As I have stated my position many times, I push back really hard when a Hazardous Material is being loaded or unloaded using a hose that I, nor my co-worker who is taking part in the tasks, has any idea of its age, history of use, pressure and temp ratings, etc. This puts a lot of trust in a carrier/driver who we have never met or worked with before! I can not remember the last time one of my plants permitted a hose on a truck to be used to transfer our hazarous materials, but I know most businesses put full trust in the carrier and driver and his/her equipment. So I thought it would be fitting to bring up the DOT requirements SPECIFIC to loading or unloading LPG and NH3 to see if we are meeting the basic DOT complaince expectations:
emphasis added by me
Unloading procedures for liquefied petroleum gas and anhydrous ammonia in metered delivery service (e.g. An unloading operation conducted at a metered flow rate of 100 gallons per minute or less through an attached delivery hose with a nominal inside diameter of 1.25 inches or less.).
An operator MUST use the following procedures for unloading liquefied petroleum gas or anhydrous ammonia from a cargo tank motor vehicle in metered delivery service:
(1) For a cargo tank with a capacity of 13,247.5 L (3,500 water gallons) or less, excluding delivery hose and piping, the qualified person attending the unloading operation MUST remain within 45.72 meters (150 feet) of the cargo tank and 7.62 meters (25 feet) of the delivery hose and MUST observe BOTH the cargo tank AND the receiving container at least once every five (5) minutes when the internal self-closing stop valve is open during unloading operations that take more than five (5) minutes to complete.
(2) For a cargo tank with a capacity greater than 13,247.5 L (3,500 water gallons), excluding delivery hose and piping, the qualified person attending the unloading operation MUST remain within 45.72 m (150 feet) of the cargo tank and 7.62 m (25 feet) of the delivery hose when the internal self-closing stop valve is open.
(i) Except as provided in paragraph (p)(2)(ii) of this section, the qualified person attending the unloading operation MUST have an unobstructed view of the cargo tank and delivery hose to the maximum extent practicable, except during short periods when it is necessary to activate controls or monitor the receiving container.
(ii) For deliveries where the qualified person attending the unloading operation cannot maintain an unobstructed view of the cargo tank, when the internal self-closing stop valve is open, the qualified person MUST observe BOTH the cargo tank and the receiving container at least once every five minutes during unloading operations that take more than five minutes to complete. In addition, by the compliance dates specified in §§173.315(n)(5) and 180.405(m)(3) of this subchapter, the cargo tank motor vehicle must have an emergency discharge control capability that meets the requirements of §173.315(n)(2) or §173.315(n)(4) of this subchapter.
Unloading procedures for liquefied petroleum gas and anhydrous ammonia in other than metered delivery service.
An operator MUST use the following procedures for unloading liquefied petroleum gas or anhydrous ammonia from a cargo tank motor vehicle in other than metered delivery service:
(1) The qualified person attending the unloading operation MUST remain within 7.62 m (25 feet) of the cargo tank when the internal self-closing stop valve is open.
(2) The qualified person attending the unloading operation MUST have an unobstructed view of the cargo tank AND delivery hose to the maximum extent practicable, except during short periods when it is necessary to activate controls or monitor the receiving container.
Unloading using facility-provided hoses
A cargo tank motor vehicle equipped with a specially designed delivery hose assembly to meet the requirements of §173.315(n)(2) of this subchapter may be unloaded using a delivery hose assembly provided by the receiving facility under the following conditions:
(1) The qualified person monitoring unloading MUST visually examine the facility hose assembly for obvious defects prior to its use in the unloading operation.
(2) The qualified person monitoring unloading MUST remain within arm’s reach of the mechanical means of closure for the internal self-closing stop valve when the internal self-closing stop valve is open except for short periods when it is necessary to activate controls or monitor the receiving container. For chlorine cargo tank motor vehicles, the qualified person must remain within arm’s reach of a means to stop the flow of product except for short periods when it is necessary to activate controls or monitor the receiving container.
(3) If the facility hose is equipped with a passive means to shut off the flow of product that conforms to and is maintained to the performance standard in §173.315(n)(2) of this subchapter, the qualified person may attend the unloading operation in accordance with the attendance requirements prescribed for the material being unloaded in §177.834 of this section.
Off-truck remote shut-off activation device (see below)
For a cargo tank motor vehicle with an off-truck remote control shut-off capability as required by §173.315(n)(3) or (n)(4) of this subchapter, the qualified person attending the unloading operation MUST be in possession of the activation device at all times during the unloading process. This requirement does not apply if the activation device is part of a system that will shut off the unloading operation without human intervention in the event of a leak or separation in the hose.
