall short of the requirements of a hazardous materials information system.
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Executive Summary 17 communication systems to ensure that opportunities for applications to improve hazardous materials safety are not overlooked. Data and Evaluation The U.S.
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18 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION with advice from and participation of state and local emergency responders. Regulation, Enforcement, and Training DOT, together with the other responsible federal agencies, should form a plan of action to alleviate each of the six categories of information failures identified in this study through changes in regulations, more effective enforcement, and sup port for improved training of emergency responders and inspectors.
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Executive Summary 19 Problem Proposal Placards, shipping pa- Improve placard visibility through the use of ret-' pers, or other infor- roreflective materials and other means marion sources are Evaluate new materials for prolonging the fire re- obscured, destroyed, sistance of placards or inaccessible be- - cause of a crash or fire or threat of fire, explosion, or toxic ex- posure Information sources are Ensure that shipping papers and placards on ve- in compliance with hides carrying mixed loads are comprehensible regulations and acces- to emergency responders by (a) requiring a sible, but they fail to summary manifest listing critical information efficiently convey about each hazardous shipment on board a ye- important information hide, (b)
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20 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Problem Proposal Vehicle operator is un- Ensure that training of shipper and carrier per- prepared to provide sonnel covers communication with local emer- information gency responders Responders fail to ob- Expand federal resources and technical assistance tain or use available for training of responders in the skills of haz- information ard identification and interpretation Develop a hazardous materials identification training curriculum DOT and the U.S. Fire Administration should jointly conduct a study of costs and means of organizing and delivering training to hazardous materials emergency responders and enforcement officers.
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Executive Summary 21 cessible because of a crash or fire -- is only one category of failure, and not the most frequent category, under the existing system. Because of these shortcomings, the originally proposed system would be unlikely to function as intended or to produce benefits sufficient to justify its costs.
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Introduction F ire fighters and police often must respond to accidents involving vehicles carrying hazardous materials or to other incidents involving the release or threat of release of hazardous materials in transportation. Dealing with such an event requires knowledge of the nature of the materials so that appropriate fire fighting, cleanup, and disposal methods can be used; decisions about evacuations or traffic diversion made; and danger of injury, death, or property damage minimized.
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Introduction23 specific information. The proposal has been introduced in legislation in the U.S.
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Public Law 101-615, 101st Congress, November 16, 1990 (104 Stat.
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Introduction 25 HISTORY OF THE REPORTING SYSTEM PROPOSAL The proposal for a national central reporting system has been discussed for more than 15 years. A description of the history of the proposal is valuable in understanding why Congress saw a need for a study by the National Academy of Sciences.
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26 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION In 1980 DOT entered into a Statement of Formal Recognition with the Chemical Manufacturers Association, the operators of CHEMTREC. DOT has stated that it believes that the operation of CHEMTREC meets the intent of the statutory requirement for a central reporting system and data center (Subcommittee on Surface Transportation 1990, 1320-1321)
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Introduction 27 destination, although the bill did not specify that this updating was to be carried out. The central facility would provide access to this information for police and fire fighters in the event of a wreck, spill, or other incident, along with other information or advice useful in dealing with incidents.
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28 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION uniform registration system for hazardous materials shippers and carriers and a DOT review of ways to improve the existing placarding system. Definition of the Central Reporting System Proposal No definition of the central reporting system has been published or provided to the committee that contains significantly more detailed specifications than those contained in the proposed legislation quoted earlier and in Appendix A
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Introduction 29 Positions of Interested Parties The proposal for the creation of a central reporting system has attracted attention from numerous groups: DOT, other federal agencies involved with hazardous materials as shippers or regulators, local and state fire officials, fire fighters, shippers and producers of hazardous materials, carriers, and potential vendors of devices or services that might be used for shipment information. The positions of some of these groups are summarized in this section.
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30 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION safety of emergency responders relying on the system for accurate information. The cost of the system would be high -- DOT estimated the cost at about $12 billion annually (this estimate was based solely on the $12 per transaction fee proposed in the 1987 bill)
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Introduction 31 pers are already required to have a 24-hr telephone number on shipping documents)
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32 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Tank Truck Carriers to see what we can do to develop the same communications capabilities for trucks. It is going to be much more difficult but it can be done.
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Introduction 33 sponders to a data communications network that would make other data and expert advice and assistance readily available, provide a mechanism to trace hazardous waste shipments to aid enforcement of disposal regulations, provide communities with data identifying the materials that regularly move through their boundaries, and provide a funding source for communications facilities and other emergency response purposes (Muiholland n.d.)
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34 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION ducted for this study and records of incidents compiled by federal and state agencies. Identify technological options that might offer solutions to some of the information problems, including the national central reporting system and systems with other designs.
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Introduction 35 this information (by requiring real-time reporting of each hazardous materials shipment) is the defining characteristic of the original national central reporting system proposal, and the question of the need for this capability has been the source of most of the controversy over the proposal.
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2 Hazardous Materials Transportation, Regulation, and Emergency Information The general characteristics of haz-ardous materials transportation, its regulation, and the sources of emergency information are reviewed in this chapter. CHARACTERISTICS OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TRANSPORTATION Regulated Materials The Hazardous Materials Transportation Act of 1975 (HMTA)
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Transportation, Regulation, and Emergency Information 37 cals used in agriculture, such as pesticides and fertilizers; explosives and blasting agents used in mining and construction; acids and compressed gases used in manufacturing and refining; and numerous consumer products, such as paints, alcohols, swimming pooi chemicals, inks, and home cleaning solutions. Also regulated are hazardous wastes and radioactive materials (used by the nuclear energy and medical industries)
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TABLE 2-1 Hazard Class and Divisions with Example Materials Hazard Definition Class and Name of Class Reference Division , and Division (49 CFR) Examples Brief Description of Hazard 173.50(b)
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4.1 Flammable Solid 173.124(a) Safety matches 4.2 Spontaneously Combustible 173.124(b)
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40 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Shipment Sizes and Quantities Hazardous materials are transported in both bulk and nonbulk shipments. Bulk shipments, which are defined by DOT as single packagings exceeding 119 gal for liquids, 882 lb for solids, and 1,000 lb for gases, account for most water and rail traffic.
