10/16/2023 Fuel tanker trailers are responsible for transporting billions of gallons of valuable, yet highly flammable petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel, benzene, jet fuel, and compressed natural gas (CNG), across the globe. However, the hazardous nature of these products presents significant safety risks both on the road and during loading and unloading operations.
In the United States, the Department of Transportation mandates that all bulk petroleum transport vessels comply with the DOT 406 fuel tank regulations, which aim to ensure the safe transportation of flammable liquids. These regulations require that fuel tanker trailers meet specific design and construction standards and follow established protocols during loading and unloading. These apply to tank trailers transporting bulk fuel products such as gasoline, and diesel. In this article, we will be specifically talking about the loading and unloading process of a fuel trailer and the established protocols for its safe loading and unloading by the US Department of Transportation.
Minimum requirements and regulations for tank trailer loading/unloading.Attendance requirements during the loading and unloadingThe minimum requirements are established by the U.S Department of Transportation for loading and unloading the fuel tank trailers to make the loading and unloading process safer and easier. These protocols include the requirement of a qualified attendant to manage the procedures while loading and unloading inflammable products into the tank trailer.
- The vessel must be attended by a qualified person at all times during its loading and unloading.
- As per the DOT regulations for fuel tank trailers, attendees must have a good understanding of the highly flammable products they are going to handle before they are permitted to attend.
- The attendant always has to maintain a distance of 25 feet (7.62metres) from the tank trailers. This is a straight line distance; a walking distance, not a field of view.
- The qualified person always needs to be alert for any type of unusual and potentially dangerous or difficult circumstances.
- During the loading and unloading process, the attendant must have an unobstructed view of the tank trailer and hoses connected to the tank trailer.
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