An unannounced hazardous materials safety blitz conducted this past summer resulted in violations being discovered on nearly 15% of all commercial vehicles inspected.
On Wednesday, Nov. 13, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance announced the results of a five-day hazardous materials/dangerous goods inspection and enforcement initiative conducted June 10-14.
According to the group, 45 jurisdictions across the United States and Canada participated in the annual unannounced HM/DG Road Blitz, conducting 3,929 inspections on trucks transporting hazardous materials. From those inspections, violations were uncovered on 576 vehicles – with some being placed out-of-service until the violations were corrected.
The most common citation was for “shipping papers violations,” with 169 in North America combined. Loading and securement violations were next on the list, with 116 being noted over the five-day blitz.
“Loading and securement requirements prevent cargo/goods/materials from moving in a manner that would cause damage to the package, resulting in leaking, spilling, etc. in a commercial motor vehicle,” CVSA said. “This is especially important when it comes to the transportation of (hazardous materials/dangerous goods).”
Other common violations noted by inspectors were placarding, labeling and marking violations.
While the annual safety blitz did find multiple vehicles in violation, the overwhelming majority passed inspection. According to the group, inspectors placed 1,009 CVSA decals on commercial motor vehicles, meaning “there were no critical vehicle or specification cargo tank violations” on over 25% of the total vehicles inspected.
According to CVSA, the annual unannounced hazardous materials enforcement blitz is intended to:
- Remove vehicles with hazardous materials/dangerous goods out-of-service violations from roadways
- Spotlight the importance of the programs, processes and regulations associated with the safe transportation of hazardous materials/dangerous goods
- Recognize safety-compliant hazardous materials/dangerous goods drivers, motor carriers, manufacturers, shippers, etc.
- Highlight the specially trained inspectors who prioritize transportation safety by inspecting vehicles transporting hazardous materials/dangerous goods and enforcing strict compliance regulations
- Identify hazardous materials/dangerous goods violations regarding shipping paper, placarding, marking, labeling, packaging and loading compliance
“The transportation of (hazardous materials/dangerous goods) demands rigorous training and heightened compliance requirements,” CVSA said. “For motor carriers and drivers, safely transporting (hazardous materials/dangerous goods) is imperative to the safety of the driver, the public and the environment.”
The total number of inspections conducted during this year’s event was down significantly from the year prior. In 2023, over 7,500 hazmat inspections were conducted, with 2,578 violations being discovered. LL
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