Transport of Dangerous Goods – What Is Considered Hazardous?
If you want to open a transportation and handling business, you need to know what it qualified as dangerous goods. Dangerous goods comprise substances that have been deemed hazardous to both people as well as property. The hazards that they may pose could range from corrosiveness, flammability, their potential to explode and so on. Thus, it is imperative to identify what these items are because chances are you may have to engage in the transport of dangerous goods too. Take note that the shipping of these dangerous items is heavily regulated both at a national level an internationally. Failure to adhere to the packaging, labelling and even the handling of these products can lead to hefty fines or the shutting down of your business. So, what are the goods that are considered highly hazardous?
Explosive goods
Any items that have the potential of detonating or conflagrating due to a chemical reaction is classified as an explosive. Under explosives, there are subdivisions to categorise the items you could be transporting further. For instance, some items will be considered hazardous due to their potential for a mass explosion. You also have articles that may not be inherently explosive, but if they pose a risk of projecting debris, then they will be classified under explosives. Additionally, any items that pose a fire hazard will also be treated as explosive goods. Overall, if the articles can cause damage due to temperature changes, pressure changes or because of high impact, they will be characterised by being explosive goods.
Oxidising agents
Substances that are classified as oxidising agents are capable of facilitating combustion. They do so by emitting oxygen via a chemical reaction. One of the oxidising agents that are heavily regulated is organic peroxides. The organic peroxides have their hydrogen atoms interchanged by radicals. While oxidising agents are non-combustible on their own, when transported with goods that have a high affinity for combustibility it can become a dangerous situation. Furthermore, the organic peroxide variety is inherently thermally unstable. This characteristic makes them highly sensitive to friction, impact or direct contact with other substances.
Toxic and infectious agents
The toxic class of dangerous goods refers to substances that are capable of causing either severe injury or death when humans come into contact with them. This contact could be in the form of skin, inhalation or swallowing. Infectious agents, on the other hand, are substances that are either known or suspected to have pathogens. A few of the pathogens that could be found in contagious agents include bacteria, microorganisms, parasites, viruses and anything else that could cause disease in humans and animals alike.