One line on the consignment note for a two-class wagon
A wagon arrives at a rail hub with 24 pallets. Twenty pallets contain UN 1263 PAINT, Class 3, PG II, total 4,000 kg. Four pallets contain UN 3265 CORROSIVE LIQUID, ACIDIC, ORGANIC, N.O.S., Class 8, PG II, total 800 kg. The consignment note contains one line: “UN 1263 PAINT, 3, II, 24 pallets, 4,800 kg”. The wagon has one flammable-liquid placard on each side and no other placard. The loader says the corrosive is “only a small part of a paint load” and that the wagon is already labelled for the main hazard. The train is ready to depart; the yard supervisor wants to know whether it can go. The wagon is a covered wagon with side doors; the pallets are not unitised together.
1. Identify the documentation deficiencies in the consignment note and explain why they matter.
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The consignment note must describe each dangerous goods entry separately. The first entry should be UN 1263 PAINT, Class 3, PG II, 20 pallets, 4,000 kg. The second should be UN 3265 CORROSIVE LIQUID, ACIDIC, ORGANIC, N.O.S., Class 8, PG II, 4 pallets, 800 kg, with the technical name included because the name is n.o.s. The single line combining both loads under UN 1263 is wrong in UN number, proper shipping name, class, packing group, number of packages and quantity for the corrosive part.
This matters because the document is the basis for the train crew, the yard, emergency responders and the receiving site to identify what is actually in the wagon. A responder who reads only UN 1263 will not expect a corrosive liquid. The total quantity also misleads because it is attributed to a single entry. The note must be corrected before departure.
2. What marking, labelling and placarding is required for the wagon and packages?
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Each package must bear the label for its own hazard: Class 3 labels on the paint packages and Class 8 labels on the corrosive packages, together with the UN number as required for packages. The wagon must be placarded for both hazards, with Class 3 and Class 8 placards on both sides. A single flammable-liquid placard is not enough because the wagon contains a corrosive liquid as well.
The loader’s argument that the corrosive is only a small part of the load is not a valid basis for omitting the Class 8 placard. Placarding follows the hazards present, not the majority hazard. The packages must also be checked for correct labels and marks, and the wagon must be checked for the required placards before it leaves the hub. If orange plates are required for the particular wagon configuration, they must match the load.
3. Can the wagon depart? What should be done before departure?
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The wagon should not depart. Mixed loading of Class 3 and Class 8 packages in the same wagon is not in itself prohibited, but the load is misdescribed and under-placarded. The immediate tasks are to stop the movement, correct the consignment note into two separate entries, apply Class 8 labels to the corrosive packages, apply the Class 8 placards to the wagon, and verify that the Class 3 labels and placards are correct.
Before departure, check that the pallets are secured for rail movement, that the wagon doors can be closed and locked, and that the labels and placards are visible. Confirm that the train crew has emergency information covering both UN 1263 and UN 3265. Record the correction and inform the yard supervisor that the wagon may go only after the documentation and placards have been physically verified.