Part IVLoading and Unloading
Prohibitions on mixed loading and segregation of certain explosives
14.—(1) A person shall not cause or permit to be carried in any container or wagon any of the mixed loads of explosives and any other dangerous goods specified in Schedule 5.
(2) A train operator shall not cause nor permit to be carried in his train any consignment of explosives unless that consignment is adequately segregated from any other consignment of explosives or dangerous goods carried with it in such a way as to prevent the creation of a significantly greater risk than each of the consignments is liable to create separately.
Loading, stowage and unloading of containers and wagons
15.—(1) The operator of a container or wagon which is being used for the carriage of explosives and any other person engaged in such carriage shall take such steps as it is reasonable for them respectively to take to ensure that nothing in the manner in which explosives are loaded, stowed or unloaded from the container or wagon concerned is liable to create a significant risk or increase significantly any existing risk to the health or safety of any person.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (1), a person shall not cause or permit to be carried in any large container or wagon any package containing explosives unless any requirements specified in Schedule 6 relating to those explosives have been complied with.
(3) The operator of any container or wagon which is to be loaded with explosives shall ensure that those explosives will not, in conjunction with any product remaining in the container or wagon concerned, create a significant risk or significantly increase any existing risk to the health or safety of any person which arises out of the presence of that remaining product.
(4) A person shall not cause or permit any food, or any fodder or feeding stuff for animals, birds or fish, to be carried in any container, or wagon which is—
(a)being used for the carriage of explosives, or
(b)empty, uncleaned, having been used for the carriage of explosives unless that food, fodder or feeding stuff is effectively separated from the explosives by completed partitions as high as the packages containing the explosives or a space of at least 0.8m, or is otherwise adequately protected by additional packaging or complete coverage of those explosives for the risk of contamination by the explosives.
(5) The operator of any container or wagon which has been used for the carriage of packages labelled as containing toxic subsidiary hazard explosives shall ensure that—
(a)after unloading it is checked for any residue of the load; and
(b)where the explosives have leaked and been spilled in the container or wagon—
(i)all other goods and articles carried therein are examined for possible contamination, and
(ii)the container or wagon concerned is not reused until after it has been thoroughly cleaned and, if necessary, decontaminated.
Supervision of loading and unloading and requirement to clean and stow safely
16.—(1) The consignor of explosives, other than explosives contained in a sealed container or sealed wagon, shall—
(a)appoint a responsible person; and
(b)ensure that that person is in constant attendance during the loading of those explosives.
(2) The consignee of the explosives referred to in paragraph (1) shall—
(a)appoint a responsible person; and
(b)ensure that that person is in constant attendance during the unloading of those explosives.
(3) The operator of that container or wagon which is being used for the carriage of explosives shall ensure that—
(a)prior to loading, the floor of the container or wagon concerned is properly cleaned;
(b)the explosives are stowed in the container or wagon so that they cannot move or shift in such a way as to create a significant risk or increase significantly any existing risk to the health or safety of any person during carriage.
(4) Other than any person directly concerned with the carriage of the explosives, a person shall not come within 25 metres of those explosives without reasonable cause whilst they are being loaded into or unloaded from any container or wagon.
(5) A person shall not smoke nor carry any source of ignition in the vicinity of explosives whilst they are being loaded into or unloaded from any container or wagon.