Petrol and calcium hypochlorite loaded together in an unsuitable box body
At a rural depot, a loader is building a load in a box-body truck with a plywood floor. The load is four 200 L drums of UN 1203 petrol (Class 3, packing group II) and ten 25 kg drums of UN 2880 calcium hypochlorite (Class 5.1, packing group III). The loader wants to place both products in the same compartment, strap them together on the same pallet, and close the rear door. The truck has no fire extinguisher, no ventilation, and the floor is stained with oil. The driver notices that one calcium hypochlorite drum has a torn label and white powder on the outside. The depot is 80 km from the delivery point and the forecast is 30°C. The driver holds a D endorsement. The loader says the load is 'only a small mixed load'.
1. Identify the incompatible goods and explain the hazard in this load.
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The petrol is UN 1203, Class 3, PG II, a flammable liquid. The calcium hypochlorite is UN 2880, Class 5.1, PG III, an oxidiser. Oxidisers can supply oxygen and react vigorously with flammable liquids or organic material; calcium hypochlorite is also unstable if contaminated with oil or other organics. Strapping the two products together means a leak from either drum could mix with the other, and the oily floor adds another fuel source. The torn label and white powder on the calcium hypochlorite drum suggest it is already damaged or contaminated. The combination is not a safe mixed load and should not be accepted as proposed.
2. What segregation, stowage and vehicle suitability requirements apply?
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Class 5.1 and Class 3 should be segregated according to the segregation table; in practice that means separate compartments or a safe separation, not the same pallet or the same unventilated box. The vehicle should be clean, dry and free of oil or combustible residue, with ventilation and a suitable fire extinguisher. Drums must be restrained independently so they cannot fall, roll or puncture. The oxidiser should be kept away from heat, ignition sources and organic materials. The damaged drum should be rejected or quarantined, not loaded. If the vehicle cannot meet these requirements, the driver should refuse the load.
3. What should the driver do before leaving the depot?
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The driver should stop the loading operation and explain the incompatibility and the damaged drum to the loader. The driver should ask for a corrected load plan that segregates the oxidiser from the petrol, a clean vehicle, adequate restraint and a fire extinguisher, plus a complete DG declaration and correct placards. The driver should not sign for the load or close the doors until those points are fixed. If the depot cannot fix them, the driver should not move and should notify the transport operator. The driver's judgement should be based on the hazard, not on the 80 km distance or the hot forecast.