The Dripping Drum at the Dock
You are at a shipper's dock with a placarded straight truck. The shipping paper lists 4 drums of UN 1789, Hydrochloric Acid, Class 8, PG II, 800 lb total, along with general freight. You notice a sharp odor and a drip from under the rear door. One drum has a corroded seam and liquid is pooling on the truck bed. The truck is parked 300 feet from a storm drain; the wind is light toward the office. You have goggles, rubber gloves, and an apron, but no respirator. The ERG is in the door pocket; the shipping papers are in the cab. A dock worker asks you to move the truck away from the dock so they can load another trailer.
1. What are your first actions, and should you move the truck?
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First, do not move the truck just to clear the dock. The leak is already pooled on the bed; moving can shift the drum, spread the acid, or cause the corroded seam to open further. Secure the area, warn the dock worker to stay back, and keep people upwind because the wind is toward the office. Notify the dock supervisor and call 911 or the emergency response number; have someone bring the shipping papers and ERG to the edge of the controlled area without entering the leak zone. If the truck can be moved a short distance to get away from the storm drain without spreading the leak, that decision requires emergency responder direction and a safe route; do not improvise it. The priority is to keep the acid out of the drain and away from people. If a spill kit and dike material are immediately available and you are trained, place a dike between the runoff and the drain without touching the acid; otherwise wait for responders.
2. What information do you need from the shipping paper and ERG, and whom should you notify?
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From the shipping paper, identify the UN number 1789, the proper shipping name Hydrochloric Acid, the hazard class 8, the packing group II, the total quantity of 800 lb, and the number and type of packages. That information tells responders what the material is and how much may be involved. In the ERG, look up UN 1789 and follow the guide for a corrosive; use the isolation distances and protective-clothing guidance, and check whether the material is water-reactive or reacts with other goods on the truck. Notify 911, the shipper, the carrier's emergency contact, and CHEMTREC or the number on the shipping paper. Report the location, wind direction, quantity, package condition, injuries, and whether the drain is threatened. Do not give the dock worker only the name of the acid; responders need the UN number, class, packing group, quantity, and exact location. Keep the shipping papers with you or with the responders, because they are required to be within reach and are the basis for the emergency response.
3. What PPE and spill-control limits apply to you as the driver?
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The driver has goggles, rubber gloves, and an apron, which are basic splash protection, but no respirator. Hydrochloric acid can give off irritating vapor, and a leaking drum in an enclosed dock area may produce a breathing hazard. The driver should not enter a vapor cloud or attempt to clean up or patch the drum without training and proper equipment. The correct limit is to stay upwind, keep others out, and provide information to responders. If the leak can be safely diked from outside the spill area with a spill kit, that may be reasonable, but the driver should not kneel in the acid or try to roll the drum upright. Do not use water to wash the acid into the drain; that spreads the contamination. Do not attempt to neutralize it with an unknown chemical. The driver's role is notification and isolation, not hazardous-materials cleanup. If acid contacts skin or eyes, flush immediately and get medical help.