Unloading without appropriate emergency discharge control equipment (see below)
Until a cargo tank motor vehicle is equipped with emergency discharge control equipment in conformance with §§173.315(n)(2) and 180.405(m)(1) of this subchapter, the qualified person attending the unloading operation must remain within arm’s reach of a means to close the internal self-closing stop valve when the internal self-closing stop valve is open except during short periods when the qualified person must activate controls or monitor the receiving container. For chlorine cargo tank motor vehicles unloaded after December 31, 1999, the qualified person must remain within arm’s reach of a means to stop the flow of product except for short periods when it is necessary to activate controls or monitor the receiving container.
Emergency discharge control for cargo tank motor vehicles in liquefied compressed gas service
(1) Required emergency discharge control equipment.
Each cargo tank motor vehicle in liquefied compressed gas service must have an emergency discharge control capability as specified in the following table:
| §173.315(n)(1)(*) | Material | Delivery service | Required emergency discharge control capability |
|---|---|---|---|
| (i) | Division 2.2 materials with no subsidiary hazard, excluding anhydrous ammonia | All | None. |
| (ii) | Division 2.3 materials | All | Paragraph (n)(2) of this section. |
| (iii) | Division 2.2 materials with a subsidiary hazard, Division 2.1 materials, and anhydrous ammonia | Other than metered delivery service | Paragraph (n)(2) of this section. |
| (iv) | Division 2.2 materials with a subsidiary hazard, Division 2.1 materials, and anhydrous ammonia in a cargo tank motor vehicle with a capacity of 13,247.5 L (3,500 water gallons) or less | Metered delivery service | Paragraph (n)(3) of this section. |
| (v) | Division 2.2 materials with a subsidiary hazard, Division 2.1 materials, and anhydrous ammonia in a cargo tank motor vehicle with a capacity greater than 13,247.5 L (3,500 water gallons) | Metered delivery service | Paragraph (n)(3) of this section, and, for obstructed view deliveries where permitted by §177.840(p) of this subchapter, paragraph (n)(2) or (n)(4) of this section. |
| (vi) | Division 2.2 materials with a subsidiary hazard, Division 2.1 materials, and anhydrous ammonia in a cargo tank with a capacity of greater than 13,247.5 L (3,500 water gallons) | Both metered delivery and other than metered delivery service | Paragraph (n)(2) of this section, provided the system operates for both metered and other than metered deliveries; otherwise, paragraphs (n)(2) and (n)(3) of this section. |
(2) Cargo tank motor vehicles in other than metered delivery service.
A cargo tank motor vehicle in other than metered delivery service MUST have a means to automatically shut off the flow of product without the need for human intervention within 20 seconds of an unintentional release caused by a complete separation of a liquid delivery hose (passive shut-down capability).
(i) Designed flow of product through a bypass in the valve is acceptable when authorized by this subchapter.
(ii) The design for the means to automatically shut off product flow must be certified by a Design Certifying Engineer. The certification must consider any specifications of the original component manufacturer and MUST explain how the passive means to shut off the flow of product operates. It must also outline the parameters (e.g., temperature, pressure, types of product) within which the passive means to shut off the flow of product is designed to operate. ALL components of the discharge system that are integral to the design MUST be included in the certification. A copy of the design certification must be provided to the owner of the cargo tank motor vehicle on which the equipment will be installed.
(iii) Installation must be performed under the supervision of a Registered Inspector unless the equipment is installed and removed as part of regular operation (e.g., a hose). The Registered Inspector must certify that the equipment is installed and tested, if it is possible to do so without damaging the equipment, in accordance with the Design Certifying Engineer’s certification. The Registered Inspector must provide the certification to the owner of the cargo tank motor vehicle.
(3) Cargo tank motor vehicles in metered delivery service.
When required by the table in paragraph (n)(1) of this section, a cargo tank motor vehicle MUST have an off-truck remote means to close the internal self-closing stop valve and shut off all motive and auxiliary power equipment upon activation by a qualified person attending the unloading of the cargo tank motor vehicle (off-truck remote shut-off).
It MUST function reliably at a distance of 45.72 m (150 feet). The off-truck remote shut-off activation device MUST NOT be capable of reopening the internal self-closing stop valve after emergency activation.
(i) The emergency discharge control equipment must be installed under the supervision of a Registered Inspector. Each wireless transmitter/receiver must be tested to demonstrate that it will close the internal self-closing stop valve and shut off all motive and auxiliary power equipment at a distance of 91.44 m (300 feet) under optimum conditions. Emergency discharge control equipment that does not employ a wireless transmitter/receiver must be tested to demonstrate its functioning at the maximum length of the delivery hose.
(ii) The Registered Inspector must certify that the remote control equipment is installed in accordance with the original component manufacturer’s specifications and is tested in accordance with paragraph (n)(3)(i) of this section. The Registered Inspector must provide the owner of the cargo tank motor vehicle with this certification.