On Friday, June 20, Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt announced that new regulations to better identify dangerous goods being transported on Canadian roads and railways will be set in place in July of this year.
The new regulations will fall in line with rules currently used in the United States and by the United Nations which are aimed at providing first responders with a unified set of hazmat handling regulations and guidelines in the event of an emergency, while also further reducing congestion at our national rail and road cargo hubs.
The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations will be published on July 2, 2014 and will clarify how placards will be used to identify shipments of certain classes of dangerous goods, such as pool chemicals and propane. Additionally, new safety marks will be used to identify organic peroxides, marine pollutants and other dangerous goods being transported.
According to the government, the trucking industry helps move approximately 90 percent of consumer products in Canada.
In 2012, approximately 118 railway accidents involved dangerous goods the same amount of accidents as the previous year. Two of these accidents resulted in dangerous goods release; in the past five years the average number of accidents involving the release of dangerous goods was five. Additionally, there were 63 dangerous goods leaking incidents, which is the unintentional release of hazardous material while in transit.
Although the number incidents that involve dangerous goods has continued to steadily decline, these regulations are important as these types of accidents can cause harm to all those involved whether it is an accident victim or emergency responder.
Have you or someone you love been injured in a railway accident caused by a careless driver, conductor or cargo operator?
Did you know that you may be entitled to compensation for any damages or losses that you may have experienced due to the incident?
Contact the accident lawyers at Greg Monforton & Partners at (866) 320-4770 for more information about your legal rights.
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