A shocking incident has occurred in The US, in which a truck nearly caused a huge disaster when it overturned while at a service station, hitting into the petrol pumps. This report on News.ninemsn.com.au explains what happened: A truck nearly caused a disaster at a US service station after it flipped onto its side and smashed into petrol pumps.

Petrol station employee Sheri Faris said those inside the shop feared for their lives after the truck went crashing into the bowsers in the US state of Ohio. “We were afraid we were going to blow because we didn’t know if a pump had gotten hit, what was spilling because there was smoke everywhere,” she said. CCTV footage from last Thursday shows the truck careen out of control and smack into the pumps, the Akron Beacon-Journal reports. The driver and passenger were lucky to escape without major injuries. The driver received a traffic fine but has avoided major charges after telling police the brakes failed. Just minutes earlier a car had been filling up at that petrol pump. It is likely a fire would have started had the truck crashed into it.

This is a wake-up call for trucks operating in or around service stations and especially tanker trucks that transport fuel. While all heavy vehicle crashes need to be addressed, those carrying flammable or dangerous materials require special attention because of the disaster they could cause if they crash. It is too risky to combine some dangerous goods transportation with others.  Most explosives, flammable gases, spontaneously combustible goods, oxidising agents, and organic peroxide and radioactive substances are incompatible. This means that they must not be loaded into the same vehicle or freight container without appropriate segregation from other dangerous goods. As a driver it is important to remember your part in keeping yourself and other road users safe. At all times you should have the following with you in the cabin when transporting these dangerous goods:

• Personal protective equipment must be carried in the cabin, easily reachable.
• Portable warning devices included 3 double sided reflector signs must be carried.
• An eyewash kit of at least 250ml must be kept and filled ready to be used when necessary.
• Fire extinguishers are vital, especially when transport flammable goods and it should be kept somewhere accessible.
• Vehicles which transport bulk dangerous goods must be fitted with the minimum of a 10B

Do Not Neglect The Emergency plan An emergency plan is a written plan for dealing with any dangerous situation arising from the transport of the goods and drivers should never embark on a journey without one. This plan should consist of a list of nominated people, their contact details and responsibilities. A drivers responsibility includes ensuring that goods have been correctly loaded and secured.  All packaged dangerous goods are stowed and secured within a closed vehicle body, freight container, or the rigid sides or gates and tailgate of the vehicle. With regards to a placard load, the load should consist only of compatible substances or should be segregated. The driver also has a responsibility before embarking to make sure the appropriate signs are clearly and correctly displayed on the vehicle.   A driver must not drive a vehicle with a placard load of dangerous goods if the placarding is false or misleading. Drivers will be held liable for their actions including getting behind the wheel of an unsafe vehicle.  Driver should never get behind the wheel of a truck that is not suitable to transport dangerous goods or that is not free from any defect that is likely to create a risk in the transport of the goods. Drivers should also check that defective equipment be removed and replaced and the suitable equipment is used for the purpose. Drivers of heavy vehicles carrying potential dangerous loads should not:

• Smoke or light cigarettes while on or near the vehicle and not allow passengers to do so either.
• The driver must not park or leave the vehicle standing in a built-up area with public access or within 15 metres of any building in which there is or is likely to be a concentration of people (except for loading and unloading purposes). Also do not park or stop for an extended period within eight metres of another vehicle which is transporting a placard load of dangerous goods, as the chemicals may react to one another and cause explosions or other incidents.

If drivers and all others within the chain of responsibility comply with Australian standards and regulations, (which they should have been trained on), incidents such as the one that occurred in The USA should be a rarity on our shores.