Safety and Quality Best Practice Guidelines for Unloading of Polymers in Bulk
*ISSUE 1 / SEPTEMBER 2016*
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Key Requirements for Safe Unloading
- Key Requirements to Maintain the Product Quality During Unloading
- Prevent Pellet Loss
- Annex A - ECTA/CEFIC and PlasticsEurope Reference Documents
- Annex B - Checklist for Supervising the Unloading Activities
- Annex C - Detailed Roles and Responsibilities
- Contact List
Introduction
During the last years, the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) and the European transport sector (ECTA) have developed guidelines for the safe logistics of chemicals. Some of these guidelines are important for unloading sites of bulk solids in order to understand their responsibilities whilst trucks are delivering bulk solids and the risks from a safety, quality and legal perspective, which are associated with these operations.
The purpose of this document is to provide a summary of those aspects of these guidelines which may be of interest to polymers unloading sites. In addition it includes guidance on how the product quality can be preserved during the unloading operations by avoiding contamination or creation of streamers, angel hair, dust etc.
This guideline should be used to raise awareness of all members of the supply chain including suppliers (commercial/sales), hauliers and customers (including intermediate storage).
Roles and Responsibilities
The unloading site is responsible for all unloading activities and is required to take appropriate measures so that all persons - including any from outside undertakings - engaged in on-site operations work can do so safely.
The European Council states in Directive 89/391/EC (OSH "Framework Directive"):
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Art. 5
The employer shall have a duty to ensure the safety and health of workers in every aspect related to the work. -
Art. 10
Every employer shall take appropriate measures so that employers of workers from any outside undertakings and/or establishments engaged in work in his undertaking and/or establishment receive, in accordance with national laws and/or practices, adequate information concerning:- the safety and health risks and protective and preventive measures and activities in respect of both the undertaking and/or establishment in general and each type of workstation and/or job;
- the measures taken for the points referred to in paragraph (a).
Each member country has integrated this directive into National Legislation.
INCOTERMS
International Commercial Terms are a series of pre-defined commercial terms related to common contractual sales practices. The Incoterms are intended primarily to clearly communicate the tasks, costs and risks associated with the transportation and delivery (transfer of the ownership) of goods. The most commonly used Incoterms in case of polymer bulk deliveries are DAP (Delivered At Place) and DDP (Delivery Duty Paid). The seller completes delivery when the goods are placed at the disposal of the buyer on the arriving means of transport ready for unloading at the named place of destination.
Key Responsibilities:
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Unloading Site
- Providing a safe working environment for the unloading of materials.
- The safety of the driver, including providing site safety/unloading instructions.
- Providing suitable/well-maintained infrastructure for the unloading.
- An unloading area equipped to prevent the loss of pellets to the environment and provision of basic cleaning tools.
- Informing the supplier of any unloading limitations/special requirements.
- Checking the validity of material arriving, documentation, seals, and integrity.
- Checking and verifying the delivery paperwork to ensure the material is “as ordered”.
- Correct connection/fitting of product hoses to the storage silo and checking if the silo can accommodate the quantity to be transferred. Giving explicit approval to the driver to start the unloading.
- Ensuring that the infrastructure and unloading conditions are properly set, so that the transfer of product from trailer to silo does not lead to the formation of fines (streamers, angel hairs, dust) or other kind of impact or damage.
- Supervising the unloading process (the checklist of annex B can be used as a guideline).
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Driver and Haulier
- Respecting all site safety rules.
- Respecting procedures to prevent pellet loss.
- Providing the delivery documentation.
- Supplying equipment that is fit for the operation, including seals and integrity.
- Correctly unloading the bulk truck and being full-time present to observe the unloading process.
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Supplier of the Goods
- The quality of the materials supplied.
- Providing a safe working environment for the loading of materials.
- The safety of the driver at the loading site, including providing site safety/loading instructions.
- A loading area equipped to prevent the loss of pellets to the environment and the provision of basic cleaning tools.
- Providing suitable and well-maintained infrastructure for the loading of materials.
- Ensuring the haulier is aware of the tank cleaning requirements and checking compliance on arrival.
- Supplying documentation to identify the “quantity” and “quality” of materials.
The driver has the right to stop the unloading if at any point he feels it is not safe to continue (e.g. high winds, changes in unloading environment).
In case of accidental loss of pellets, it is the responsibility of both customer and carrier to take appropriate measures to prevent further environmental impact (see chapter 5).
The requirements specified in the following chapters apply to both unloading and loading sites.
For more detailed information on responsibilities see Annex C of this document.
