The National Transportation Safety Board has investigated many accidents in which persons were killed following the release of hazardous materials from vehicles involved in the accidents. For example, 16 persons died following the rupture of a liquefied petroleum gas tank-semitrailer in a 1975 highway accident near Eagle Pass, Texas. In Youngstown, Florida, eight persons died following the puncture of a rail tank car carrying chlorine during an accident in 1978. In Houston, Texas, five persons were killed and 178 persons were injured by the release of anhydrous ammonia following the crash of a tank-semitrailer in a 1976 highway accident. The Safety Board has previously reported the causes of these accidents. However, the extent of the casualties in these and other accidents following the release of hazardous materials far exceeded the initial crash losses. Improving survivability in such accidents would contribute significantly to reduced hazardous materials transportation risks. Using the 1976 Houston accident as an example, the Safety Board investigated survival actions by the victims to determine what actions they took, why they were taken, and what effects these actions had on the victims' survival. These actions were then analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the U.S. Department of Transportation-mandated safeguards in reducing casualties in hazardous materials accidents.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Special Investigation Report - Survival in Hazardous Materials Transportation Accidents


    Publication date :

    1979


    Size :

    48 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English