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Transportation in Canada 2001 |
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4
TRANSPORTATION
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Transportation of Dangerous Goods
Every year, 27 million dangerous goods shipments move across
Canada. Most of these shipments include goods that directly influence
and improve the lifestyle that Canadians have come to expect and
enjoy. And all these shipments contain goods that can threaten
public safety if involved in an accidental release. The Transportation
of Dangerous Goods (TDG) program works to enhance public safety
by ensuring that dangerous goods are transported as safely as
possible.
In 2001, there were 464 reportable dangerous goods accidents.
TDG accidents are "reportable" if they are severe enough
to meet the reporting requirements defined in the TDG Regulations.
TDG accidents can occur while dangerous goods are being transported,
while they are being handled, or during temporary storage pending
transport. Very few, however, are caused by the dangerous goods
themselves. In 2001, there was one reportable TDG accident directly
caused by dangerous goods. No deaths or injuries resulted from
this accident.
Table 4-15 compares reportable accidents involving dangerous
goods by mode and phase of transport from 1996 to 2001. "In-transit"
accidents include those that occurred during actual transport.
"Not-in-transit" accidents are those that took place
at facilities where the goods were prepared for transport or stored
in the course of transport. From 1992 to 2001, more dangerous
goods accidents occurred at the handling stage (52 per cent) than
while they were being transported (48 per cent).
Table 4-16 summarizes deaths and injuries caused by dangerous
goods during reportable accidents that involved dangerous goods.
It also shows injuries by level of severity. Minor injuries refer
to those injuries that require first-aid treatment, moderate injuries
involve emergency hospital treatment, and major injuries require
overnight hospitalization. Transport Canada achieved its target
of no deaths attributed to dangerous goods in 2001. The number
of injuries caused by dangerous goods, at 43, was up slightly
from 2000 levels, but in line with the previous five-year average
of 44.
Table 4-17 lists the total number of deaths and injuries that
occurred at reportable accidents involving dangerous goods. In
most cases, the deaths and injuries were caused by the accident
itself (e.g. a collision), not by the dangerous goods.
Transportation of Dangerous Goods
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