Equipment IV Shipping & Receiving Containers Purpose and Function At large and small manufacturing facilities across the United States, materials are either shipped or received in a variety of containers. It is essential that facilities use the appropriate container to safely ship the required amount of material from one place to another. All state and federal regulations must be strictly followed. Containers will be of various shapes and sizes. Each type of container is unique and operators must become familiar with all containers used in their work area and know how to safely transfer materials into and out of the containers. Each manufacturing facility has developed procedures for the safe loading/unloading of containers. Procedures must be followed to ensure the safety of employees, contractors, the public, and the environment. Materials can be in the form of solids, liquids or gases. These materials may require large or small containers depending on the amount to be shipped or received. Logistics coordinates with the shipping and receiving department to schedule the movement of materials being received and materials shipping out of the facility. Material Handling Process materials may be transported in a wide variety of containers. The different types of containers may consist of: • Bags and Boxes • Drums and Barrels • High or low-pressure gas cylinders • Portable tanks and tote bins • Sack containers • Intermodal containers • Tank trailers and hopper trailers • Box and flat trailers • Railroad tank cars, hopper cars, flatcars, and box cars Operators will work with tank farms, loading racks, and bagging and drumming operations. They must understand the requirements around how to load or unload materials. The movement of these materials is called material handling. The process of material handling requires the knowledge and skills to: • Obtain material safety data sheets or (MSDS) that describes hazard information about the material being transferred • Know proper techniques for connecting containers to be loaded or unloaded • Perform a valve lineup • Operate pumps • Inspect cargo vessels to ensure safety and compliance regulations are met • Verify correct placarding and/or placard a vessel • Read and fill out shipping papers • Know spill containment and cleanup procedures • Calculate equipment parameters that transfer the exact amount of material and • Know the characteristics and limitations of different types of shipping containers. Shipping or receiving products is a part of daily business at a manufacturing facility. Raw materials produced at one plant facility may be needed at another facility located across the country or overseas in order to produce another product. You see this movement of products daily by the trucks on our highways, railcars and ships at ports being loaded. The airlines also ship smaller products by air. Moving all these products require various shipping and receiving containers. Safety Personnel who are involved in the loading and unloading of materials must be properly trained and certified prior to performing any tasks. Individuals in charge of loading or unloading materials should be familiar with the appropriate local, state and federal regulations. Depending on your job assignment you will not only be trained on how to perform the task but will also be trained and expected to follow Department of Transportation and Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines. Safety must be your first priority when working around chemicals. To be safe, you must be protected. Personal protective equipment or PPE is required for loading/unloading tank trailers. Basic PPE includes items such as hard hats, safety glasses or goggles, rubber gloves, coveralls, leather safety shoes and ear plugs. Some chemicals may require special protective equipment. If you do work around such chemicals, you will be appropriately trained on the correct protective equipment that will be used to perform the work tasks. When materials arrive in containers for unloading or products are loaded in containers for shipment, there is variety of auxiliary equipment that will be used to assist the operator. For example, materials may be pumped or transferred in or out of storage tanks, silos and or moved by forklift. Regardless of which method is used, you will be appropriately trained to effectively and safely use all equipment. Not only is your personal safety critical but there is a responsibility to protect the environment. There will be interceptor sewer drains and other features that will be in place to handle any spill incidents. You will be trained on procedures on how to treat spills that may occur regarding chemicals you may load or unload. Not only will you be trained on what equipment to wear but also on the procedures to follow if you were exposed to splashes or airborne dust. Container Types There are numerous shapes and sizes of shipping and receiving containers used to transport products. Each container used is specifically designed and constructed for the product that it contains. We will take a look at some of those shipping and receiving containers used to move materials from one location to another. One method used to ship or to receive products is by boxes or bags. Normally, boxes and bags are common containers used for smaller quantities. They come in various sizes and may contain a specific amount of product based on customer needs. Some of the boxes may have lids and will be banded for safety and stability. Super sacks are containers typically made of heavy, woven fabric, such as nylon or polypropylene. They are used to contain large amounts of dry materials and sometimes have a plastic liner. Some sacks have metallic wire woven into the fabric to provide a ground wire that will eliminate a static charge that may ignite a dust explosion. Tote bins are used for solids and liquids. Most have a loading valve, a removable lid on top and an unloading valve located on the bottom. They may have channels in the bottom which allows them to be moved by a fork truck or crane. Next, let’s look at small bulk liquid materials handling and drumming operations. At one time we have all noticed the blue polypropylene 55-gallon drums and metal drums. The filling, labeling, and preparing for shipment of liquids in drums is call drumming. Facilities that load and ship drums of materials