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Liquid liability

21st June 2007, Page 36
21st June 2007
Page 36
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Page 36, 21st June 2007 — Liquid liability
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Despite the headlines that have followed a few spectacular accidents the UK tanker sector has a good safety record. Pat Hagan finds out how the industry maintains its high standards.

If anyone doubts road tankers' potential for causing mayhem, a quick scan of recent news headlines should be evidence enough. Last month (May) 10 fire engines attended the scene of a crash in West Sussex when a tanker carrying 10,000 litres of liquid gas collided with another vehicle and overturned in a field. Just weeks before, a section of the MI was closed for eight hours after a fatal accident involving a petrol tanker, three trucks and a car. And in January, nearly 2,000 litres of red diesel spilled into the River Cledwyn in North Wales when a tanker crashed through a hedge near Llanrwst in Conwy.

Although these accidents may not have been caused by the drivers, they do illustrate the destructive capacity of a fully loaded tanker—and these dangers are one reason why tanker drivers are among the best paid in the business.

Petrol tanker drivers command a premium over those transporting dry goods, not least because of the expertise and training they need to handle such potentially explosive cargoes. In fact, some experts believe the safety record of Britain's road tanker sector is so good precisely because it lives with the risks on a daily basis.

"The safety record of the tanker sector is actually pretty good," says Will Murray, head of research at Interactive Driving Systems, a global risk management firm that helps corporations reduce the chances of accidents."Some of the companies I've worked with that have had the best safety culture have been in the oil sector. But if something does go wrong it tends to hit the headlines as the consequences can be very severe.

Apart from the potential fire hazards of transporting fuel, handling a drum full of liquid presents its own particular problems.

Potential risks The Department ofTransport. as part of its campaign Think Road Safety, lists some of the dangers on its website (wwwdhinkroadsafety. gov.uk). They include roll-over — overturning a vehicle, even at slow speeds, because of the movement of liquid inside.The site warns:-Tackling roundabouts at a speed of about 25mph can cause the tanker to overturn if only a further quarter turn is applied to the steering wheel."

Another risk is the 'wave effect', where easing off the brake pedal when braking can trigger a surge in the liquid,making the tanker lurch forwards.

The site also warns that checking for leaks from the tank, valves and pipework before every journey is a crucial routine for every tanker driver. According to Murray,most of the big oil companies implement safety measures by imposing `global standards' that everyone contracted by them is expected to comply with. Most drivers need to have an ADR certificate for the carriage of dangerous substances by road before they have a chance of getting a job behind the wheel of a tanker.

Beyond that, more specialist training usually takes place in-house, either by a third party training company or by using the fleet's most experienced drivers as tutors. In fact some of the bigger companies now rely on a buddy system, where seasoned tanker drivers supervise rookies for the first few months to give them the benefit of their experience.

Recruits need to learn about loading and unloading, how a vehicle handles when it's full or partly full and whethertanks need to be cleaned. They need to become familiar with different types of tanks, and to know if they have bulkheads to stop thousands of litres of fuel sloshing around.

With all this in mind, last year the UK Petroleum I ndustiy Association launched a standard for tanker drivers delivering petrol. The Common Road Tanker Driver Induction Standard specifies training for the handling and movement of products as diverse as petrol or aviation fuel to bitumen or lubricants. Central to the strategy is the safety of the driver and those around him during loading, movement and unloading.

Every company that signs up to the standard has to carry out a self-assessment of its operating procedures to see that they meet the requirements. Those that do are awarded a certificate; those that don't can revise their procedures and have another go.

According to Murray, this can benefit tanker operators in several ways; he cites Essex-based SucklingTransport, as a case in point.The independent petrol haulier has implemented a system of data analysis that allows managers to study near-miss reports, collision data and costs per collision. As a result Suckling has reduced its accident rates and enhanced its safety record a fact it can advertise to potential clients.

-Sometimes, people don't do enough of this kind of thing because they think it costs too much money," says Murray. "But the benefits always outweigh the costs."N

CONTACT For more information on the UK Petrol Industry Association standards for tanker drivers go to www.ukpia.corn, click on Industry Information, then Training, then Common Road Tanker Induction Standards

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Locations: Essex

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