Truck Safety: All You Need to Know About Truck Accidents and Hazards

Truck accidents are becoming increasingly prevalent, with nearly 388,000 occurring each year. Due to the sheer weight and size of trucks, truck accidents are usually more dangerous than ordinary car accidents. Moreover, these trucks may be transporting hazardous cargo that could easily lead to fires, explosions, and toxic spills.

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Read on to learn more about truck accidents and hazardous materials.

Hazardous Materials Transported Via Truck

Trucks are one of the most common ways of shipping cargo from one area to another on land. In some instances, these trucks may be transporting hazardous materials, which may pose a threat to both people and the environment. If someone has been harmed, they may be aided by truck accident attorney Dennis Abrams.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) categorizes hazardous materials in the following ways:

Flammable and Combustible Liquids

These liquids are those that are easily ignited. A critical difference between the two is their flashpoints; below 100°F for flammables and over 100℉ for combustibles. They are hazardous as they may produce ignitable vapors at normal or elevated temperatures; such liquids include gasoline and acetone.

Flammable Solids

This category contains spontaneously combustible materials, dangerous when wet materials, and flammable solid materials. These materials can easily undergo combustion when ignited or under standard circumstances. Examples are oily fabrics, metallic sodium and potassium, matches, and certain metallic hydrides.

Explosives

These are reactive substances that contain a tremendous amount of potential energy and could produce an explosion if released suddenly. Explosives include fireworks, gunpowder, military ammunition, bombs, and industrial explosives like dynamite.

Gasses

This section consists of refrigerated, compressed, or liquefied gases. It includes flammable gases such as propane and LPG, non-flammable, non-toxic gases such as oxygen and helium, and toxic gases like ammonia and chlorine.

Radioactive Substances

Radioactive materials emit ionizing radiation due to the unstable nature of their atoms. Examples of radioactive materials are nuclear fuel, medical radioisotopes from equipment like X-rays, and uranium hexafluoride.

Corrosive Substances

These materials can attack and destroy body tissue and metals. They include acids and bases such as sulphuric acid and caustic soda.

Toxic Substances

Toxic substances can be poisonous to humans and animals and can cause serious health effects. Examples of toxic materials are sodium cyanide and pesticides. Another category is infectious substances like medical wastes, specimens, and cultures of bacteria, which are also dangerous to humans upon exposure.

Oxidizer Substances and Organic Peroxides

Oxidizing materials decompose readily to yield oxygen, which aids in the combustion of other materials. They include hydrogen peroxide, silver nitrate, ammonium nitrate fertilizers, and bleaching agents. Organic peroxides contain an organic fuel and an oxidizer; some examples are dibenzoyl peroxide and catalysts for polyester resin.

Miscellaneous

While these products may not meet safety hazard standards, they are included as they are often dangerous during transit; examples are formalin sample containers and environmentally hazardous substances.

Understanding Hazard Labels

Federal regulations demand that trucks, tanks, wagons, or containers ferrying hazardous materials have a hazard label indicating the type of substance being transported. A UN (identification) number and proper shipping name should also be included. Various placards exist for environmentally hazardous substances, coolants, radioactive materials, etc.

The trucking companies should include the hazard identification number or UN on a plate. They must also properly train their employees on the process of loading, unloading, and transporting hazardous materials. Drivers who drive trucks with hazardous materials should have a special HazMat designation on their commercial driver’s licenses.

Causes of Truck Accidents

Even with heavy regulations, truck accidents still obviously happen. Below are some of the leading causes of truck accidents.

Final Statements

Truck accidents could have severe consequences as they are bigger and often carry significant cargo. It is up to the trucking companies to ensure that these vehicles and their drivers meet federal safety standards and regulations.