Haz Mat Handling

[Power Clean]

I'd like to hear some in depth conversation concerning on how you transport and handle your chemicals. following the regulations as in containers, placards, storage, transportation etc.

i have a friend in the landscaping business who got into a bunch of do-do when his sister totaled his truck which was loaded with 400 gals of liquid fertilizer in the bed. the haz mat people came in, the road was blocked off, public was notified... all that ulgy stuff. the only good thing was that he really didn't get into legal trouble, only trouble was with sis! just goes to show you large liquids loads are not easy to handle.

if we all think about it, handling chems in the public and around customers is a BIG deal.

roy

 

[Douglas Hicks]

If I remember from my Fire Department training some time ago, labels and shipping papers are not required unless you exceed certain weight limits. Most products do not require placards unless the hazardous cargo exceeds 1,000 pounds. You should however have a notebook labeled "MSDS" with info about the chemicals you do carry. My MSDS notebook has info about my hood chemicals, fire extinguisher chemicals, nitrogen, WD40, & even the gas and diesel fuel for the presssure washer. I also carry a copy of the DOT Hazardous Material Response Handbook.

Douglas Hicks
General Fire Equipment Co of Eastern Oregon, Inc

 

[PressureClean]

Haz Mat

Ditto on Doug's post.

If something bad does happen we have everything in a binder on each truck. If somebody spills something on the ground or god forbid on themselves, then at least if it is necessary to call for help we can just hand the book to the paramedics or fire department and tell them what the chemical was and they've got everything right in front of them. I've read too many horror stories of guys spilling things and ending up in worse shape because nobody could explain the type of chemical that was spilled on them and they didn't have an MSDS sheet available.

We also try and provide our guys with at least some limited training on the neutralization of chemicals they are using so if something does happen they know they can grab vinegar or the appropriate neutralizer and douse in it.

 

[Power Clean]

i agree with the both of you on your points. the 1000lbs needed before a placard is required is right. but i don't remember if that is in power form or liquid form and not even sure if that matters. MSDS sheets are a must.

BUT,

do you transport them in metal containers - list caustics, acids, etc.?

do you transport them in the bed of a truck, open trailer, box trailer?

are there different regulations in transporting them, whether they are powers or liquids?

where do you get those MSDS sheets for products like WD40?

sounds like to me this is an area we need some training on. i know i do! only two replies on such an important subject.

 

[PressureClean]

The unfortunate part of this subject line is that many of the guys getting involved in our business tend to not have a lot of experience in the business end of things. So they don't think about their business in terms of liabilities and worst case scenarios, they just figure they can make their truck payment with this job or their mortgage payment with this one, etc.

It reminds me of that commercial for some insurance company a year or two ago that had the guy standing on a highway with a mess of cars all crashed behind him and the narrator says something like "you just caused a 60 car pile-up, are you worried about your insurance right now?"

A lot of small business guys don't think of something horrible like carrying a bunch of 5 gallon buckets of Hydrofloric to a big job site and getting broadsided and having that everywhere flowing down drains, spilling into a creek, messing with the water supply, etc. If something were to happen like that, would you be able to simply call your insurance company and grab the MSDS book and hand it to the haz mat crew?

Something to think about.

 

[jschessler]

hazmat

I dont know what the weight limit is in your state but if am correct it should be 500lbs not 1000lbs for placards. This also means that at that weight limit you have to have a hazamat endorsement on your license in order to transport chemicals, and have a load manifest on the driver side pocket of every truck transporting these chemicals. Ask any truck driver with hazamat endorsements.

 

[Walt Graner]

Roy

I posted a complete HAZMAT info book on this site a while back, I don't know how to get it but ask and someone will show you how to go back a get it.

 

[Mike Hughes]

Walt, Here it is.......fifth post down.

http://www.powerwashnetwork.com/showthread.php?threadid=1291&highlight=hazmat

 

[Douglas Hicks]

The limit is 1,000 pounds for most chemicals. The 1,000 pounds is tare weight. At 1,000 pounds, you need to placard the vehicle, have a haz mat book, have bills of lading within reach of the driver's seat, bills of lading need an emergency phone number. If the police or department of transportation have just cause, they can pull over for an inspection. Just cause can be defined as the sign on the truck identifying you possibly carrying haz mat, i.e. Joe's Pressure Washing, or Joe's Pool service

Your MSD book should be marked as such, and should have dividers is needed. Keep extra copies of the MSD sheets in case you are asked. We don't have much call for them, but have been asked. All shipments of chemical should have MSDs with the shipment. You should have 2 copies of your MSD book, one for the truck and one in the office.

