Transport of dangerous goods

EH: Last week I was at the farm and a truck was being unloaded. On that pallet were all kinds of cleaning and disinfecting agents together. There were various products with hazard pictograms, so dangerous goods. Is that allowed?

HBY: Transport of dangerous goods is regulated by law. In Europe according to the ADR regulations, but in the USA (DOT CFR 49) and in  Canada (FDTGA) different rules apply. But there are also many similarities. The driver, transporter and loader are all bound by these rules to guarantee safety during business transport.

EH: So, I can't just put some of those dangerous goods in the car and hit the road?

HBY: No, you can't. That doesn't mean you can't transport anything. It is allowed as long as you stay within certain quantities and that isn’t very much. A so-called 1000-point scheme applies to this, but we will come back to that in another blog.

EH: Okay well back to the unloading, I also saw alkaline agents (Lely blue jerry can) between peroxides (Lely green jerry can) and acids (Lely red jerry can) on 1 pallet. What should I think of that?

HBY: In this phase of logistics, that is allowed, because it is regulated. The entire chain is designed and trained to deal with this. However, as soon as the products are delivered that responsibility comes to an end and it falls to the farmer. What do you see happening on the farm?

EH: A mishmash. One does it very neatly. Picks up the pallet, brings it inside and stores it in a separate room. But I also sometimes see pallets left outside for days in the sun or in the cold. When I see situations like that, I make the farmer aware of some important matters.

HBY: What important matters?

EH: To never store dangerous goods directly in the sun or cold. Some products are very sensitive to these conditions and can freeze or packaging reforms. In other cases, the label can wash off and that is a situation you never want to have. But also matter such as keep out of reach of unwanted people, especially children. So, under lock and key!

HBY: Those are indeed good examples. By the way both the label and the SDS say something about the storage conditions, and we also put that information on the Lely's chemistry charts. Do you have more practical tips?

EH: One I always advise a farmer is to move the pallet still wrapped to a separate storage area. Unpack it there and put the products on their designated places.

HBY: Neat and that's how it should be.