Road freight triples SA chemicals fatalities
October 28th, 2010
South African chemicals sector fatalities rose from 4 to 14 in 2009, with 10 due to fatal road freight incidents. The total was around 5 in previous years.
SA road freight incidents could be ascribed to poor road conditions, increase in vehicle traffic, lack of law enforcement, some driver training aspects, and inappropriate driver duties management, said Chemicals and Allied Industries Association (CAIA) chairperson Joaquin Schoch.
CAIA executive director, Dr Laurraine Lotter, told Sheqafrica.com at a launch of the Responsible Care 2010 annual report in Johannesburg in late October, that transportation and logistics risks are compounded by delays at ports and border posts, and lack of rail facilities.
Recent reports of resolution of port delays, did not reflect the experience of most chemicals transporters and hauliers, Dr Lotter told Sheqafrica.com editor Edmond Furter.
Road incidents total 146
Combined road, rail and pipeline transport incident rates per 100 000 tonnes, set at a threshold of spillage of 200kg of hazardous material, or 1 tonne of non hazardous material, emergency response, public disruption, or media reporting, hovered around 0.6 in 2008 and 2009, for in house and contracted hauliers.
Road loss incidents totalled 146 in 2009, with rail at three, and pipelines at four incidents. Hauliers are required to be Responsible Care signatories, while only 27 were RC signatories at the start of 2010.
Hauliers are also required to comply with a Safety and Quality Assessment System (SQAS), developed by CEFIC for the European Union, modified to SA conditions and legislation.
By the start of 2010, 123 hauliers had been audited, with 95 attaining preferred supplier status, and 28 accorded provisional supplier status.
CAIA, and figures in the RC report, represent 179 chemicals companies, including 58 manufacturers, accounting for 90% of chemicals production in South Africa. The 2009 report reflects data supplied by 93% of signatories.
Responsible Care in 2010 placed greater emphasis on management of professional drivers by owners and operators, as well as on behavioural based safety programmes for drivers.
Road freight management comments
Safripol commented that a zero loss incident rate was possible, citing its own achievement of zero reportable incidents in 2009 and year to date in 2010. Safripol has 30 years of HSE data and applies a continuous improvement approach.
Sasol commented that it continued to work at reducing incidents, and required all industry players, including suppliers, clients, state facilities operators, and government authorities, to commit to assisting operators in reducing loss incidents.
N3 highway toll concession, NTC, commented that Responsible Care signatories transporters and contract hauliers who are RC signatories, suffered fewer incidents, and responded to their incidents more effectively than non signatories. ‘It is a pleasure to work with CAIA and RC members on the N3 highway”, said a highway official.
N3 highway toll operators trained relevant Gauteng, Free State and Kwazulu-Natal traffic officers for six days at Harrismith, on how to check freight vehicles, loads, signage and documents for legal compliance. No transporters were found to be fully compliant, but only serious transgressors were taken off the road during the training exercise.
Injury rates static
SA chemicals sector reportable injury incident rate is static at around 0.5 for employees and contractors alike. The SA chemicals sector rate is equal to members of the Canadian Chemical Producers Association (CCPA) at 0.6.
Reported injury rates are much higher among members of European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) at 1.4, and American Chemical Council (ACC) members at 1.2, but much lower among members of the Japanese Chemical Industry Association (JCIA) at 0.05.
CAIA is probing towards ways of implementing Japanese industrial safety culture in South Africa, but realise that a larger cultural effort would be required, including infrastructure, state facilities, authorities, and domestic culture.
“It is difficult to get small employers and employees to reject passenger transport on the back of delivery vehicles, while taxi transport, general road use and public life remains more hazardous and risky than work conditions are expected to be,” said RC standing committee chairman Gary Cundill.
Five years of CAIA and RC data show general reduction in environmental impact metrics, while injury rates remain static, and fatality figures are either linked to economic trends, or random.
Air impacts lower
Air emissions of SA chem. operators have dramatically reduced since 2005, notable sulphur dioxide (SO2) from 900 tonnes per million tonnes of product in 2005, to 200t/t-m in 2009.
NOx emissions have been nearly eliminated, at 3t/t-m, from a high of 160t/t-m in 2006. CO2 emissions are down to 50t/t-m, from a previous high of 100t/y-m in 2007. Chemicals carbon footprint has to remain low to retain product export status.
Water impacts lower
Chemical oxygen demand (COD) indicates organic load discharge in liquid effluent into surface water. SA chemicals effluent COD is down to 0.16t/t-m, from 65.4t/t-m in 2005. The reduction is due to one CAIA member resigning due to takeover by an international company, and closure of operation by another member. Both involved a significant effluent discharge to sea.
Water use reduction, cleaner production, and recycling, brought a reduction in water usage from 2.67 Kl per tonne of product in 2005, to 2.08Kl/t in 2009.
SA chemicals manufacturers produce 2.2-million tonnes of waste, including 321 000 tonnes of hazardous waste.
Energy demand lower
Energy intensity of chemicals production, based on electricity use, has reduced significantly in recent years. Energy efficiency has improved by 25% since data reporting by Responsible Care signatories began in 2005.
RC signatories environmental activities include;
69% operate community advisory committees
96% have a complaints procedure
98% have emergency response plans
72% run a waste management programme
RC Management Practice Standards require reporting on;
• Management commitment
• Health and safety of persons
• Chemicals storage, distribution, transportation
• Community interaction
• Emergency response
• Pollution prevention and resource efficiency
• Process safety
• Product stewardship.
Asbestos phased out
CAIA is an active partner of the government’s implementation of a Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), including regulations on hazardous chemical substances, banning of lead in paint, phasing out use of asbestos, promulgation of the Waste Act and implementation plans for Stockholm and Rotterdam conventions.
The RC Report is available from CAIA Responsible Care, via Louise Lindeque, rcare2@caia.co.za
PHOTO; SA road freight incidents could be ascribed to poor road conditions, increase in vehicle traffic, lack of law enforcement, some driver training aspects, and inappropriate driver duties management.
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