Main requirements for developing measures for the transportation of dangerous goods (by road)

In the Republic of Belarus, the legislation on the carriage of dangerous goods is based on the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus and consists of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus, the Law of the Republic of Belarus of June 6, 2001 No. 32-Z "On the Carriage of Dangerous Goods", normative legal acts of the President of the Republic of Belarus and other legislative acts regulating the carriage of dangerous goods, including technical normative legal acts.

The carriage of dangerous goods is associated with certain risks that can cause accidents and incidents that can harm not only production facilities, but also the environment, human health and life. To prevent the occurrence of the above negative consequences, it is necessary to develop and implement measures for the prevention, localization and liquidation of accidents and incidents, as well as for the elimination of their consequences.

Main requirements for the development of measures (by road transport):

1. Prevention of accidents (incidents):

- Identification of potential sources of danger based on the analysis of risks existing at the enterprise when carrying out the carriage of dangerous goods;

- Selection of a safe transport route and control over compliance with temperature and speed regimes;

- Development of measures to reduce the probability of emergency situations;

- maintaining vehicles transporting dangerous goods in proper working order, including timely maintenance, repair, inspections, and testing of such vehicles;

- briefing and certification of drivers and accompanying personnel;

- training personnel on actions in case of accidents and incidents, including practical drills for possible accidents or incidents;

- provision of personal protective equipment, communication devices, and other necessary items;

2. localization of accidents (incidents):

- algorithm for interaction with emergency services;

- instructions for isolating the source of an accident or incident;

- evacuation plans for personnel and the public from the accident or incident zone;

3. elimination of accident (incident) consequences:

- neutralization and collection of hazardous substances;

- medical assistance to victims;

- environmental measures for environmental restoration;

- infrastructure restoration;

- analysis of the causes of the incident and development of measures to prevent similar situations in the future.

The development and implementation of measures for the prevention, localization, and liquidation of accidents and incidents, as well as for the mitigation of their consequences, is not a formal obligation, but a vital element of the sustainable and safe operation of organizations involved in the transportation of dangerous goods – from the shipper to the carrier and the consignee.