Chlorine tanker on its side near Lier
At 03:20 on a wet E18 near Lier, a tanker carrying 18,000 kg of UN 1017 CHLORINE, 2.3 (subsidiary 5.1 and 8), has run off the road and is lying on its side. A valve is leaking a greenish-yellow gas. The driver has got out, is coughing, and has burning eyes; the wind is from the west and the road is in a shallow valley. There is no fire. The driver's mobile phone is working and the emergency services have not yet arrived. The driver wants to go back to close the valve because the tanker is his responsibility and the leak is small. The transport document and instructions in writing are still in the cab.
1. What should the driver do immediately, and why is returning to the valve the wrong decision?
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Move away first. Chlorine is a toxic gas that is heavier than air, so it will collect in low ground. The driver should move upwind and uphill, away from the tanker and the valley bottom. With wind from the west, that means moving generally west and to higher ground.
Call for help. Use the phone to call 110/112/113, state the location, that the load is UN 1017 CHLORINE, that the tanker is on its side, that a valve is leaking, the wind direction and that the driver has symptoms. Warn any bystanders away.
Do not return to the valve. Closing a chlorine valve requires breathing apparatus, chemical protective clothing and training. A driver with coughing and burning eyes is already exposed. Going back would add another casualty and could delay the emergency services. The driver's responsibility at this point is isolation and information, not leak control.
First aid for the driver: move to fresh air, remove contaminated clothing if safe, irrigate eyes and skin with plenty of water, and seek medical assessment. Oxygen should be given only by someone trained to do so.
2. What incident reporting and documentation duties arise from this event?
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This is a reportable dangerous-goods incident, not just a traffic accident. Under ADR 1.8.5, incidents involving dangerous goods must be reported to the competent authority where criteria such as injury, release of dangerous goods or significant damage are met. In Norway the competent authority is DSB. The operator's dangerous-goods safety adviser should also be informed.
The report should state, as far as known:
- the UN number and proper shipping name, UN 1017 Chlorine;
- class 2.3 with subsidiary risks 5.1 and 8;
- the quantity, 18,000 kg;
- the nature of the release and the tanker's position;
- injuries and exposure;
- weather and wind direction;
- emergency services notified.
The transport document and instructions in writing are in the cab; the driver should tell the responders where they are, but must not re-enter the cab while the leak is active. The driver should not minimise the leak as 'small' in the report. The incident report and the emergency response record should be completed after the immediate response.