The transportation of infectious substances within South Africa is regulated by international legislation, to which any company involved in the handling, warehousing or transport of such goods are required to comply.
Below is an overview of the dangerous goods regulations and legislation as it relates to Class 2 infectious substances.
Clauses:
12.2.8.2.4 states that all diagnostic or clinical patient specimens, including blood intended for the Blood Transfusion Service shall be packed and transported as a category A infectious substance if the medical history of the donor or any other source is unknown. Only after such a specimen has been tested and declared free of any infectious substance can it be exempt from division 6.2.
As testing of all diagnostic and clinical specimens places an immense burden on pathology labs, 12.2.9.1.4 has been adopted after lengthy discussions at the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. It was decided that a substance can be exempt from division 6.2 on the basis of professional judgement of a qualified medical practitioner taking into account known medical history, symptoms and individual circumstances, and endemic conditions. In such a case the substance shall be transported in packaging that prevents leakage (see 12.2.9.2) and the packaging shall be marked with the words “Exempt human specimen” or “Exempt animal specimen”. The consignment shall also be accompanied by a declaration of the said qualified medical practitioner stating that the consignment is exempt from division 6.2.
Furthermore, 12.2.9.1.2 states that blood or blood components which have been collected from the Blood Transfusion Service for the purpose of transfusion or for the preparation of blood products to be used for transfusion or any tissues or organs intended for use in transplantation are not subject to the requirements of division 6.2.
Note should be taken that the United Nations Committee was explicit that only a qualified medical practitioner be allowed to judge whether a substance is exempt from division 6.2. Judgement by a competent professional person or a laboratory is totally unacceptable.
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If you are in the hazardous goods transport business, whether it is transporting poisonous substances, petroleum, inflammable goods, explosives or other dangerous substances, it is imperative that you not only comply with the relevant legislation, but that you and your staff are well-versed in the handling, transportation and storage of these perilous commodities for the safety operating personnel and protection against potentially harmful accidents.
Below is an overview of load compatibilities for vehicles transporting dangerous goods as referenced in Dangerous Goods South African Standard: SANS 10231.
Green | Indicates permitted mixed class loading |
Red | Indicates prohibited mixed class loading |
Yellow (A) | Indicates mixed class loading, but the goods must be kept at least 1 metre apart |
Blue | Indicates that these classes (1 & 7) are regulated under the Explosives and Nuclear Energy Acts and these Acts’ recommendations must be followed |
Explosives are regulated by the Explosives Act No 15 of 2003 and the provisions of this Act must be followed when transporting this Class. The Emergency Information Systems found in SANS 10232.1 are also applicable.
Radioactive material is regulated by the Nuclear Energy Act No 131 of 1993 and the provisions of this Act must be followed when transporting this Class. The Emergency Information Systems found in SANS 10232.1 are also applicable.
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Any vehicle transporting hazardous materials must have the appropriate placards and stickers applicable the weight of the material that falls in a hazard class in line with international standard SANS 10232.1 – Emergency Information Systems Clause 4: Dangerous Goods Placarding Requirements, which states that:
Any placarding practices that do not follow these regulations are deemed to be illegal and are punishable by law.
Do you comply? Take a look at images below for some examples of what would be considered ‘illegal’ placarding.