Hazardous materials fall into a category of special merchandises, which have their own shipping rules and regulations, operative procedures, certificates and management policies. Today we invite you behind the scenes to showcase what it truly takes to ship dangerous cargo and we guide you through the ins and outs of how we make sure that your hazardous goods safely reach their destination:

Hazardous materials – a delicate category of merchandise

Dangerous cargo refers to those types of merchandise which require special handling and care during the loading, unloading, storing and transporting processes, which usually include, but are not limited to, flammable and non-flammable gases, explosives, corrosive and radioactive materials, flammable liquids and flammable solids. We’ve already presented the types of dangerous cargo that can be transported, along with your and our obligations as contracting parties in the hazardous goods transportation process. Let us take a look at what this entails exactly: 

Regulations and certifications for transporting dangerous goods

As you can imagine, the regulations and requirements are the strictest they can get when it comes to shipping dangerous materials via rail. They not only aim to protect your merchandise, they also offer detailed guidelines about safeguarding the natural environment and landscape throughout the entire transportation process, and offer insight to preventing any type of damages or accidents.

All freight transport services need to conform to the internationally standardized rules and regulations of the European Union. Each type of transported material, whether it’s ammonia, methanol, ethanol, propylene, gasoline, diesel, or other, has its own type of required documentation and its individual, unique internal process of handling, packaging, shipping, loading and unloading. Each material is transported in a different type of wagon, specifically designed to keep the hazardous materials at optimum conditions, so they don’t deteriorate or transform in any way before they reach their destination.

Besides internationally-regulated EU-standards, each country has its own set of guidelines that rail operators need to keep in mind. As a matter of fact, rail organizations need special certificates to actually be authorized to transport hazardous goods in certain countries. MMV Rail Romania has just recently managed to obtain the Single Safety Certificate for operating such freight trains in both Hungary and Romania. This certificate contains a long list of procedures and rules specific to each country’s laws and regulations. These guidelines can change at any moment and it’s our job to keep up with the updated requirements in order to avoid causing any damage or getting fined.

Preventive maintenance and risk management

Prevention is key, especially when it comes to shipping hazardous materials. This is why MMV Rail Romania invests heavily in equipment maintenance, to avoid even the possibility of anything going wrong during the transportation process. From a mechanical standpoint, we have a huge team working tirelessly on checking every last tool and equipment before the loading of the hazardous materials commences. Once the inspection is complete, a senior member of our staff guarantees ultimate safety for the locomotive, the wagons and any other equipment and gives the green light for the loading process to begin.

The same mechanical team is also responsible for risk management processes and techniques. Just like the way in which specialized containers are uniquely available for different types of transported materials, risk assessment procedures and the handling of accidents differs depending on what kind of goods are transported. The basic procedure is the same for all materials: delimiting the affected area, reaching out to authorities and visiting the place of the incident wearing special protective gear. But the handling of the materials and the clean-up process depends on both the level of damage and the type of transported cargo.

How MMV Rail helps you transport dangerous merchandise

Dangerous materials need to be transported in a reliable and timely manner, which is why we’ve been focusing on perfecting our craft from the very first day when our activity began. We aimed to become the leading experts in the Romanian market when it comes to shipping hazardous goods, which we’ve achieved by constantly focusing on bettering our services. Our HR department organizes regular training and development courses to prepare and improve the skill sets of all personnel working directly or indirectly with delicate materials.

Throughout our 5-year activity we have gained a vast experience in shipping millions of tons of hazardous goods. We have transported delicate cargo in bulk not only in Romania, but through a number of European countries and have acquired valuable insight of the inner workings of this particular branch of transportation. We’ve developed this specific department of the shipping industry into our niche and we are here to help you out with the entire process. We will provide assistance every step of the way, from when the first idea of transporting bulk hazardous materials pops into your head, to the point of your cargo reaching its destination. Contact a member of the MMV Rail Romania team and let’s discuss further details of a possible future collaboration!