Haz mat endorsement is not required unless you also need a CDL to drive the truck.

Do not transfer chemical to unmarked containers unless you label the containers.

Now these are the rules in Oregon, in your state/area the rules may be different. Don't take my misguided opinion. Call whoever has the responsibility for enforcement in your area. Call the department of transportation or state police. If you have large amounts or really nasty chemical, call the local fire department for advice. If they do pre-planning make sure they know about any precautions concerning the chemical. Placard the storage areas. Local areas may have stricter rules. Contact the local emergency management office. If they want tougher rules, ask them for copies of the appropriate laws and rules. Tell them you want to file them in your company haz mat and occupational safety book.
When you comply with the rules, use that as a selling feature of your company.

This subject would make a good article for the Blastmaster.

Douglas Hicks
General Fire Equipment Co of Eastern Oregon, Inc

 

[jschessler]

endorsement

I agree with everything , except hazmat endorsements. Fact is you need the endorsement on your license, I know I got the endorsement. If the cops ask you if you got the endorsement or not is another thing, and in california the limit is 500lbs without placards and endorsement.

 

[Glenn Clark]

HazMat regulations

There are many rules and regulations on the transportation of HazMat on public roads.

In the winter while my pressure washing business is slow(almost non existant) I drive an 18Wheeler nationwide. I have to be ready and trained to haul any kind of hazardous material that can be loaded onto a flatbed trailer.

You MUST have a commercial drivers license from the state you reside in if you haul any kind of HazMat in QUANTITY and in a NON DOT APPROVED CONTAINER (example: 55 gallon drum) regardles of the size of vehicle you are driving. One example of a DOT approved container is a 100# cylinder(25 gallon bottle) of propane gas.(My hot water generator runs off propane and I have two 100# cylinders mounted on my trailer.)
The key word is quantity, there has to be enough quantity of the material being transported to be considered reportable by the Department of Transportation. You will have to look in the Hazardous Materials book to find out the quantity of any material as there is no set amount. The shipper I pick up from gives me this information on the shipping papers.
I can see where a question would arise when you may buy a case of bleach from the local store, transport it home(legal) and the pour the bleach into a larger container...You may have to not only label the container but you may also have to placard the vehicle before it can be transported on a public road just because the container has changed and now instead of having one gallon per container, you now have twelve. (this is only an example)

A Material Safety Data Sheet would be conveniant in case of a spill or leak etc. but the MSDS is really for the end user and not for the transporter( in pressure washing, they are sometimes the same person) and will not substitute(from a legal standpoint) for a CDL with HazMat endorsements if you are involved in an accident.

I know laws change from state to state, I am regulated by the federal laws 90% of the time, but if I go into a city and they have a Hazardous Cargo(HC) route, I must follow it, this is an example of local laws.

Now, Hazardous Waste is completely different, I don't haul it so I do not know much about it. But I do know that it is illegal to haul it across state lines without permits, I am unaware if any kind of placards or CDLs are required. Those of you who are having to collect and transport runoff needs to check into this.

I am not an expert on HazMat but if anyone has any specific questions, I will try to look them up in the regulations book...But it may be a couple of weeks before I reply as I am leaving out monday for another 11 day run.

 

[Scott Stone]

500 lbs??1000 lbs?? The weight does not matter. There are some chemicals that need to be placarded for 25 lbs. They are that hazardous. There are a few rules that do need to be followed.
1. Have a copy of the MSDS as close as prcticable to the chemicals.
2. Every container should have a label on it. That way the crews will know what it is in the event of an accident.
3. Terminology is all important. Waste Water is not waste water until you cannot use it anymore. SOOO, if you can reuse the recovered wash water for washing, even if you do not intend to do so, it is not waste water.

If you do have a doubt about a particular chemical, there are DOT approved Chemical books that you can get at any decent truck stop that will tell you if and when the chemical needs to be placarded, what the reportable spill quantities are, and any special precautions.
As for the CDL. It is required any time that you are hauling HAZ MAT. Class A for Semis, Class B for straight trucks over 26,000 lbs. and class C for 25999 and under. That is what the law states, and the main reason for the Class C CDL is for HAZ MAT.

FOr the record, I used to do HAZ MAt for a living about 10 years ago, and yes I know that a lot of the laws have changed, but the have gotten stricter, not more lenient. and I also use to haul HAZ MAT. I also wrote the HAZ MAT guidelines for the largest electric Utility in Arizona, when heavy enforcement first started happening.

Scott Stone