will have a drumming room, drumming shed, or a drumming area within a building. The drum room will have scales with a readout, various lines for connecting to and loading materials from different tanks, a short roller belt for moving the loaded drum from the scale and a lift truck for moving drums to a container. The operator will place an empty drum on the scale, weigh it, valve the line for the correct product, load the drum to the correct weight through a drum hose, then seal and label the drum. The drum is then moved to a container for shipment and the appropriate paperwork is prepared. The drums may also be shipped to a warehouse for storage and shipment at a later date. Some drums are palletized at a customer’s request. The drums may also be shrink-wrapped or banded together. Once the shipment is prepared the operator will then fill out the necessary paperwork and move the drums with a forklift to the product warehouse for shipping. Large bulk material carriers are required when there are large amounts of chemicals to be shipped or received. Frequently, operators will be required to load or unload large amounts of liquids, gases, and solids from truck trailers or railroad tank cars. There are several different types of tank trailers and railroad tank cars that carry various kinds of processed chemicals. Some are designed for low-pressure application only, others for liquefied gases under significant pressure, corrosive acids or bases, compressed gases, cryogenic liquids, or dry bulk materials. The Interstate Commerce Commission and the Department of Transportation have established regulations for the safe transportation of hazardous substances. These regulations are binding on all shippers. The facilitys shipping and receiving department is responsible for scheduling the movement of tank cars and tank trucks in and out of the facility. They also coordinate the arrival and departure of barges and ships at the plant docks if the product is transported by barge or ship. Common Trailers First, let’s look at the most common trailers for shipping and receiving materials. A majority of the materials transferred by highways are either by box trailer or a flatbed trailer. Box trailers are also referred to as freight trailers. Box trailers are covered and protect the freight that they haul. The trailers can be refrigerated if the product must be perserved at a cold temperature. A forklift is typically used to load and unload the freight, such as pallets of materials, boxes and drums. Flatbed trailers are used to haul very heavy pieces of freight and various shapes of equipment and other loads. Unless covered, they are fully exposed to the weather. Depending on their weight, the freight may be moved with a crane or if appropriate, a hoist or forklift may be used. Tank Trailers One method of transporting materials is by using tank trailers. The type of tank trailer used may depend on the following: Characteristics of the shipping material (Is it a solid, liquid or a gas?), chemical corrosiveness of product being shipped, temperatures and pressure requirements and the safety features of the tank trailer. Now, let’s look at the various types of large bulk material containers and their characteristics. The type of tank trailer used is based on the type of material being shipped. Tank Trailer types are: • Atmospheric Pressure Trailers • Low-Pressure Trailers • High-Pressure Trailers • Corrosive Liquid Trailers • Cryogenic Liquid Trailers • Tube/Cylinder Trailers and • Dry Bulk Trailers Atmospheric pressure tank trailers are used extensively to transport liquids that can be maintained at vapor pressures less than 3 pounds per square inch gauge. Since atmospheric trailers are not pressure rated, pressure transfer techniques cannot be used for unloading. Construction of the tank is usually of aluminum. The trailer is divided into compartments by internal bulkheads with a manhole located on top of the trailer for each compartment. The cross-section profile of the trailer is elliptical in shape. There are additional support structures around the tank and flashing boxes built around the manholes. Control valves are located either under the trailer or at the rear. Vents, pressure relief devices, and vacuum breakers are located on top of the trailers. Materials hauled include flammable, combustible, and non-flammable liquids; toxic liquids and liquid food products. Generally, they have a 9,000 gallon maximum capacity limit. Examples of transported liquids are orange juice, milk, gasoline and kerosene. Low-pressure trailers are designed to carry chemicals with vapor pressures up to 40 pounds per square inch gauge at an ambient temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Construction is usually steel or stainless steel with a double shell and insulation. These trailers can be either a single compartment or a multi-compartment. The cross-section profile of the tank is circular in shape and has external stiffening rings providing additional support. Discharge outlet, valving, and unloading controls are located either under the trailer or at the rear. Vents, pressure relief valves, and vacuum breakers are located on top of the trailer. These trailers may carry flammable, combustible, non-flammable, and toxic liquids. Generally, low-pressure trailers may have a maximum capacity of about 6,000 gallons. Some typical cargos are styrene, paraxylene, gasoline and jet fuel. High-pressure trailers are designed for carrying liquefied gases at pressures above 100 pounds per square inch. The tank construction is usually steel and the upper two-thirds of the tank is painted white or a highly reflective color. A bolted manway is frequently located at the rear of the trailer. They have a heavy, bulky appearance and both ends of the trailer have large hemispherical heads. Vents and pressure relief devices are located on top of the trailer. Loading and unloading piping and controls are either under the trailer or in the rear. Examples of transported liquefied gases are anhydrous ammonia, propane, and butane. Corrosive liquid trailers are designed for transporting acidic and caustic liquids with relatively high pressures up to 75 lbs. per square inch. They are smaller in diameter than a low pressure trailer. They frequently have a top loading or unloading station with exterior piping extending the discharge connection