TDG accidents

The purpose of the legislation on the transport of dangerous goods (TDG) is to prevent and avert potential damage or risks to people, the environment or property caused by the transport of dangerous goods.

Operators have not always recognised their responsibility to notify Tukes of accidents during transport. Tukes also receives information regarding accidents from the media and rescue departments.

Publications on the transport of dangerous goods and related accidents and incidents:

Causes of accidents

Each year, rescue departments face more than 100 rescue operations involving a vehicle carrying dangerous goods.

In most cases, dangerous goods accidents are not the result of the transported goods. Instead, the accident is often caused either by the wrong speed for the circumstances (an icy road, poor visibility, schedule-related pressures, etc.), a lorry driving too close to the edge of the road (the edge breaking, falling into a ditch) or an unexpected encounter arising from other traffic.

Normally, a traffic accident does not result in significant leakage from the dangerous goods tank. If a leak occurs, it is usually caused by the large fuel tank of the vehicle breaking. Typically, a leak from the dangerous goods tank is the result of a human error related to loading or unloading, or equipment malfunction. Occasionally leaks may also arise from activities related to clearing the accident site.

The worst accidents related to the transport of parcelled dangerous goods (such as IBC packaging, barrels, etc.) almost always occur when handling the package. Usually, the accident involves a forklift truck and rush: either the prong of the forklift hits the side of a lightweight package or the package hits another package or some other structure when being moved with a forklift truck. Besides handling, the most common accidents involving small packages (such as canisters or boxes) take place during transport, and the most common reasons include the use of the wrong type of packaging or otherwise faulty packaging. 

When an accident occurs, a dangerous chemical leaking into an indoor or outdoor space may cause serious risk of a personal injury. In the worst-case scenario, the leak may result in serious damage to property. In the case of a flammable substance, it will also cause a fire hazard.

When transporting parcelled dangerous goods, packaging and marking errors are another source of serious risk: The packaging of the dangerous good is not equipped with labels and shipping documents or the packaging cannot withstand the handling related to the transport process. Tukes is aware of so-called hidden dangerous goods shipments or accidents like that where the packaging has contained, for example, batteries or chemicals that have not been marked on the packaging. Accidents and hazards happen because the dangerous goods hidden by the sender are not processed with adequate care. 

Additional information on accidents involving dangerous goods and the reasons Traficom’s dangerous goods day on 7 February 2019.