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Derailed Train Spills Hazmat Near D.C.

Posted on 5/4/2016 by Roger Marks

A tanker carrying more than 15,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide derailed along with several other cars near the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station in Washington D.C. over the weekend. About half of the sodium hydroxide is thought to have been released onto the rail bed and the ground.

No injuries were reported, and crews are working to contain and clean up the spilled chemicals. 
Sodium hydroxide is a Class 8 (corrosive) hazardous material shipped under UN number 1823. The chemical can cause burning and irritation to eyes, skin, and mucous membranes in humans and, if inhaled, can irritate the respiratory system as well.

Hazmat spill incident response

Who Responds to a Hazmat Spill?

Sodium hydroxide is one of many hazardous materials covered under US DOT’s Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) at 49 CFR Parts 100–181. Hazardous materials listed in the hazmat table in the 49 CFR regulations are one of many kinds of hazardous substances covered under OSHA’s HAZWOPER Standard.

HAZWOPER, short for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, is an OSHA safety standard designed to protect personnel who respond to releases of hazardous substances (including DOT regulated hazmat), clean up uncontrolled hazardous waste sites, and work at Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities (TSDFs).

To help fire, EMS, and other first responders act quickly and effectively in a hazmat spill situation, US DOT PHMSA publishes the Emergency Response Guidebook, or ERG, to provide critical information at the site of a transportation incident. Recently, PHMSA released a new, 2016 ERG in English and Spanish.

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Be confident you know the US and international regulations to keep your hazmat shipments moving safely and on time. At the Complete Multimodal Hazmat Shipper Workshops, you’ll get up to speed with new and changing 49 CFR, IATA, and IMDG Code rules for ground air, and vessel shipments.
Don’t let a new rule you don’t know slow down your supply chain. Sign up now for expert training and get a full year of Lion Membership for fast answers to your questions, rule updates and exclusive content, easy-to-use regulations updated throughout the year, discounts on select Lion products, and more.   

Tags: 49, CFR, hazmat shipping, HAZWOPER

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