In your issue of 8 December you outlined the new regulations concerning hazard warning labels for road tankers.
Page 39
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Those of your readers who operate road tankers carrying hazardous goods should be warned that the responsibility for fitting and displaying the hazard warning label is now firmly placed with the haulier. Additionally the haulier must ensure that the driver is fully trained in the significance of the hazard warning label and the information it contains.
The driver is responsible by law for ensuring that the labels are correctly displayed and that they are kept clean.
The consignor is responsible for supplying the haulier with enough information to enable the correct labels to be fitted.
This emphasis on responsiblities is a major shift from the proposals outlined in the Consultative Document issued in April 1977. The carriage of hazardous goods by road is now a highly specialised and professional operation. This latest piece of legislation underlines that fact and I must stress that the chemical industries' requirement for all drivers to be adequately trained under the CIA /RHA schemes is now more important than ever.
DAVID LACE, IC Mond Division, Runcorn, Cheshire.