Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods
and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification
and Labelling of Chemicals

Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods

Forty-first session

Geneva, 25 June – 4 July 2012

Item 2 (f) of the provisional agenda

Explosives and related matters: miscellaneous

               Transport of explosives, blasting, type B and E, in tanks

                   Transmitted by the Australian Explosives Industry Safety Group (AEISG)[1]

               Introduction

1.              The entries for Explosives, Blasting, Types B and E, UN 0331 and UN 0332 permit transport in portable tanks subject, inter alia, to the special provision TP32.

2.              Special tank provision TP32 states (refer Chapter 4.2 of the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, Model Regulations, seventeenth revised edition):

“For UN Nos. 0331, 0332 and 3375, portable tanks may be used subject to the following conditions:

(a)   To avoid unnecessary confinement, each portable tank constructed of metal shall be fitted with a pressure-relief device that may be of the reclosing spring-loaded type, a frangible disc or a fusible element. The set to discharge or burst pressure, as applicable, shall not be greater than 2.65 bar for portable tanks with minimum test pressures greater than 4 bar;

(b)    The suitability for transport in tanks shall be demonstrated. One method to evaluate this suitability is test 8(d) in Test Series 8 (see Manual of Tests and Criteria, Part I, sub-section 18.7);

(c)    Substances shall not be allowed to remain in the portable tank for any period that could result in caking. Appropriate measures shall be taken to avoid accumulation and packing of substances in the tank (e.g. cleaning, etc.).”.

               Discussion

3.              For explosives of Division 1.5, UN 0331 and UN 0332, these substances are being transported as required for explosives, are labelled as explosives with the necessary emergency response appropriate for such explosives. The imposition of additional tests for identified explosives to determine suitability for transport in tanks is considered unnecessary and illogical given the ability to transport the significantly more sensitive explosives of Division 1.1 in similar quantities in steel freight containers without any such testing.

4.              Should such explosives be being transported under a ‘non-explosive’ classification the requirement could be argued, but such low sensitivity explosives have been transported in bulk in tanks for a long time with a good safety record, arguably superior to other explosives in steel freight containers. Tank transport of such low sensitivity explosives was being undertaken long before Test Series 8 was developed.

               Proposal

5.              It is proposed to remove special tank provision TP32 from the entries for Explosives, Blasting, Types B and E, UN 0031 and UN 0032 in the Dangerous Goods List, and replace it with special tank provision TPXX which excludes the requirement for Test 8(d).

TPXX would be added to Chapter 4.2 of the Model Regulations, as follows:

“TPXX for UN Nos. 0331 and 0332, portable tanks may be used subject to the following conditions:

(a) To avoid unnecessary confinement, each portable tank constructed of metal shall be fitted with a pressure-relief device that may be of the reclosing spring-loaded type, a frangible disc or a fusible element. The set to discharge or burst pressure, as applicable, shall not be greater than 2.65 bar for portable tanks with minimum test pressures greater than 4 bar;

(b) Substances shall not be allowed to remain in the portable tank for any period that could result in caking. Appropriate measures shall be taken to avoid accumulation and packing of substances in the tank (e.g. cleaning, etc.).”.

6.         A consequential amendment would require UN Nos. 0331 and 0332 to be removed from special tank provision TP32.

联合国危险货物运输专家和全球化学品统一分类和标签制度专家委员会

危险货物运输专家分委员会

第四十一次会议

日内瓦, 2012年6月25日-7月4日
议程第2 (f)项

爆炸物和相关内容：杂项

在罐体中运输B型和E型爆破炸药

                   由澳大利亚爆炸品工业安全组(AEISG)提交[2]

               介绍

6.              根据便携式罐体特殊规定TP32，对于UN0331（B型爆破炸药）和UN0332（E型爆破炸药）两个条目，允许在便携式罐体中运输。

7.              便携式罐体特殊规定TP32规定（参照《联合国关于危险货物运输的建议书·规章范本（第17修订版）》中4.2章）：

“对于UN 0331、0332和3375，可使用便携式罐体，但需满足以下条件：

(a)   为避免不必要的密闭，每个用金属制造的便携式罐体应安装一个减压装置，可以是自复弹簧载荷型的，也可以是易碎盘或易熔元件。确定排放压或破裂压力，应根据情况，对最低试验压力4巴以上的便携式罐体，不应大于2.65巴；

(b)    应对是否适合于罐体运输加以证实。评价这种适应性的一个方法是试验系列8中的试验8（d）（见《试验和标准手册》，I部分，18.7节）；

(c)            不应让物质在便携式罐体中做任何长时间可能造成结块的存放。应采取适当的措施，避免物质在罐体中积聚和结块（如清洗等）。”。

               讨论

8.              对于1.5项爆炸品，如UN0331和0332，这些物质是需要作为爆炸品运输的，是要贴有爆炸性标签的，且要有适合于此类爆炸品的紧急应对措施。对于已识别为爆炸品的物质为了确定是否适合在罐体中运输进行附加试验是不必要的也是不合逻辑的，因为在钢质货物集装箱中运输类似数量的但明显更敏感的1.1项爆炸品却不需要进行这类测试。

9.              是否应该将这类爆炸品作为非爆炸品进行运输可能是值得讨论的，但这类敏感性低的爆炸品以散装或罐体形式运输已经有了很长时间的良好安全记录，是否优于在钢质货物集装箱中运输的其他爆炸品，这点可以争论。早在试验系列8开发之前就已经在用罐体运输这类低敏感度的爆炸品了。

               提议

10.           提议去掉危险货物列表中UN0331（B型爆破炸药）和UN0332（E型爆破炸药）两个条目中的便携式罐体特殊规定TP32，同时用不要求进行试验8（d）的便携式罐体特殊规定TPXX代替。

可在规章范本第4.2章中加入TPXX，内容如下：

 “TPXX：对于UN 0331和0332，可使用便携式罐体，但需满足以下条件：

(a) 为避免不必要的密闭，每个用金属制造的便携式罐体应安装一个减压装置，可以是自复弹簧载荷型的，也可以是易碎盘或易熔元件。确定排放压或破裂压力，应根据情况，对最低试验压力4巴以上的便携式罐体，不应大于2.65巴；

(b) 任何情况能导致结块的不应让物质在便携式罐体中做任何长时间可能造成结块的存放。应采取适当的措施，避免物质在罐体中积聚和结块（如清洗等）。”。

6.         一个相应的修订是将UN0331和0332从便携式罐体特殊规定TP32中移除。