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Transportation, Regulation, and Emergency Information 41 set regulations across modes. The legislation further defined and confirmed DOT's authority to Determine hazardous materials subject to regulation; Regulate any traffic "affecting" interstate commerce, thereby covering some intrastate traffic; Regulate shipper handling, labeling, and packaging of hazardous materials; Regulate manufacturers, reconditioners, and testers of shipping containers for hazardous materials; Conduct inspections and penalize violators; and Preempt state, local, and Indian tribal rules that were found to be inconsistent with federal regulations.
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42 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Within the Department of Labor, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is responsible for regulating hazardous materials used and stored in the workplace.
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Transportation, Regulation, and Emergency Information 43 Historically, states have had the greatest freedom to regulate intrastate highway transportation, although DOT has encouraged states to adopt the federal regulations. In recent years, most states have adopted the federal regulations in whole or large part.
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44 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION $10,000 to $25,000. Maximum criminal penalties ($500,000 or 5 years in prison, or both)
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Current DOT Hazard Identification and Emergency Response Information System Shipping Paper Requirements Number and types of packages Gross weight of each hazardous material Proper shipping name, hazard class, UN/NA number, and packing group Technical names for N.O.S. and other specified generic materials Additional entries for poisons, reactive materials, dangerous-when-wet materials, cargo aircraft only shipments, exemptions, limited quan- tities, empty packagings Reportable quantity entry for hazardous substances Immediate emergency response information (may be attached to shipping paper or referenced to Emergency Response Guidebook on board the vehicle)
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46 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Current DOT Hazard Identification and Emergency Response Information System (continued) Labeling Requirements If limited quantity exceeded per package Specific labels per hazard class Size, color, symbols, and so forth are specified Applied to surface of package Multiple labels required for some materials Additional labeling requirements if subsidiary hazard, cargo aircraft only, empty, spontaneously combustible, dangerous when wet, or keep away from food Placarding Requirements Four placards (front, rear, and two sides)
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NGEROO FIGURE 2-1 Examples of placards. Top, Combustible placard (red with white symbol)
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TABLE 2-2 Placard References (49 CFR 172) Placard Design Hazard Class Section and Division Placard Notation Reference (49 CFR)
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Transportation, Regulation, and Emergency Information 49 Shipping Papers Most shipments of hazardous materials must be accompanied by shipping papers that describe the hazardous material and contain certification by the shipper that the shipment conforms with all DOT hazardous materials regulations. Instructions for describing hazardous cargoes in shipping paper entries are provided in DOT regulations.
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SO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION waybill)
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Transportation, Regulation, and Emergency Information 51 shipping descriptions for all hazardous materials as well as marking, labeling, and placarding changes for some materials. Because of the large number of regulatory changes, a transitional period has been established by DOT to allow industry time to comply.
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52 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION placards. Most emergency responders are trained to recognize placards and take initial protective measures, but few are trained at a higher level of competence.
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Transportation, Regulation, and Emergency Information 53 and for development of course curriculum. DOT will provide grants to states that apply for federal training funds.
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ki Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information Before considering options for im-proving emergency information, it is necessary to examine the performance of the existing information system, both to recognize the kinds of information problems that occur and to identify problems that are likely to yield significant benefits if resolved. As a means of doing so, Chapter 3 is organized around the following four questions: 'What are the most critical information needs of fire fighters, police, and other emergency responders at hazardous materials incidents?
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 55 such as initial warnings about the presence of hazardous materials and the identity of the materials involved, are required and expected by responders at virtually all kinds of hazardous materials incidents. This information helps in preventing injuries to first responders and in obtaining more detailed information, such as the physical properties of the materials and guidance on protective equipment and first aid.
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56 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION is evidence on, the performance of the existing information system in meeting the needs of responders during incidents. The availability and reliability of both types of data are limited.
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 57 Reported Incidents (Thousands)
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58 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION mittee review of 1990 RSPA data indicates that one-third of truck incidents were reported by three of the country's largest less-thantruckload (LTL) and small-package trucking companies.
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 59 Emergency Management Agency, has implemented a voluntary incident reporting system for state and local fire agencies, known as the National Fire Information Reporting System (NFIRS)
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60 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION system. The case studies are aimed at answering the questions posed at the beginning of the chapter.
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 61 NTSB rail cases: In 1991, NTSB completed a major study of 45 hazardous materials rail incidents that occurred between March 1988 and February 1989 (NTSB 1991)
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62 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION investigations. Because none of the NTSB investigations focused exclusively on emergency information, some subtle -- yet important -- information problems may not have been recorded in the incident documentation.
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 63 rials incidents, 12 other major incidents (8 truck and 4 rail) that illustrate information problems are cited in the chapter and summarized in Appendix B
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64 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Initial warning information is the primary function of placards (Table 3-1)
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 65 tion of the general types of hazards involved -- for instance, whether the materials are explosive, flammable, poisonous, radioactive, or corrosive. This information is necessary to allow first responders to begin isolating the area and to prepare to handle the incident.
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66 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION If material identification is delayed or initially incorrect, the incident may be handled much less efficiently and potentially less safely. If material-specific information is not found, responders may continue to follow the general instructions provided in the DOT guidebook.
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 67 TABLE 3-2 Cases with Information Problems No.
