Transportation of Infectious Substances Class 6.2

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.

SANS 10228 – Identification and Classification of Dangerous Goods for Transport: Version 5 – 2010

Legislation for the Transportation of Class 6.2: Infectious Substances by Road

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.

Emergency Information Systems Class 6.2 Infectious Substances: Placards

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Dangerous Goods Class Compatibility on Delivery Vehicles

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.

Load Compatibility Chart

Below is an overview of load compatibilities for vehicles transporting dangerous goods as referenced in Dangerous Goods South African Standard: SANS 10231.

• Load compatibility and segregation shall be based on the hazard class and subsidiary risk diamonds displayed on packages and containers.
• Both the hazard class and any subsidiary risks shall be considered, on an equal basis, in the segregation of cargo.
• Cargo segregation on multi-class vehicles shall conform to the requirements of the load compatibility chart, and the special provisions according to each hazard class
• Cognisance shall be taken of the reactivity of individual substances with each other, even if permitted in accordance with the load compatibility chart

Class 1:

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.

Class 7:

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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Examples of Illegal Dangerous Goods Placarding

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:

• The full placard, including the 10mm black border, shall be clearly visible from the roadside, whether directly fixed on the vehicle or supported by means of a permanently fixed frame (Clause 4.1.2)
• The placard shall be clean, legible and not defaced at all times

Any placarding practices that do not follow these regulations are deemed to be illegal and are punishable by law.

Illegal Placarding and Warning Diamonds

Do you comply? Take a look at images below for some examples of what would be considered ‘illegal’ placarding.