Organizational safety practices of hazardous materials carriers

Abstract

Industrial activity involves the production and use of hazardous materials (hazmat) at fixed installations, and the transportation of hazmat between facilities. Those facilities make storage decisions that may increase the number of deliveries, and therefore transportation risks as well. In a previous study, we showed that these transportation activities are generally outsourced, which leads one to question whether or not carriers take appropriate safety measures. In this paper, we present results from a survey on motor carriers' practices. We developed and mailed a questionnaire to 1,485 hazmat carriers in the province of Quebec and received 211 answers. The survey covers both technical elements (geographical coverage of activities, class of hazmat, type of shipment, loading/unloading practices, etc.) and organizational elements (driver training, risk management, criteria used for selecting subcontractors, use of new technologies, level of emergency preparedness, constraints related to hazmat regulations). Results show that the industry is composed for the most part of small businesses with no more than 9 employees who deal with over 50 customers on a regular basis. Eighty percent of hazmat shipments are made daily, and only by truck (no use of intermodal transportation). Hazmat carriers are generally specialized in carrying no more than 5 different hazardous materials, and they are increasingly using new technologies in doing so. Further statistical analysis shows that large firms have better safety management programs in place than smaller ones.

Keywords:

• Hazardous materials
• Risk
• Transportation
• Organizational safety practices
• Logistics strategy