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TABLE 3-3 Information Problems in Truck and Rail Cases illustrations from Truck Illustrations from Rail Problem Category Specific Problems Cases (Appendix B) Cases (Appendix B)
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NTSB Cases 1 and 7 and Supplemental Incidents 7 and 8 -- shipping paj,ers not retrievable because of wreckage and spill Supplemental Incident 8 -- placards were obstructed in wreckage Information sources are in compliance with regulations and accessible, but they fail to efficiently convey important information to responders Dangerous placard not descriptive of hazards Multiple shipping papers that are cumbersome to review Responders did not trust all information sources available and therefore did not use them California Cases 17 and 33 -- shipping papers were difficult to review because of varying formats from multiple shippers Supplemental Incidents 1 and 2 -- response delayed because of fire fighter concerns about potential inaccuracies in papers due to multiple shippers and greater chance of error NTSB Case 45 and Supplemental Incident 2 -- responders could not immediately determine which cars were involved due to fire at accident site Supplemental Incident 3 -- responders could not match ejected packages with intermodal containers or derailed flatbed cars because of the scattered wreckage NTSB Case 15 -- cars carrying hazardous materials were not listed in consist (continued on next page)
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TABLE 3-3 (continued) illustrations from Truck illustrations from Rail Problem Category Specific Problems Cases (Appendix B)
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Truck driver unable to identify basic hazards of cargo Train crew did not take proper actions to assist responders, such as identifying themselves and providing on-board documentation hazardous materials caught fire but was not placarded because it was used for storage NTSB Case 4 -- shipping papers in tank truck containing nonhazardous materials were destroyed. Responders could not determine contents and were concerned that the cargo might be hazardous NTSB Case 1 -- driver misidentified material concentration to responders NTSB Case 19 -- driver misidentified material to responders, causing confusion and an unnecessary evacuation Supplemental Incident 6 -- driver identified the material as radioactive but did not know the degree of radioactivity Vehicle operator is unprepared to provide information NTSB Case 45 -- train crew left accident scene with shipping papers Supplemental Incident 4 -- train crew left waybills and emergency response instructions in the train 0- CD 0 (continued on next page)
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TABLE 3-3 (continued) Problem Category Responders fail to obtain or use available information Specific Problems Responders unaware of all information sources available or unprepared to take advantage of all available information Illustrations from Truck Cases (Appendix B)
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 73 case studies. As discussed earlier, placards provide information that is essential in preventing first responders from unknowingly entering a hazardous situation.
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74 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION recognize the placards, they could not take the most effective and expedient actions to mitigate the incident without the product-specific information contained in the shipping papers. Several of the supplemental incidents also illustrate how damaged or obscured placards and other information sources can lead to response difficulties with potential adverse consequences.
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 75 eight of the case studies. In particular, the Dangerous placard, which warns of the presence of hazardous materials but does not identify the hazard type, was often a source of information problems.
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76 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION In another NTSB rail case, the train consist did not accurately list the position of all the cars carrying hazardous materials, because several cars had been added to the train at a switching station. Federal regulations do not require an updated consist under these circumstances if the current crew members (i.e., the crew that performed the switch)
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 77 least initially, as hazardous materials incidents even if placards are not evident. In such cases, responders may encounter significant delays in identifying the materials and determining whether hazards are indeed present.
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78 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION tion of 100 people from the area. After more than S hr, responders determined that the truck contained low-level radioactive material and canceled the evacuation.
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 79 know the emergency telephone number of the railroad that passed through its jurisdiction. Hence, responders could not quickly identify the shipper to obtain product-specific information.
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80 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION data base. In 1989 (the most recent year for which aggregate statistics have been reported)
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 81 Number of Incidents with Information Problems The foregoing incident estimates are rough, but they provide an indication of the total population of hazardous materials incidents. The estimates, along with the results from the case studies, allow for crude estimates of the number of incidents with information problems nationally (Table 3-4)
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82 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION ratio suggests that responders encounter information problems in 100 to 200 consequential truck incidents and about S consequential rail incidents each year. However, these consequences are often the immediate result of a crash or derailment.
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 83 TABLE 3-5 Potential Costs of Incidents with Information Problems Item4 Costb Injuries (number) c 300-600 Property loss ($ millions)
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84 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION cases with information problems there was an average of three reported injuries per incident, including one incident that resulted in 55 injuries. If the higher rate of injury occurred in the estimated 105 to 205 incidents with information problems, the result would be 300 to 600 injuries per year.
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 85 occurred in one of the supplemental incidents cited earlier, in which a first responder inhaled toxic fumes from an overturned truck with obscured placards. Also, responders may not be aware of the need to immediately evacuate nearby residents or workers, thereby exposing them to the hazards.
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86 - HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION The median property loss in the 45 NTSB rail cases, which had the most complete cost information, was $500,000, and 13 of the 45 cases had losses exceeding $1,000,000. To estimate the magnitude of this cost, one can assume average property damage of about $500,000 per consequential incident to cover damage to vehicles, cargoes, and surrounding property, including road and track facilities.
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 87 percent rate of closings were to occur in the estimated 100 to 200 consequential truck incidents with information problems, there would be 40 to 80 major closings. The roughly one-third lower rate of closings found in the case studies without information problems suggests that many of these closings might be avoided by information improvements.
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88 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION evacuations-25 to SO public evacuations could be expected among the estimated 105 to 205 consequential truck and rail incidents with information problems. The costs associated with public evacuations can be difficult to quantify.
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 89 nel and the equipment and supplies used. Earlier in this chapter it was estimated that emergency responders encounter information problems in 2,500 to 5,000 truck incidents and 100 to 150 rail incidents each year, including both consequential and nonconsequential incidents.
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90 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMA11ON Other Costs Other types of costs that have not been discussed may stem from poor information. 'Whereas they are potentially as significant as the costs discussed earlier, they are more difficult to characterize and quantify, even in illustrative terms.
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 91 tion that impedes the actions of emergency responders can cause idleness of transportation vehicles, lading, terminal facilities, and carrier and shipper personnel, thereby reducing productivity. The greatest productivity losses, at least collectively, are likely to result from delays at minor incidents that are prolonged by the search for hazardous materials information.
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TABLE 3-6 Hazardous Materials Truck and Rail Incidents that Caused Five or More Deaths, 1945 to 1989 (Glickman et al.
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1974 Decatur, Ill. Rail Flammable gas Explosion 7 1975 Eagle Pass, Tex.
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94 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION ring instantaneously or within minutes of the incident, before emergency responders had arrived at the scene. In the other four incidents, explosions occurred during emergency response operations, killing fire fighters, other responders, and bystanders.