to the lower rear of the trailer. They can transport 5,000 to a maximum of 6,000 gallons. The cargo maybe that of sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, gasoline, and kerosene. Cryogenic liquid trailers transport gases liquefied at cryogenic temperatures. The temperatures are below minus 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The trailers are large, bulky trailers with fairly flat ends. The loading and unloading piping and controls are located at the rear of the trailers or just in front of the dual rear wheels. The trailers are double walled, insulated, and the space between the walls may be under a vacuum.. This will keep the cryogenic materials in a liquid form during transportation. Liquids transported in the trailer are liquid oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. Cylinder trailers transport compressed gases. Please note: they do not carry liquefied gases. These trailers are designed for extremely high pressures from 3,000 to 5,000 lbs. per square inch gauge. The trailer is made up of several large, horizontal gas cylinders that are connected by a manifold of piping. Gases transported in the trailer are compressed air, hydrogen, nitrogen, helium and refrigerants. Dry bulk trailers only transport dry bulk materials. The trailers are made of steel. They have large, sloping, V-shaped bottom unloading compartments. These trailers will have top manholes and/or exterior piping for an auxiliary air compressor to assist in loading and unloading. The capacity is 45,000 to 48,000 pounds. Examples of dry bulk materials carried are polymer pellets and granulated fertilizers. Intermodal containers are referred to as ISO containers. They are cylindrical tanks that are built inside a rectangular framework which allows for lifting and stacking on flatbed trailers. They may also be stored in the cargo hulls of ships for shipment overseas. The containers are designed to hold 40,000 pounds. Railroad Cars Railroad cars are similar to tank trailers but can carry a much larger capacity. Tank Trailers may contain 6,000 to 9,000 gallons of materials while railcars hold over 20,000 gallons. General purpose tank cars have a working pressure of 100 pounds per square inch or less. Pressurized tank cars have a working pressure of greater than 100 pounds per square inch. Now, let’s look at the various types of railroad car containers that haul materials. The type of railroad car used is based on the type of material being shipped. Types of Railroad Cars are: • General-Purpose Tank Cars • Pressurized Tank Cars • Dedicated Cars • Box Cars • Hopper Cars • Covered Hopper Cars and • Gondola Cars We will look at each of these railroad cars and their characteristics. A general purpose tank car is a non-pressurized unit that transports most liquid materials. These cars can be lined, insulated, double walled or single shelled and may have multi-compartments, each with individual loading and unloading fittings. Examples of liquid materials transported are toxic and/or flammables, fruit juices, liquid farm products and many other products. Pressurized tank cars transport hazardous and non-hazardous liquids and liquefied gases. The cars may be insulated or have double walls for greater protection. They are designed for pressures up to 400 lbs. per square inch gauge and equipped with a safety relief valve set to match the transported materials at 105F. The cars have loading and unloading valves on top of the car and are covered by a dome for protection. Some railcars are treated as dedicated cars for hauling materials if the product is usually hazardous, if the product can react if mixed with other materials and if the manufacturer wants to ensure that if any materials are left in the railcar that it will not contaminate their product. An example would be hydrocyanic acid. In some cases, the name of the liquid for hauling is painted on the side of the railcar with identifying colors and/or patterns. This schematic shows a general view of two unloading techniques. They are bottom unloading and top unloading. Unloading railroad tank cars and tank trucks follow similar techniques. If you work in an area and are responsible for unloading chemical railcars or tank trailers, then you will be trained on those specific procedures prior to performing these tasks. As always, personal protective equipment must be worn while either loading or unloading chemicals. This is an example of a bottom unloading technique that may be used for unloading certain chemicals. A pump is used to move the material to storage. The container will be vented from the top to prevent a vacuum from forming inside the container while the material is transferring out. This is an example of a top unloading technique. This process may require using an inert gas, such as nitrogen, to blanket the liquid while unloading. Blanketing is a safety precaution used to reduce explosion. The chemical exits the top of the tank and is sent to storage. Boxcars can carry most kinds of freight. Originally they were hand-loaded, but in more recent years mechanical assistance such as forklifts have been used to load and empty them faster. Examples of containers they may haul are drums and bagged materials. Hopper cars transport loose bulk commodities such as coal, ore, grain, etc. The hopper car is open on the top for loading of materials. The car will have opening doors on the side or doors on the underside for unloading the materials. Covered hopper cars are used for bulk cargo that must be protected from the elements such as grain, sugar, fertilizer and a variety of dry bulk materials. Gondola cars transport loose bulk materials. The railcar has an open top with low side walls. Materials hauled are very dense materials such as steel plates, coils or heavy prefabricated materials. Safety Systems There are critical safety systems that must be used when loading or unloading materials. You will be trained on the procedures and work practices prior to performing any loading or unloading tasks. Some of the safety practices include, but are not limited to: • STOP-DO NOT MOVE VEHICLE signs • Wheel Chocks • Ground Wires • Safety Stands • Safety Showers • Eyewash Fountains • Deluge Systems DOT requires that all Hazardous materials being transported on public highways must have shipping documents with the driver that contain the proper shipping na