NCJ Number
127082
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 57 Issue: 12 Dated: (December 1990) Pages: 20,24,25
Date Published
1990
Length
3 pages
Annotation
Federal hazardous materials transportation regulations are the key to preventing accidents involving chemicals.
Abstract
The Federal regulations should be adopted into state law. Typically, the few agencies which now have hazardous materials provisions are out-of-date and conflict with Federal regulations. A successful hazardous materials enforcement program should include terminal audits, shipper audits, road enforcement, technical assistance and enforcement training, and emergency response. Terminal and shipper audits can stop violations from occurring or continuing in the transportation system. Such audits are preferable to road checks because materials are in full view, unlike in trucks, where they frequently are buried behind other freight. There are no time constraints and no confrontations with drivers, traffic, or adverse weather conditions. Further, there is easy access to management, and economic consequences are minimized at these early stages. Violations discovered on the road can act as leads to shippers and carriers who require assistance. Inspectors at an accident scene would determine if there were any carrier or shipper violations that contributed to it. The largest expense in a hazardous materials enforcement program is the officer's initial training. Due to the complexity of the regulations, this must be an officer's primary responsibility, or his effectiveness will quickly decline. 1 diagram