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 95 SUMMARY Emergency responders to hazardous materials incidents must be provided with critical information in a timely and reliable manner. They must be immediately warned that hazardous materials are present, know the general types of hazards involved, and quickly thereafter be able to identify materials, their quantities, and packaging.
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96 HAZARDOUS MAThRIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION In most of the case study incidents the existing information system conveyed critical information to responders in a timely and accurate manner. Nevertheless, responders encountered information problems in about 25 percent of truck incidents and 10 percent of rail incidents.
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 97 ing $50,000; public evacuation that lasts more than 1 hr; or closing of a major roadway, track, or other transportation facility more than 1 hr. Despite the predominance of a few carriers in reporting, the RSPA data are often used to present a historical picture of the safety experience of the entire industry and characterize hazardous materials incidents (e.g., incident locations, consequences, and types of materials and containers involved)
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98 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION An annual average of 1,104 rail incidents was reported to RSPA from 1987 to 1991. Few studies have attempted to estimate costs associated with evacuations.
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Necessity and Benefits of Improved Information 99 Office of Hazardous Materials Planning and Analysis, RSPA, U.S. Department of Transportation.
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Options To Improve Information: Technological Components The steps necessary to design and implement information technology applications that would give public-sector emergency responders access to information valuable for reducing losses from hazardous materials transportation incidents are described here. If government or industry set out to systematically design a system for this purpose, following the experience gained in development of other information systems and seeking to minimize development time, they would take three steps before undertaking full-scale implementation: 1.System requirements would be defined in terms of information needs and performance criteria.
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Options To Improve Information: Technological Components 101 signs, find the most cost-effective approaches, and determine whether costs would be justified by the benefits. Evaluation would rely on field testing of prototypes and on ongoing evaluation of initial implementations.
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102 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION benchmarks, the more costly the system will be. Measurements would be made during testing, start-up, and operation of the improved system to determine whether the system was working properly.
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Options To Improve Information: Technological Components 103 DESIGN OPTIONS A range of options exists for using information technology to give responders access to information at hazardous materials transportation incidents. The range of choices is broad in part because the problem has lacked definition: it is not established what capabilities would have the greatest payoff in reducing the costs of incidents.
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104 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION The clearinghouse approach would avoid the cost of transmitting and storing large quantities of data that were never used and some of the security problems of the central reporting system. It might be a way to take advantage of the growth in electronic data interchange and industry shipment-tracking systems.
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Options To Improve Information: Technological Components 105 Specification of options would address not only the technical means of recording and communicating information but also data definitions, responsibilities for reporting shipments, definition of shipments required to be reported, rules governing data access, the schedule of implementation, and arrangements for finance, management, evaluation, and enforcement. The foregoing options provide vehicle- or shipment-specific information.
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106 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION success of any effort to automate hazardous materials emergency response information In formation Content The act asks what standards should be set for the form and content of records of shipments in an information system. As noted at the beginfling of this chapter, determination of information needs is the primary design issue.
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Options To Improve Information: Technological Components 107 carrier industries. Therefore, evaluation must measure the potential for reducing cost while affecting benefits only slightly by targeting application to a subset of shipments.
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From page 118... ...
108 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION by monitoring vehicles, and to eliminate paper transactions by use of electronic data interchange. Computer-based information systems in use today in transportation that perform functions similar to some that would be required of a hazardous materials information system are described in Appendix D
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Options To Improve Information: Technological Components 109 problem. For example, shippers would make more complete information available in a data base (see the third problem category in Table 4-1)
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TABLE 4-1 Possible Information Technology Solutions to Information Failures Problem Category Specific Problems Possible Means of Alleviation - Required sources of information are missing or inaccurate Placards, shipping papers, or other information sources are obscured, destroyed, or inaccessible because of a crash or fire or threat of fire, explosion, or toxic exposure Information sources are in compliance with regulations and accessible, but they fail to efficiently convey important information to responders Placards missing or incorrect Shipping papers missing, incorrect, or incomplete Placards destroyed or obscured Shipping papers destroyed or inaccessible Dangerous placard not descriptive of hazards Multiple shipping papers that are cumbersome to review Responders did not trust all information sources available and therefore did not use them Automatic error checking on data entry Enforcement audits of shipment data bases Access to remote data base (when visual identification of vehicle is possible) Survivable transponder Receiver records final distress message of on-board transmitter Network gives responders access to more complete data (e.g., MSDSs, consists, expert response guidance)
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Information is insufficient because the material or shipment is exempt from some federal hazardous materials transportation regulations Some potentially harmful materials or shipments are not covered by DOT regulations governing placarding, labeling, and shipping papers because they are not designated as hazardous, do not meet minimum weight/quantity thresholds, or are not involved in a clearly transportrelated activity Responders sometimes cannot readily confirm that a material is not hazardous System allows access to information on nonhazardous as well as hazardous shipments Driver uses the emergency response information system to become familiar with cargo Vehicle operator is unprepared to Truck driver unable to identify basic provide information hazards of cargo Train crew did not take proper actions to assist responders, such as identifying themselves and providing on-board documentation Responders fail to obtain or use Responders unaware of all Decision aids in system designed to available information information sources available or support inexperienced responders unprepared to take advantage of all available information
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112 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION assumptions about these factors, since the appropriate scale and functioning of the system could only be determined in an evolutionary process starting with test implementations. However, estimates can illustrate the likely magnitude of costs for a system of specified extent and show the sensitivity of costs to scale and the degree of reliance on existing information systems.
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Options To Improve Information: Technological Components 113 gency responders. The example considers only the rail and truck modes, but a system might be extended to cover waterborne and air freight.
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114 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION might be able to take advantage of this large investment for a small incremental cost. Trucking Costs Each truck carrier would have to develop an automated shipmenttracking system to comply with the requirements of the hypothetical system.
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Options To Improve Information: Technological Components 115 Thus total costs for the illustrative system in trucking might be roughly $100 million to $200 million for start-up and a similar amount in annual operating costs. If participation were required of all trucks that ever carry hazardous materials, in particular of the numerous fleets of small and medium trucks that carry hazardous cargoes in local travel, total costs could be several times this amount.
