To assist owners of tank trucks!

During supervisory activities, it was established that the vast majority of managers and specialists of dangerous goods transportation entities (hereinafter referred to as enterprises) do not control the process of inspections and tests of tank trucks carried out by experts of inspecting organizations (hereinafter referred to as the expert), thereby violating the requirements of the Rules for ensuring the safety of dangerous goods transportation by road in the Republic of Belarus, approved by the Resolution of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus of May 17, 2021 No. 35 (hereinafter referred to as the Rules), in terms of ensuring control over the conduct of established inspections of tank trucks. However, in order to exercise control, it is important for managers and specialists to understand the subject of control itself (the purpose of inspections and tests, types of inspections and tests, scope of work performed, etc.).

In this material, to assist managers and specialists responsible for the safety of dangerous goods transportation, we will provide a sample list of works that should be performed by an expert of an inspecting organization when conducting inspections and tests of tank trucks.

Approximate scope of work required for the expert to perform during inspections. As a rule, the inspection of a tank truck includes:

checking for the presence of manufacturer's operating documentation for the vehicle and technological equipment;

external and internal inspection of the tank;

hydraulic test (leakage test);

checking of operational equipment.

The expert is obliged to check for the presence of operating documentation for the vehicle and all technological equipment (tank, shut-off valves, breathing valves, bottom valves, bottom valve control units, pump, etc.).

The list of required operating documentation for special and technological equipment is usually indicated in the operating manual or passport of the tank truck. In the absence of the required documentation, the operation of the tank truck must be prohibited until appropriate duplicates are developed (restored). Duplicates of operating documents can be requested from the tank truck manufacturer or developed by inspecting organizations.

External and internal inspection of the tank.

The expert shall perform a complete visual inspection of the interior of the tank to identify any defects. To do this, the tank must be cleaned, and a gas analyzer must be used to check for a safe level of hazardous substances inside the tank. After that, the filler neck cap of the tank shall be removed, the expert shall enter the tank (dismantling baffles if necessary) and conduct a thorough inspection of the inner surface of the tank.

The external inspection checks:

the condition of the tank for any surface defects and to detect leaks;

the condition of the paintwork;

the fastening of the tank to the chassis, the fastening of the structural elements of the tank;

the marking of the tank, the presence of relevant danger signs, stamps, and inscriptions;

the serviceability of grounding devices.

Hydraulic testing. One of the most important stages of checks and tests for a tank truck is hydraulic testing.

Hydraulic testing is carried out to check the strength and tightness of the tank during its operation. Hydraulic testing cannot be replaced by any other type of testing (pneumatic), unless otherwise specified in the current Rules. Before starting hydraulic testing, the tank must be dry and clean to detect any leaks. If the ambient temperature is below 0°C, hydraulic testing must be carried out in a heated (warm) room. For hydraulic testing, the tank must be filled with water, hermetically sealed, and using special devices (hydraulic press), the required excess water pressure must be created (but not less than 1.3 times the maximum working pressure). As a rule, the tank is held under excess pressure for at least 15 minutes.

Both the tank as a whole and each compartment (if any) are subjected to hydraulic testing. During hydraulic testing, breathing valves must be dismantled, and the openings for installing breathing valves must be plugged.

The tank is considered to have failed the hydraulic test if any of the following defects are identified during the tests:

leakage;

unjustified pressure drop during testing;

permanent deformation.

Inspection of operational equipment.

The inspection of operational equipment allows to determine whether the operational equipment and its marking comply with the requirements of the technical documentation and whether it is suitable for further safe operation of the tank-vehicle.

During the inspection of operational equipment, the expert must check:

whether all operational equipment is installed on the tank-vehicle, properly secured and functions in accordance with the manufacturer's technical documentation requirements;

whether pipelines, valves, cooling (heating) system, sealing gaskets are checked for corrosion, wear, leakage, etc.;

the condition of devices for tightening (securing) manhole covers, flange connections for the absence or loosening of bolts or nuts;

check the serviceability and testing of the tank's pressure relief valve for correct opening at the set pressure and subsequent automatic tight closing. For this purpose, the pressure relief valve must be installed on a special test bench, adjusted, and sealed if a sealing location is available.

Inspection Schedule.

periodic inspection no later than every 6 years – for fixed tanks (tank-vehicles), demountable tanks and battery vehicles;

intermediate inspection at least every 3 years – for fixed tanks (tank-vehicles), demountable tanks and battery vehicles after the initial and each periodic inspection.

For reference: intermediate inspections may be carried out within three months before or after the specified date.

an unscheduled inspection is carried out if, as a result of repair, design modification or a road traffic accident, the reliability of the tank or its equipment could be reduced.

Requirements for Inspecting Organizations.

Before concluding a contract for the inspection and testing of a tank-vehicle, it is necessary to ensure that the inspecting organization meets the following requirements and conditions:

the inspecting organization has a valid accreditation certificate for compliance with the requirements of the fundamental standard GOST ISO/IEC 17025-2019 (ISO/IEC 17025:2017);

the scope of accreditation in the specified certificate includes:

as a test object – tanks intended for the transport of dangerous goods;

as documents containing requirements for the test object, the corresponding sections of Annex A to the ADR and the Rules;

in terms of the research (testing) and measurement method – GOST EN 12972-2020 Tanks for the transport of dangerous goods. Metal tanks. Testing, inspection and marking (GOST EN 12972-2020 "Tanks for the transport of dangerous goods. Metal tanks.