DESPITE a drop in the number of dangerous chemical spillage, the chemical association aims to further reduce accidents.
The Chemical and Allied Industries' Association will host responsible care workshops this month to empower its members and communities in regard to transportation of dangerous goods.
The association's Louise Lindeque said this year's workshop will focus on legal requirements applicable to the transport of dangerous goods and behavioural-based safety for drivers.
Lindeque said the industry faced a number of problems which included the condition of roads, specifically secondary roads which result in increased maintenance costs such as tyre and suspension springs and maintenance in general.
"The enforcement of road traffic regulations should be attended to by the authorities as better enforcement could result in improved transport safety."
She said some of the disadvantages facing the industry was "the limited option of rail transport for the chemical sector at this point in time and availability of skilled, experienced and well trained drivers".
She said incidents of in-house spillage had dropped from 60 in 2008 to 46 in 2009.
Incidents involving contractors dropped from 40 in 2008 to 26 in 2009.
Lindeque said they measured the number of incidents for materials transported which included spillage, leakage or other escape of company products or waste being transported, from a factory or depot to the primary customer or disposal site.
She said the transportation of chemicals, specifically dangerous goods, was a high priority for the chemical sector and the industry was constantly working on improving the safe transportation of such products.
She said that dangerous goods transported safely should not pose a danger.
She said attendance at the workshops were good and growing each year.
"We have noticed that more people from other industries and the transport sector in general are also attending."
Drive to keep dangerous goods in check
DESPITE a drop in the number of dangerous chemical spillage, the chemical association aims to further reduce accidents.
The Chemical and Allied Industries' Association will host responsible care workshops this month to empower its members and communities in regard to transportation of dangerous goods.
The association's Louise Lindeque said this year's workshop will focus on legal requirements applicable to the transport of dangerous goods and behavioural-based safety for drivers.
Lindeque said the industry faced a number of problems which included the condition of roads, specifically secondary roads which result in increased maintenance costs such as tyre and suspension springs and maintenance in general.
"The enforcement of road traffic regulations should be attended to by the authorities as better enforcement could result in improved transport safety."
She said some of the disadvantages facing the industry was "the limited option of rail transport for the chemical sector at this point in time and availability of skilled, experienced and well trained drivers".
She said incidents of in-house spillage had dropped from 60 in 2008 to 46 in 2009.
Incidents involving contractors dropped from 40 in 2008 to 26 in 2009.
Lindeque said they measured the number of incidents for materials transported which included spillage, leakage or other escape of company products or waste being transported, from a factory or depot to the primary customer or disposal site.
She said the transportation of chemicals, specifically dangerous goods, was a high priority for the chemical sector and the industry was constantly working on improving the safe transportation of such products.
She said that dangerous goods transported safely should not pose a danger.
She said attendance at the workshops were good and growing each year.
"We have noticed that more people from other industries and the transport sector in general are also attending."
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