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116 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Thus the central facility for the illustrative hazardous materials system might have start-up costs of $10 million to $20 million and annual operating costs of $10 million to $20 million. Summor' of Costs In addition to the preceding costs, the government would incur annual enforcement and evaluation costs of several million dollars.
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Options To Improve Information: Technological Components 117 limited start-up. Evaluation of the initial installation led to refinements in design and was the basis for the final decision for full-scale implementation.
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118 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION The prototype would be a system that allowed emergency responders to contact the third-party service and obtain waybill information for a specified trailer, railcar, or container. Carriers would periodically transmit records for each hazardous shipment in transportation to the network service, which would maintain a central data base.
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Options To Improve Information: Technological Components 119 Automatic Electronic Identification Corridor Demonstration At least two projects are under way demonstrating applications of automatic electronic identification technology for reducing the enforcement and compliance costs of collecting taxes on trucks and regulating truck size and weight, safety, and other aspects of the industry. The Crescent Demonstration of the Heavy Vehicle Electronic License Plate Project involves primarily western state transportation departments and truck operators, and the newer Advantage 1-75 project is a similar program in the eastern United States.
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120 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT LNFORMA11ON required data in the data base. Similarly, if a truck reentered the corridor after a pickup or delivery, its record could not be updated until it reached the next station.
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Options To Improve Information: Technological Components 121 gency responders would be likely to find valuable and provide an experimental setting for addressing many of the organizational, technical, and cost-effectiveness issues that any system would face. Concept The rail industry maintains an information system, TRAIN II, that continuously keeps account of the location and status of railcars, trailers and containers moving on rail, and waybills for the shipments moving in those cars for most rail traffic in the United States.
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122 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMA11ON Therefore, the limited start-up could also test a data link that would transmit a list of commodity codes to a responder's computer or a capability to transmit a commodity list by fax. The limited start-up could address means of efficiently giving responders access to commodity information for an entire train.
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Options To Improve Information: Technological Components 123 Reliability of cargo identification compared with existing means for bulk and intermodal cargoes and for single- and multiple-car incidents, Speed of identification, Effectiveness of alternative responder interfaces, Effectiveness of alternative means of interpreting commodity information, Responder reactions (willingness to use the system, training requirements, and effect on responder decisions) , Effectiveness of security, and Costs.
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124 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Participants and Governance The participation of all parties in the limited start-up would be voluntary. Participants would be the railroads, possibly car owners, and emergency responder agencies.
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5 Options To Improve Information: Nontechnological Components The nontechnological means of improving the information available to emergency responders at hazardous materials transportation mcidents are identified in this chapter. Improvement can be achieved through changes in regulatory requirements, enforcement, and training.
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126 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION The list includes improvements suggested by the incident analyses and proposals from other sources, including emergency responders interviewed and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendations.
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Options To Improve Information: Nontechnological Components 127 Table 1 materials are considered by DOT to present the greatest danger in transportation. The regulations require any quantity of these materials to be placarded, using the specific placards from the hazard class or division assigned to the material.
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128 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Placard Visibility and Survivability The concern that placards may be obscured or destroyed during an accident, especially in a fire, is often expressed by responders. HMTUSA directs DOT to study methods of improving placard survivability.
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Options To Improve Information: Nontechnological Components 129 Setting a lower threshold for placarding could affect hundreds of thousands of small shipments, some of which pose minimal danger. An extremely low threshold could result in the placarding of so many vehicles that the significance of placards is diminished.
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130 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION fer a consistent set of information sources in both transportation and fixed-site situations. The greater the number of alternative marking, labeling, and placarding arrangements, the more difficult it is for responders to recognize and interpret the various information sources, especially in an emergency.
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Options To Improve Information: Nontechnological Components 131 lem with trucks carrying mixed loads was that responders often could not quickly identify the hazardous materials because of the numerous papers -- often with varying formats -- that had to be retrieved and reviewed. Current DOT regulations require that shipping papers for hazardous materials either appear first in the full set of papers (if nonhazardous materials are in the cargo)
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132 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION DOT requires shippers to list a 24-hr emergency contact on the shipping papers (49 CFR 172.604)
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Options To Improve Information: Nontechnological Components 133 Code (STCC) number.
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134 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION the format of the MSDS is not standardized, resulting in MSDS documents varying in length from 1 to 20 pages and in content depending on the manufacturer of the material. MSDSs tend to emphasize information on storage and use hazards rather than transportation hazards.
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Options To Improve Information: Nontechnological Components 135 necessitated such a numbering system for trailers. If such a system were imposed on the trucking industry, the costs -- development of the numbering scheme, initial marking, and maintenance of the numbers -- presumably would not be recovered by business uses as in the rail industry.
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136 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Complex and burdensome regulations may reduce compliance on the part of shippers and carriers (knowingly or unknowingly) , which may result in missing or confusing information.
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Options To Improve Information: Nontechnological Components 137 Monitoring of Compliance There is no systematic nationwide monitoring of rates of compliance with hazardous materials transportation regulations. The principal existing data are the frequency of citations.
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138 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Accessibility and Format of Shipping Papers Incidents in the case studies involving trucks carrying mixed loads of hazardous materials with multiple shipping papers commonly had information problems. The large number of shipping papers and their varying formats make it difficult for responders to quickly determine the contents of vehicles.
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Options To Improve Information: Nontechnological Components 139 enforcement of hazardous materials regulations is not necessarily a high priority. About one violation in seven recorded under MCSAP involves hazardous materials.
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140 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION crews)
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Options To Improve Information: Nontechnological Components 141 Forethought is needed to ensure that the federal funds provided by HMTUSA are used productively. Under the current program, most of the funds will be allocated to states through grants.
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142 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Cost and Delivery Mechanisms Planning of training needs should begin with study of the costs and delivery of training to hazardous materials emergency responders and enforcement officers. It would be appropriate for DOT and the U.S.
