In response to major derailments involving hazardous materials cars, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) initiated the review of the consequences of hazardous materials car placement in a train consist. The review and analysis consisted of six task items: (1) review of accident trends and regulations, (2) an analysis of hazardous materials compatibility, (3) railroad operational constraints, (4) a cost/benefit analysis, (5) recommendations, and (6) preparation of a final report. A review of the 1982-1985 Railroad Accident/Icident Reporting System (RAIRS) data showed the rear quarter to be statistically the 'safest' location in a mainline freight train. Also, the top 101 hazardous commodities (by volume movement) plus fuming nitric acid were analyzed for chemical incompatibility, a total of 5,151 binary combinations. Consequence-based and risk-based rankings were established. Calculations established a post-derailment separation distance of 40 meters minimum to prevent mixing of incompatible chemicals. It was noted that mixing of hazmat materials was not cited in any NTSB accident report as a specific problem.
Hazardous Materials Car Placement in a Train Consist. Volume 1. Review and Analysis
1992
157 pages
Report
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Environmental Pollution & Control , Transportation Safety , Railroad Transportation , Transportation , Hazardous materials transportation , Rail transportation , Railroad cars , Transportation management , Environmental protection , Reviews , Accidents , Trends , Regulations , Operations , Land pollution abatement , Hazardous materials spills , Chemical spills , Benefit cost analysis , Recommendations , Chemical compositions , Materials handling , Transportation planning , Car placement , Federal Railroad Administration , Railroad Accident/Incident Reporting System