Traveling hazmats need better documentation, says TSB
Canadian, U.S. regulators called upon to make changes
In the wake of the deadly July 6 train derailment and explosion in Lac-Mégantic, Québec, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has issued safety advisory letters to Transport Canada and the United States Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, asking regulators to review the processes for suppliers and companies transporting or importing dangerous goods to ensure the properties of the goods are accurately determined and documented for safe transportation.
The TSB’s ongoing investigation into the derailment of a Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway (MMA) train TSB test has found that the level of hazard posed by the petroleum crude oil transported in the tank cars on the accident train was not accurately documented. Petroleum crude oil is classified as a Class 3 Dangerous Good (flammable liquid), and is further divided into packing groups (PG) to further categorize its hazards (PG I being most hazardous, to PG III being least hazardous). In analyzing product samples from the 9 intact tank cars from the Lac-Mégantic accident, the TSB identified the product as having the characteristics of a Dangerous Good of Class 3, PG IIproduct. However, the product was offered for transport, packaged, and transported as a Class 3, PG III product, which represented it as a lower hazard, less volatile flammable liquid.