With over 20,000 calls a year to our Member Advice Centre, it is no wonder really that we get a huge variety of enquiries from our members. It is also one of the reasons why I love this job so much; there isn’t a day that goes by without a query from a member that reminds me of the huge diversity in our members’ operations.
On one such day recently, I took a call from a courier company who had tendered for a contract from the NHS.
One of the requirements that needed to be satisfied would be how this company could transport vials of blood that were contaminated with Ebola and a variety of infectious diseases.
Having spoken with my colleagues to ascertain the appropriate advice, we advised the member of the ADR requirements that had to be met; There are five transport categories, rated from zero to four. We commonly deal with categories one to three, however this particular hazardous material is classed as Transport Category zero, meaning there are a number of requirements the operator must meet in order to transport it. We provided the documents to assist the member, such as; the Management of Healthcare waste, the updated list of Pathogens, HSE Guide to management of dangerous pathogens, a Category A Pathogen Disposal Form, an example of a Road Transport Security Plan and a copy of the Category A Pathogen Waste procedures.
Although this may not be the most glamourous of examples of putting ADR requirements into practice, I was pleased to have given this member peace of mind and I could then go back to dealing with other calls on abnormal loads, getting a vehicle from London to Moscow and whether ping pong balls are dangerous!
FTA members wanting more information on this or any other transport query should call our Member Advice Centre.
For more information on how to join FTA membership take a look online or call us on 03717 11 22 22*
* Calls may be recorded for training purposes
