To owners of road tankers! "On the activities of organizations carrying out inspections of tanks intended for the transport of dangerous goods"

The transportation of any cargo by road can be dangerous in itself, and the transportation of dangerous goods in tank trucks significantly increases the likelihood of emergency situations on the roads. One of the reasons for this is the physicochemical properties of such cargo, which pose a serious additional hazard. Moreover, the cargo itself in the tank, due to shifting during movement, significantly affects the stability and controllability of the vehicle. Therefore, in accordance with the requirements of the Rules for Ensuring the Safety of Transportation of Dangerous Goods by Road, approved by the Resolution of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus of May 17, 2021 No. 35 (hereinafter - the Rules), road tank trucks (tank trucks) carrying dangerous goods must undergo mandatory periodic inspections and tests (hereinafter - inspections) for compliance with the safety requirements for the transportation of dangerous goods.

In the Republic of Belarus, inspections of tank trucks are carried out by more than ten enterprises with the relevant authority, with the majority of them being privately owned (hereinafter - inspecting organizations).

Inspections and tests of tank trucks by inspecting organizations are carried out on the premises of the transport entities – the owners of the vehicles. During oral surveys, it was established that the vast majority of managers and specialists of dangerous goods transport entities (hereinafter - enterprises) do not control the process of inspections and tests of tank trucks by experts of inspecting organizations (hereinafter - expert), thereby violating the requirements of the Rules regarding the control over the conduct of established inspections of tank trucks. However, in order to exercise control, managers and specialists need to understand the subject of control itself (the purpose of inspections and tests, the types of inspections and tests, the scope of work performed, etc.).

In this material, to assist managers and specialists responsible for the safety of dangerous goods transportation, I will provide an approximate list of works that should be performed by an expert of an inspecting organization during the inspections and tests of tank trucks.

Approximate scope of work required by the expert during inspections.

As a rule, the inspection of a tank truck includes:

checking for the presence of manufacturer's operating documentation for the vehicle and technological equipment;

external and internal inspection of the tank;

hydraulic test (leak test);

checking of operational equipment.

Checking for the presence of manufacturer's operating documentation for the vehicle and technological equipment.

The expert must check for the presence of operating documentation for the vehicle and all technological equipment (tank, shut-off valves, breather valves, bottom valves, bottom valve control units, pump, etc.).

The list of required operating documentation for special and technological equipment is usually indicated in the operating manual or the tank truck's passport. In the absence of the required documentation, the operation of the tank truck must be prohibited until appropriate duplicates are developed (restored). Duplicates of operating documents can be requested from the tank truck manufacturer or developed by inspection organizations.

External and internal inspection of the tank.

The expert must perform a complete visual inspection of the inner part of the tank body to identify any defects. To do this, it is necessary to clean the tank, check the safe level of harmful substances concentration inside the tank using a gas analyzer. After that, remove the filler neck cap of the tank, enter the tank (dismantle baffles if necessary) and carefully inspect the inner surface of the tank.

During the external inspection, the following is checked:

the condition of the tank for any surface defects and to determine leaks;

the condition of the paintwork;

the attachment of the tank to the chassis, the attachment of the tank's structural elements;

tank marking, presence of relevant hazard signs, stamps, and inscriptions;

the serviceability of grounding devices.

Hydraulic test.

One of the most important stages of inspection and testing of a tank truck is hydraulic testing.

Hydraulic testing is carried out to check the strength and tightness of the tank during its operation. Hydraulic testing cannot be replaced by any other type of testing (pneumatic), unless otherwise specified in the current Rules. Before starting the hydraulic test, the tank must be dry and clean to detect any leaks. If the ambient temperature is below 0°C, the hydraulic test must be carried out in a heated (warm) room. For the purpose of hydraulic testing, the tank must be filled with water, hermetically sealed, and using special devices (hydraulic press), the required excess water pressure must be created (but not less than 1.3 times the maximum working pressure). As a rule, the tank is kept under excess pressure for at least 15 minutes.

Both the tank as a whole and each compartment (if any) are subjected to hydraulic testing. During hydraulic testing, the breathing valves must be dismantled, and the openings for installing the breathing valves must be plugged.

The tank is considered to have failed the hydraulic test if one of the following defects is detected during the tests:

leakage;

unjustified pressure drop during testing;

residual deformation.

Inspection of operational equipment.

Inspection of operational equipment allows determining whether the operational equipment and its marking comply with the requirements of the technical documentation and whether it is suitable for the conditions of further safe operation of the tank truck.

During the inspection of operational equipment, the expert must check:

whether all operational equipment is installed on the tank truck, properly secured and functions in accordance with the manufacturer's technical documentation requirements;

pipelines, valves, cooling (heating) system, sealing gaskets are checked for corrosion, wear, leakage, etc.;

condition of devices for tightening (securing) of hatch covers, flange connections for the absence or loosening of bolts or nuts;

check the serviceability and test the tank's pressure relief valve for correct opening at the set pressure and subsequent automatic tight closing. For this purpose, the pressure relief valve must be installed on a special test bench, adjusted, and sealed if a sealing location is available.

Inspection Schedule.

periodic inspection no later than every 6 years - for built-in tanks (tank trucks), demountable tanks, and battery vehicles;

intermediate inspection at least every 3 years - for built-in tanks (tank trucks), demountable tanks, and battery vehicles after the initial and each periodic inspection.

For reference: intermediate inspections may be carried out within three months before or after the specified date.

unscheduled inspection is carried out if, as a result of repair, design modification, or road traffic accident, the reliability of the tank or its equipment could be reduced.

Requirements for Inspecting Organizations.

Before concluding a contract for the inspection and testing of tank trucks, it is necessary to ensure that the inspecting organization meets the following requirements and conditions:

The inspecting organization has a valid accreditation certificate for compliance with the requirements of the fundamental standard GOST ISO/IEC 17025-2019 (ISO/IEC 17025:2017);

the scope of accreditation for the specified certificate includes: as the object of testing - tanks intended for the transport of dangerous goods;

as documents containing requirements for the object of testing - the relevant sections of Annex A to ADR and the Rules for ensuring the safety of the transport of dangerous goods by road;

in terms of the research (testing) and measurement method - GOST EN 12972-2020 Tanks for the transport of dangerous goods. Metal tanks. Testing, inspection and marking (GOST EN 12972-2020 "Tanks for the transport of dangerous goods. Metal tanks.