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Options To Improve Information: Nontechnological Components 143 recently enacted regulations concerning minimum training standards for transportation workers (Docket HM-126F)
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144 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION ever, NTSB has identified problems that RSPA should require railroads and other carriers to cover. Many hazardous materials carriers and shippers have developed successful training programs for their employees on their own initiative.
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From page 155... ...
Options To Improve Information: Nontechnological Components 145 dictable commodity movements on railroad tracks and regular trucking routes allow carriers and communities to make preparations. The NTSB study on hazardous materials rail incidents found numerous cases of poor planning and coordination between railroads and local communities (NTSB 1991)
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TABLE 5-1 Potential Regulatory, Enforcement, and Training Solutions to Information Failures Problem Category Specific Problems Possible Means of Alleviation Required sources of information are Placards missing or incorrect Systematically monitor compliance as missing or inaccurate Shipping papers missing, incorrect, or the basis for establishing targets for incomplete compliance improvement and measuring progress toward them Upgrade training of motor vehicle inspectors to ensure more uniform enforcement Improve effectiveness of enforcement of hazardous material identification requirements in vehicle safety inspections Monitor the effectiveness of required shipper and carrier employee training programs Establish higher fines for certain hazardous materials identification violations, especially improper placarding and failure to provide telephone contact Facilitate the filing of complaints by emergency responders who discover violations at incidents
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Placards, shipping papers, or other information sources are obscured, destroyed, or inaccessible because of a crash or fire or threat of fire, explosion, or toxic exposure Information sources are in compliance with regulations and accessible, but they fail to efficiently convey important information to responders Placards destroyed or obscured Shipping papers destroyed or inaccessible Dangerous placard not descriptive of hazards Multiple shipping papers that are cumbersome to review Responders did not trust all information sources available and therefore did not use them Improve placard visibility through use of retroreflective materials and other means Evaluate new materials for prolonging the fire resistance of placards Ensure that shipping papers and placards on vehicles carrying mixed loads are comprehensible to emergency responders by (a) requiring a summary manifest listing critical information about each hazardous shipment on board a vehicle, (b)
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TABLE 5-1 (continued) Problem Category Specific Problems Possible Means of Alleviation Coordinate requirements for material identification among DOT, EPA, and 051-IA to ensure that they are consistent and understood by responders; in particular, eliminate ambiguities concerning identification of hazardous contents of trailers or railcars being used as storage Require that a standardized material data sheet accompany shipping papers for certain hazardous materials Information is insufficient because the material or shipment is exempt from some federal hazardous materials transportation regulations Some potentially harmful materials or shipments are not covered by DOT regulations governing placarding, labeling, and shipping papers because they are not designated as Encourage industry efforts to adopt uniform tank trailer numbering
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hazardous, do not meet minimum weight/quantity thresholds, or are not involved in a clearly transportrelated activity Responders sometimes cannot readily confirm that a material is not hazardous Vehicle operator is unprepared to provide information Responders fail to obtain or use available information Truck driver unable to identify basic hazards of cargo Train crew did not take proper actions to assist responders, such as identifying themselves and providing on-board documentation Responders unaware of all information sources available or unprepared to take advantage of all available information Ensure that training of shipper and carrier personnel covers communication with local emergency responders Expand federal resources and technical assistance for training of responders in the skills of hazard identification and interpretation Develop a hazardous materials identification training curriculum
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150 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION SUMMARY Six categories of failures of the existing information system were identified in Chapter 3. The systematic approach to improving information suggested at the beginning of this chapter would focus on devising a coherent strategy to address each problem.
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APPENDIX F A Sections I and 25 of the Hazardous Materials Transportation Uniform Safety Act of 1990 P ublic Law 101-615, 101st Congress, November 16, 1990 (104 Stat.
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152 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Sec.
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Hazardous Materials Transportation Uniform Safety Act of 1990 153 ported in vehicles for safeguarding the health and safety of perSons responding to emergencies involving such hazardous materials and the public and to facilitate the review and reporting process required by subsection (d) , the Secretary of Transportation shall initiate a rulemaking proceeding not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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Hazardous Materials Transportation Uniform Safety Act of 1990 155 portation Act, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Transportation to carry out this subsection $350,000.
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156 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION (10) to determine measures (including the imposition of civil and criminal penalties)
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APPENDIX 1~ Data Needs and Sources The committee's efforts to evaluate the design and performance of the existing information system' were hampered by inadequate data and the lack of previous studies on the subject. The committee had to devote much of its time and resources to gathering and examining very limited data to make rough determinations about the performance of the existing system and to identify problem areas.
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158 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION How effective are the federal regulations in meeting the information needs of responders to hazardous materials incidents, and how can their effectiveness be improved? How effective are other commonly used information resources such as CHEMTREC and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)
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Data Needs and Sources 159 state and local police accident reports. NASS sampling techniques allow extrapolation of the results to develop national estimates with far more detail than otherwise would be possible from a national census of incidents.
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160 HAZARDOUS MATEIUALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION cases. All had severe, or consequential, outcomes.
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Data Needs and Sources 161 the availability, accuracy, and timeliness of emergency information. Cases were classified as having information problems if one or more of the critical kinds of information discussed in Chapter 3 were delayed, inaccurate, missing, or not properly consulted by responders.
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TABLE B-i Summary of 40 California Hazardous Materials Truck Cases Truck and Trailer Type Consequences Combi- Cargo Hazard Class ILA Information nation Straight j7 En Van!
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164 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION guish the fire, but after the owner of the trailer, who arrived 1/2 hr later, reported the presence of the pesticides, the decision was made to let the fire burn. Twenty residents in the path of the smoke were evacuated for a short time.
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24 X X 8 X 25 X X 95 X 26 X X X I X 27 X X X 1 X 28 X X 2 X 29 X X X 3 300 X X 30 X X S x 31 X X 30 X 32 X X X 12 X 33 X X X X X 100 10 X h 34 X X 1 3 X X 35 X X I X 36 X X 1 X 37 X X X 2 X 38 X X 20 X 39 X X X 100 X 40 X X 12 X Total 17 17 14 2 3 4 19 11 7 S 2 45 760 91 5 38 0 6 5 'Herbicide not designated as a hazardous material by DOT; accordingly, the vehicle was not placarded, and the shipping papers and package labels did not contain emergency information needed by responders. The shipper was eventually contacted and provided MSDS.
