Tankers Carrying Hazardous Substances Violating Laws
Those who are into transportation of these substances to stick to statutory travelling time from 0600 hours to 1800 hours.
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) said yesterday that it was concerned with the violations of laws by those transporting hazardous substances in tankers within Zimbabwe.
EMA’s publicist manager, Ms Amkela Sidange said they were gravely disturbed by an increase in the number of accidental spillages following the many incidents recorded during this festive period.
“Generally by accidental spillages we are referring to road traffic accidents involving tankers transporting hazardous substances including fuel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other similar substances which are hazardous in nature. We want to remind those who are into transportation of these substances to stick to statutory travelling time from 0600 hours to 1800 hours.
In addition, they should always ensure that their consignments are secure and are in proper containment. This applies to the transportation of all the hazardous substances and they should always have relevant licences”.
She said it was mandatory at law for people to any such incidents (accidental spillages) when they occur to EMA and the police. This, she said, should be done verbally within one hour and in written form within 24 hours.
Failure to do so is a punishable offence at law.
“In addition, EMA wants to call upon the public to stay as far away as possible from such spillages sites and to cooperate by following instructions from officers who will be manning such sites. We have had an incident in Harare in the past few years, where we lost a number of people when there was a sudden explosion while they tried to harvest fuel that had spilled.
This is still fresh in our memories and has been reignited by the Boksburg incident (South Africa) where 18 people died and scores others we injured during a tanker explosion.”
She discouraged members of the public from transporting, storing and selling hazardous substances without licences. Ms Sidange said they had also noted with concern a sudden rise in the number of people that are selling LPG within domestic premises, especially over the last few weeks when the country was experiencing longer power outages.
“This should stop forthwith. We urge people to report such suspicious activities to the relevant authorities including EMA and the ZRP, among others,” she said
