Responsibilities of Consignor, the Transporter or Owner of Hazardous Goods Carriage and the Driver

 

Responsibilities of consignor

The consignor has to ensure the following points:

1. The goods carriage has a valid registration to carry the hazardous goods.
2. The vehicle is equipped with necessary First-aid, Safety equipment, and antidotes as may be necessary.
3. The transporter or owner of the carriage of the goods has full and adequate information about the dangerous or hazardous goods being transported.
4. The driver of the carriage of the goods is to be trained in handling the dangers posed during the transport of such goods.
5. Every consignor shall supply to the owner of the carriage of the goods full and adequate information about the dangerous or hazardous goods, being transported as to enable such owner and its driver to:

• Comply with the requirements of rules 129 to 137
• To make aware of the risks created by such goods to the health or safety of any person.

---

Responsibilities of the transporter or owner of goods carriage

It shall be the responsibility of the owner or transporter to ensure the following:

• The goods carriage has valid registration and permit and is safe for the transportation of the said goods.
• The vehicle is equipped with necessary First-Aid, safety equipment, toolbox, and antidotes as may be necessary to contain any accident.

1. The owner or transporter should satisfy himself that the information given by the consignor is full and accurate in all respects as specified in rule 137.
2. The owner or transporter should ensure that the driver being deputed for transportation is trained to handle and transport such hazardous materials and has information as annex V of rule 132.
3. The owner of the carriage of the goods carrying dangerous or hazardous goods and the consignor of such goods shall lay down the route for each trip or permitted otherwise by police authorities.
4. The owner of the carriage of the goods should ensure that the driver holds a driving license as per provisions of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules.

Responsibilities of the driver

It is the responsibility of the driver to keep all information provided to him in writing i.e., in the form of TREM CARD (Transport Emergency Card). This is to be kept in the driver’s cabin and should be available at all times while hazardous material is being transported (Rule 133). The driver will also ensure that the parked vehicle is safe from fire, explosion, or any other risk.

As per Rule, the driver should have the ability to read and write at least one Indian language specified in the Constitution and English language.

The driver should have successfully passed a course connected with the transport of hazardous goods.

Driver to be instructed

The owner of every goods carriage transporting dangerous or hazardous goods shall ensure to the satisfaction of the consignor that the driver of the carriage of the goods has received adequate instructions and training to enable him to understand the nature of the goods being transported, by him, the nature of the risks arising out of such goods, precautions he should take while the carriage of the goods is in motion or stationary and the action he has to take in case of any emergency (Rule 135).

Driver to Report to the police station about the accident:

The driver of a goods carriage transporting any dangerous or hazardous goods shall, on the occurrence of an accident involving any dangerous or hazardous goods transported by his carriage, report forthwith to the nearest police station and also inform the owner of the goods carriage or the transporter regarding the accident (Rule 136).