Spill During Diesel Loading – Sharing Lessons Learned

Many thanks to terminal operators in Australia that share incidents so we can learn from these incidents.

Incident:

While loading diesel onto the lead trailer on a multiple trailer combination, the driver noticed diesel leaking from under the trailer. The driver safely stopped loading by activating the loading bay emergency stop and then closed the trailer internal air operated valves stopping the further diesel leaking from the compartment. Terminal staff responded to the bay emergency stop alarm. The spilled diesel was controlled & contained to the loading bay containment area. Approximately 400 litres of diesel was spilt from the trailers No.3 compartment.

Immediate Actions:

• Bay emergency stop was activated, which alerted terminal staff to the incident.
• The driver shut down the trailers internal valves which stopped further leakage from the trailer.
• The spill was contained in the load bay spill containment system, the spill was recovered and the area cleaned.
• Trailer equipment was made safe and secured to be sent for repairs. The truck compartment was repaired, hydro-tested & issued with approved Return to Service documentation.

Findings:

Investigation found that a pipe bracket that holds the No.3 compartment run-down pipe was broken. This allowed for the run-down pipe to flex with the vehicle’s movement and stress the No.3 compartment run-down pipe flange. This resulted in a flange bolt  & nut coming lose and eventually the nut coming off from the bolt and making the flange connection loose.

Regular tanker maintenance and service inspection had been completed approximately one month prior to the incident. It’s believed the U-bolt clamps & brackets had been checked & cleared at the time of inspection, but it’s possible the bracket defect had been missed or bracket was not broken enough to be identified an issue at the time.

It’s believed that current poor road conditions may have increased wear & tear (vibration) on vehicles and trailers.

Learnings:

• Recommend that carriers ensure pipe work support brackets are inspected as a part of their regular maintenance programs & ensure run-down pipework bracing is included as a regular check on servicing forms.
• Vehicle maintenance timing/schedules should consider the impacts from the change to road condition and  environment (eg flood impacted/damaged roads).
• Share the incident with terminal users for further awareness.
• Ensure truck and tanker pre-trip inspections are carried out at the beginning of each shift by the driver.
• Drivers should be encouraged to monitor for any unusual free play or movement in the tanker outlets when connecting hoses.
• Remain vigilant, listen and look out for anything unusual during tanker loading.

A final reminder the terminal operator wished to highlight the importance of checking trailer rundown pipework, brackets, braces, U-bolts, which if defective could lead to significant stress & failure of the trailer compartment/pipework and or flanges.

Many area’s of the country are suffering from poor road conditions from prolonged wet weather events causing pot holes and road defects, which can increase the impact to vehicle wear & stress. This more than ever puts the emphasis & importance on vehicle inspection and maintenance.

Thanks again to the terminal operator for sharing.

SLP Team.