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Data Needs and Sources 165 spilled onto the trailer floor, contaminating several shipments in the vehicle. The shipping papers for the punctured drum and the contaminated shipments were retrieved from the terminal office.
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166 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION NTSB Truck Cases The California truck cases were supplemented with 40 truck cases selected from a special NTSB study of 189 truck crashes (NTSB 1988)
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TABLE B-2 (continued) Consequences Combi- Cargo Hazard Class M Information nation Straight ajor Flam./ No.
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TABLE B-2 Summary of 40 NTSB Hazardous Materials Truck Cases (NTSB 1988) Truck and Trailer Type Consequences Combi- Cargo Hazard Class M ajor Information nation Straight Flam./ No.
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Shipping papers burned. Truck driver misidentified material concentration to fire fighters.
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170 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION were able to identify the load by contacting the carrier. Because of the low concentration of hazardous material, the truck did not require placards.
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Data Needs and Sources 171 fighters could not immediately identify the material because the truck was not placarded. The shipping papers had to be retrieved from the cab to confidently identify the material.
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172 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION NTSB Rail Cases In 1991 NTSB completed a major study of 45 hazardous materials rail incidents that occurred during the 12-month period March 1988 to February 1989 (NTSB 1991 a)
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TABLE B-3 Summary of 45 NTSB Hazardous Materials Rail Cases (NTSB 1991a) Hazardous Materials Cars Consequences Involved Hazard Class of Cargo No.
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TABLE B-3 (continued) Hazardous Materials Cars Consequences Involved Hazard Class of Cargo Information Carrier Type Operat.
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44 CHI-89-FRZ14 X X 10 X X 2 125 X 45 DCA-89-M2004 X - X - 9 X - X - - - - 55 1,785 X X Total 35 10 34 11 166 43 2 18 15 22 3 3 107 17,223 8 36 0 4 3 A hopper car containing ammonium nitrate derailed. Because no cargo escaped, the railroad did not notify local authorities.
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176 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION TREC was able to contact the shipper. In the interim, fire officials evacuated 300 residents near the track as a precautionary measure.
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Data Needs and Sources 177 derailed, including tank cars containing hydrogen peroxide, isopropyl alcohol, and acetone. A fire and two explosions resulted.
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178 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTAL INCIDENTS Although the 125 case studies provide a means of determining the frequency of information problems, the small number of cases cannot reveal all the possible kinds of problems. To supplement the cases, 12 additional hazardous materials incidents with information problems (8 truck and 4 rail)
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Data Needs and Sources 179 about a potential chemical reaction. The uncertainty contributed to the 20 hr needed to clear the incident and the decision to evacuate more than 100 families (Washington Post, Dec.
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180 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION additional information about the cargo. Assuming the worst, local authorities evacuated 100 people from the area and closed the highway.
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Data Needs and Sources 181 Supplemental Rail Incidents The following supplemental rail incidents were selected from a review of newspaper reports and NTSB investigations of rail incidents during the past 5 years. Dunsmuir, California, July 14, 1991.
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182 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMA11ON Seacliff, California, July 28, 1991. Twelve cars of a freight train derailed under a freeway overpass.
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Data Needs and Sources 183 NOTE 1. The existing system is defined broadly to include the full array of emergency information sources and resources available to responders at the scene of an incident, such as placards, shipping papers, container labels and packages, the DOT Emergency Response Guidebook, the Material Safety Data Sheet, and CHEMTREC.
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APPENDIX C National Transportation Safety Board Recommendations Pertaining to Emergency Response Information (1980 to 1992) The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
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National Transportation Safety Board Recommendations 185 tamed in Department of Defense waste shipments and provide that information with the shipping papers to better inform emergency response personnel about the composition and hazards of the waste material being transported; include action that can be taken to mitigate the shipments' hazards. H-85-044 (highway)
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186 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION for hazardous materials transported in bulk quantities, giving particular attention to the early emergency response problems posed by N.O.S. commodities in transit.
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National Transportation Safety Board Recommendations 187 R-85-098 (rail) : NTSB recommends that the Arkansas Office of Emergency Services develop in cooperation with the railroads operating in the state and with the Federal Emergency Management Agency emergency response guidelines for use by communities adjacent to railroad yards that handle bulk shipments of hazardous materials and assist those communities in the development of effective procedures for responding to releases of hazardous materials within railroad yards.
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188 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION presence and purpose known to local emergency response personnel, (b) advise local authorities of guidance available for assessing tank car damage and wreckage clearing operations, and (c)
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From page 199... ...
National Transportation Safety Board Recommendations 189 tion provided, and to advise the on-scene coordinator of any errors or omissions in the initial information given by the train crew. R-83-048 (rail)
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190 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMA11ON for the safe handling of releases of the various types of hazardous materials transported, identification of key contact personnel, conduct of emergency drills and exercises, and identification of the resources to be provided and of actions to be taken by the rail yard operators and the community. 1-83-001 (intermodal)
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APPENDIX [a] Information Technologies in Transportation Computer-based information systems in transportation perform functions similar to some that would be required of a hazardous materials information system.
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From page 202... ...
192 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION ED! is used today by all major railroads and large shippers.
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From page 203... ...
Information Technologies in Transportation 193 access to railroads' ED! systems for obtaining cargo information at the scene of rail accidents (McBrearty et al.
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From page 204... ...
194 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION ponder attached to a container or vehicle emits a short digital message when stimulated by an external signal. The device may be battery powered or nonpowered (transmitting by absorbing power from the reading signal)
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Information Technologies in Transportation 195 growing, but only a tiny fraction of the intercity truck fleet is equipped at present (Inside IVHS 1991b)
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196 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION McBrearty, K., M
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APPENDIX E Shipper, Carrier, and Emergency Responder Information Capabilities I f new requirements to maintain or report hazardous materials ship-ment information are enacted, shippers and carriers will need internal information systems to ensure that the requirements are met. Creating and operating the systems would be a major cost of the new requirements.