Key Requirements for Safe Unloading
The guidance below is taken from the Best Practice Guidelines for the Safe Tipping of Silo Trucks/Trailers/Silo Containers and Bag-In-Box containers (see Annex A).
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It is the responsibility of the unloading site to perform a risk assessment taking into account all risks including, for example:
- Driving on-site and maneuvering to the unloading area – aligned with the overall traffic safety plan (e.g. forklift trucks, trucks, pedestrians, bicycle traffic).
- Tipping silo and container trailers and the potential impact of a trailer tipping over or a container sliding from a trailer, on people and equipment like product lines, silo discharge lines, steam lines, pumps and compressors, buildings/offices, car park, pedestrians, etc.
Example of Risk...
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The unloading area should be located within the site premises and NOT on the public road during tipping. Pedestrians and passing vehicles should be kept away from the truck. This can be done by putting cones, barriers, etc. around the truck.
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The access road to the unloading area should be easily accessible e.g. sufficient width and spacious curves. There should be no obstacles (height) in order to provide sufficient space to manoeuvre to and from the unloading point.
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The surface of the unloading area should be firm and even and should be capable to accommodate a weight of 25 tons per stabilizing leg.
...
Key Requirements to Maintain the Product Quality During Unloading
Typical quality risks are:
- Fines
- Contamination
- Humid/wet product
Fines
The formation of fines (dust, fibers, angel hair, and streamers) in polymer resins cannot be completely avoided but careful handling of the material can minimize the concentration of fines.
Bulk Unloading
Every unloading situation is different, because of the different local circumstances, e.g. length of the silo-loading pipe, height of the silo, diameter and roughness of the pipe, number of bends and unloading hoses needed.
...
Contamination
Contamination refers to the pollution of polymer resins by any other material. It could include other resins, foreign particles like metal or dirt, or residues from a previous cargo. Cleanliness and correct equipment handling in the whole logistics supply chain is of the utmost importance in order to avoid contamination.
Humid/Wet Sample
Samples, if required, should be taken at the unloading valve. In some cases, the sample can be wet. This is predominantly due to condensation of moisture in the silo tank during transport (e.g. temperature difference between day and night).
Human Trafficking
Over recent years the haulage industry has been subject to problems with people breaking into trucks/vehicles in order to make their way across European borders. Recently this has extended to bulk transportation modes and entering the unloading sites. The following precautions should be considered:
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Prevent Pellet Loss
Marine litter is an important and growing challenge we face as a society today. It is a complex issue affecting our world’s oceans, seas and rivers, harming wildlife, fisheries and tourism in Europe and around the world. A wide variety of plastic objects, amongst them industrial plastic pellets, have been found ingested by animals such as birds, turtles and fish, potentially harming their health or even proving fatal.
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Annex A - CEFIC/ECTA and PlasticsEurope Reference Documents
| Document | What is important for you in this document? | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Best Practice Guidelines for the Safe Tipping of Silo | What are your responsibilities when a driver has to go on top of his truck for taking a sample? How can this be done safely? What alternatives are available (e.g. bottom sampling) | ECTA link Cefic link |
| ... | ... | ... |
| ... | ... | ... |
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Annex B - Checklist for Supervising the Unloading Activities
To be completed by the operator of unloading site
- Name and place delivery site: [Your answer]
- Date of delivery: [Your answer]
- Name haulier: [Your answer]
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Annex C - Detailed Roles and Responsibilities
| Unloading Site / Operator | Transport Company / Driver |
|---|---|
| The site management should supply equipment that is fit for the operation to be carried out and meets all applicable legal requirements. | The Transport Company should always supply a bulk truck and equipment (e.g. hoses, rotary valve, pipes, etc.) that is clean, fit for the operation to be carried out and meets all applicable legal requirements. |
| ... | ... |
| ... | ... |
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Contact List
-
Claudia Vaz
- Dow Benelux B.V.
- T +49 89 4553 3116
- M +49 172 13 800 90
- cavaz@dow.com
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Huub Vergoossen
- Senior Manager QESH, SABIC
- T +31 46 722 2758
- M
- Huub.Vergoossen@SABIC.com
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Rohnny Vanbrabant
- Distribution Contracting Manager Bulk, Borealis Polymers NV
- T +32 11 45 9003
- M +32 474 74 59 06
- rohnny.vanbrabant@borealisgroup.com
...
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Marc Twisk
- Managing Director
- In remembrance of Marc Twisk
- 26 July 2016
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Ralph Schneider
- Environmental Affairs Manager, PlasticsEurope
- T +32 2 676 17 54
- M +32 475 98 06 55
- ralph.schneider@plasticseurope.org
...
