"Hazardous Material" Alert at Inverness Station - 14th May 2024

[Ashley Hill]

Surely the contents could be obtained from the TOPS system?

 

[najaB]

From a gas tanker...?

From a large tank, yes. Would the person who sent the initial message have known what was in it? Quite possibly not.

 

[75A]

Because someone on here would have said why couldn’t they have said ‘Hazardous materials’ instead of saying a ‘gas leak’

Nice one.

 

[MCR247]

Why on earth couldn't they just say 'a gas leak' rather than the more sinister and worrying 'hazardous materials'? Why does everything have to be dressed up in semi-jargon...

Is there not an argument that ‘gas leak’ is actually more worrying than ‘hazardous materials?’ When you say gas leak personally I start picturing homes that have exploded where it looks like a bomb has gone off. Also, after x hours of saying gas leak, wouldn’t there then be a question ‘it’s still leaking?’

But more seriously, if I had to guess the reason why I’d go with it being because there are lists/books of emergency processes, with gas leak being listed in the hazardous materials section/a subsection of the hazardous materials process.

 

[Recessio]

Some people really will criticise anything... This seems like a very good job of dealing with a hazardous situation by the railways and emergency services. No injuries or casualties, no damage to property, and only a few hours of service disruption.

 

[The Puddock]

Surely the contents could be obtained from the TOPS system?

The contents of the tanktainer was correctly described in the initial call from the driver to the signaller and from the signaller to NR Control exactly as per the Rule Book protocol. The railway and emergency services all knew immediately what they were dealing with. This was a very well handled incident and I’m baffled as to how a throwaway remark from a single police officer in a supermarket has apparently caused such controversy here.

 

[ST156]

Does the driver have some form of monitoring equipment available, to immediately alert them of a fault with this type of tanktainer or similar?

Based on the video it would have been pretty obvious - but even so - I would assume the contents is monitored?

 

[Adrian Barr]

I think "hazardous materials" is an official term which includes "dangerous goods." This would be classed as a "dangerous goods incident" by the railway and a "hazardous material incident" by the emergency services.

This PDF from the Fire & Rescue Service goes into detail about "Operational Guidance for Incidents Involving Hazardous Materials" - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a74e3d1ed915d502d6cbd11/GRA_Hazmat_Manual_part_1.pdf

In everyday language the term hazardous materials, also referred to as dangerous/hazardous substances or goods, means solids, liquids, or gases that can harm people, other living organisms, property, or the environment. They not only include materials that are toxic, radioactive, flammable, explosive, corrosive, oxidizers, asphyxiates, biohazards, pathogen or allergen substances and organisms, but also materials with physical conditions or other characteristics that render them hazardous in specific circumstances, such as compressed gases and liquids, or hot/cold materials.

Another part of the guidance is to "Communicate with the local community to ensure public safety and reduce anxiety/ concern."

Explaining about a gas leak from a container is more helpful and specific than referring to a "hazardous material incident," but while the police on the ground are focused on moving people to a safe distance it's understandable if they give out a bland official-sounding reason initially and pass on more detail afterwards.