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From page 208... ...
198 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION Shipment-tracking capabilities -- the company was asked to describe its ability to provide information about the contents of vehicles holding its shipments; Uses of electronic data interchange (EDI) -- the respondent described current applications of ED!
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From page 209... ...
Shipper, Carrier, and Responder Information Capabilities 199 deeply disruptive of the industry, the central reporting system or the clearinghouse option is feasible today in some segments of the carrier and shipper industries. For example, compliance would be feasible for most rail freight because of widespread implementation of car-tracking capabilities.
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From page 210... ...
200 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION the carriers. In truckload and intermodal carriage of time-sensitive freight, carriers are developing tracking capabilities as a service to their customers.
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From page 211... ...
Shipper, Carrier, and Responder Information Capabilities 201 Most liquid materials are delivered to the company from manufacturers by tank truck. The company also receives some rail tank carload shipments.
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From page 212... ...
202 HAZARDOUS MAThMAt.S SHIPMENT INFORMATION lading. The company must regularly update its hazardous materials data base to ensure that the computer-generated bills reflect current regulations.
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From page 213... ...
Shipper, Carrier, and Responder Information Capabilities 203 to show an identification number for the trailer holding the shipment. There is already a terminal at the loading dock that is used to receive bills of lading for the day's shipments and to plan dispatches for the day (that is, a file contains a list of bill of lading numbers assigned to each driver departing that day)
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From page 214... ...
204 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION SMALL PACKAGE CARRIER Industry Description Ground transportation of small packages is a specialized segment of the LTL freight market. These carriers handle high volumes of small packages, with a maximum size limit (usually 70 lb)
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From page 215... ...
Shipper, Carrier, and Responder Information Capabilities 205 Steps in Handling Shipments At the time of pickup, the driver receives a pickup record listing all packages from the shipper and the shipper's name, package destination, and weight. The pickup record stays at the originating terminal.
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From page 216... ...
206 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION some tracking capability, but it would have to be substantially modified to record trailer identification numbers for each hazardous materials package. Package bar codes or bar codes added to the hazardous materials shipping documents would have to be scanned, and the identification number of the trailer being loaded would have to be entered, at each trailer loading bay.
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From page 217... ...
Shipper, Carrier, and Responder Information Capabilities 207 economy of taking advantage of the preexisting capacity for air freight tracking to provide the ground service. RAI LROAD Company Description Compared with trucking, the rail industry is concentrated: seven systems account for 80 percent of all freight revenues.
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From page 218... ...
208 - HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION system was developed for interrailroad communications: to manage equipment utilization, to handle interchange of cars between railroads, and for other purposes. The railroad makes hourly transmissions to TRAIN II of new waybills and updated car location records.
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From page 219... ...
Shipper, Carrier, and Responder Information Capabilities 209 transponders on all cars, which is now under way, may be that these devices will improve the accuracy of consists. LTL TRUCKING COMPANY Company Description The company is a major LTL carrier.
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From page 220... ...
210 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION identification number to learn the location of a shipment, the next terminal it is scheduled to arrive at, the expected time of arrival, and the number of the trailer holding the shipment. Customers can receive information via ED!
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From page 221... ...
Shipper, Carrier, and Responder Information Capabilities 211 CHEMICAL MANUFACTURER Company Description The case study company is a major chemical manufacturer. It makes about 1.5 million hazardous materials shipments per year, 60 percent of all its product shipments.
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From page 222... ...
212 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION For rail shipments, all the company's cars are dedicated to particular products. To determine whether a car was loaded or unloaded, the company would have to refer to the railroad's car location information service (described in the railroad case study in this appendix)
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From page 223... ...
Shipper, Carrier, and Responder Information Capabilities 213 ify limits on the quantities of materials that may be carried on one aircraft and forbid certain materials altogether. Restrictions are stronger on passenger aircraft than on all-cargo aircraft.
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From page 224... ...
214 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION are performed by another company. To fulfill the intent of a central reporting system or clearinghouse system, the carrier would need to modify the data base to include the dangerous goods declaration.
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From page 225... ...
Shipper, Carrier, and Responder Information Capabilities 215 computers with modem and cellular phone)
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From page 226... ...
216 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION reference sources are stored on the trailer, including chemistry texts, emergency response handbook, and ancillary information, such as data on sewer lines. Additional sources of information in the cab of the hazardous materials emergency vehicle include mobile data terminals (MDTs)
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From page 227... ...
Shipper, Carrier, and Responder Information Capabilities 217 Supervisors have the overall responsibility for the dispatch process. To that end, the supervisor monitors the use and availability of resources, executes move-ups to balance coverage, and dynamically adjusts parameters to respond to the dispatch load.
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From page 228... ...
218 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMA11ON ing the effects of a hazardous materials incident by communicating with traffic control systems to reroute traffic, or they could actively track shipments of exceptionally hazardous material within their jurisdiction to facilitate response in the event of an incident (e.g., via selective application of a much-simplified version of the Department of Energy's STARBASE system described in Appendix D)
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Study Committee Biographical Information Barry M Horowitz, Chairman, is President and Chief Executive Officer of The MITRE Corporation.
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220 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION of Oregon. He is a member of TRB's Committee on Transportation of Hazardous Materials.
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Study Committe Biographical Information 221 Information Systems Division Commander; Supply and Maintenance Division Commander; Management Information Systems Section Commander; Planning Section Commander; and Battalion Commander, Bureau of Fire Suppression and Rescue. He is a graduate of Glendale College and Harvard University's John F
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222 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SHIPMENT INFORMATION ment since 1969 and has held his current position since 1988. The Special Operations section is responsible for all hazardous materials and technical rescue training and emergency response.
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The Transportation Research Board is a unit of the National Research Council, which serves the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. The Board's purpose is to stimulate research concerning the nature and performance of transportation systems, to disseminate the information produced by the research, and to encourage the application of appropriate research findings.
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ci) 2 Ui bi 0-1 TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD National Research Council 2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
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Key Terms
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