4.4 Carriage of Dangerous Goods

Exercise 4.4.1 Read and translate the text.

Carrying goods by air or rail involves the risk of traffic accidents. If the goods carried are dangerous, there is also the risk of an incident, such as spillage of the goods, leading to hazards such as fire, explosion, chemical burn or environmental damage.

Most goods are not considered sufficiently dangerous to require special precautions during carriage. Some goods, however, have properties which mean they are potentially dangerous if carried.

Dangerous goods are liquid or solid substances and articles containing them, that have been tested and assessed against internationally-agreed criteria-a process called classification - and found to be potentially dangerous (hazardous) when carried. Dangerous goods are assigned to different Classes depending on their predominant hazard.

There are regulations to deal with the carriage of dangerous goods, the purpose of which is to protect everyone either directly involved (such as consignors or carriers), or who might become involved (such as members of the emergency services and public). Regulations place duties upon everyone involved in the carriage of dangerous goods, to ensure that they know what they have to do to minimize the risk of incidents and guarantee an effective response.

Carriage of dangerous goods by air or rail is regulated internationally by agreements and European Directives, with biennial updates of the Directives take account of technological advances. New safety requirements are implemented by Member States via domestic regulations which directly reference the technical agreements.

Exercise 4.4.2 Answer the questions.

1. What does carrying goods by air or rail involve?

2. What goods are not considered sufficiently dangerous to require special precautions during carriage?

3. What goods have properties which mean they are potentially dangerous if carried?

4. What are dangerous goods assigned to?

5. What is carriage of dangerous goods by air and rail regulated internationally by?

6. What international agreements about carrying goods by air and rail do you know?

7. What is implemented by Member States via domestic regulations which directly reference the technical agreements?

Exercise 4.4.3 Write T if the sentence is true and F if the sentence is false.

1. Carrying goods by air or rail involves the risk of traffic accidents.

2. If the goods carried are dangerous, there is the risk of an incident, such as spillage of the goods, leading to hazards such as fire, explosion, chemical burn or environmental damage.

3. Some goods have properties which mean they are potentially dangerous if carried.

4. Dangerous goods aren’t assigned to different Classes depending on their predominant hazard.

5. There are no regulations to deal with the carriage of dangerous goods.

6. The purpose of the regulations is to protect everyone either directly involved or who might become involved.

7. Carriage of dangerous goods by air or rail is regulated internationally by agreements and European Directives.

8. New safety requirements are implemented by Member States via international regulations.

Exercise 4.4.4 Give the English equivalents for the following.

Опасные грузы; авиационные происшествия; опасность происшествия; утечка; взрыв; химический ожог; ущерб окружающей среде; жидкость; оценивать; преобладающий; грузоотправитель; гарантировать; двухлетний; принимать в расчет; осуществлять.

Exercise 4.4.5 Find in the text synonyms for the following words and word combinations.

To draw in; hazard; loss; enough; hazardous; to evaluate; rules; transportation; covenant; home; check.

Exercise 4.4.6 State what part of speech the following words belong to.

1. goods

1. noun b) adverb c) adjective d) verb

2. accident

1. countable noun b) uncountable noun c) adverb d) verb

3. dangerous

1. adverb b) superlative adjective c) adjective d) comparative adjective

4. explosion

1. noun b) verb c) adverb d) adjective

5. predominant

1. adjective b) noun c) adverb d) preposition

6. purpose

1. noun b) preposition c) adverb d) adjective

7. involve

1. verb b) past participle c) adverb d) adjective

8. carriage

1. noun b) verb c) preposition d) conjunction

9. biennial

a) comparative adjective b) superlative adjective c) noun d) adjective

10. via

1. conjunction b) pronoun c) preposition d) adverb

Exercise 4.4.7 Match the words and word combinations in column A with those in column B.

A	B
1. traffic accidents	a. химический ожог
2. risk of an incident	b. утечка
3. spillage	c. грузоотправитель
4. liquid	d. перевозка
5. chemical burn	e. авиационные происшествия
6. carriage	f. оценивать
7. assess	g. жидкость
8. ensure	h. осуществлять
9. consignor	i. обеспечивать
10. biennial	j. риск происшествия
11. implement	k. двухлетний

Exercise 4.4.8 Fill in the gaps with the words from the text choosing from the ones given in brackets.

1. Carrying goods by air or rail ______________ (provides, depends, complies, involves) the risk of traffic accidents.

2. If the goods carried are dangerous there is also the risk of an incident, such as _______ (spoil, spoilt, spillage) of the goods.

3. Most goods are not considered dangerous to _________ (have, require, involve) special precautions during carriage.

4. Dangerous goods are __________ (classified, made, listed, assigned) to different classes depending on their predominant hazard.

5. There are __________ (text, rules, notes, regulations) to deal with the carriage of dangerous goods.

6. Regulations ___________ (make, place, do) duties upon everyone involved in the carriage of dangerous goods.

7. Carriage of dangerous goods by air or rail is ___________ (assigned, assessed, regulated) internationally by agreements and European Directives.

8. New safety requirements are _______ (agreed, involved, required, implemented) by Member States via domestic regulations.

Exercise 4.4.9 Fill in the gaps with the related words.

1. If the goods carried are ___________ (DANGER), there is the risk of an incident.

2. Most goods are not considered _______ (SUFFICIENT) dangerous to require special precautions during carriage.

3. Some goods have properties which mean they are __________ (POTENTIAL) dangerous if carried.

4. Dangerous goods are ___________ (ASSIGN) to different classes.

5. There are regulations to deal with the ___________ (CARRY) of dangerous goods.

6. Regulations place duties upon everyone __________ (INVOLVE) in the carriage of dangerous goods.

7. Carriage of dangerous goods by air or rail is regulated __________ (INTERNATIONAL) by agreements and European Directives.

8. New safety __________ (REQUIRE) are implemented by Member States via domestic regulations.

Exercise 4.4.10 Fill in the prepositions if necessary.

1. Carrying goods _______ air or rail involves the risk ________ traffic accidents.

2. Most goods are not considered sufficiently dangerous to require special precautions ____________ carriage.

3. Dangerous goods are assigned to different Classes depending ________ their predominant hazard.

4. There are regulations to deal _________ the carriage _________ dangerous goods.

5. Regulations place duties ________ everyone involved __________ the carriage of dangerous goods.

6. Carriage of dangerous goods ________ air and rail is regulated internationally _______ agreements and European Directives.

7. New safety requirements are implemented ________ Member States ___________ domestic regulations which directly reference ________ the technical agreements.

Exercise 4.4.11 Put the given words in the correct order.

1. goods/ Most/ considered/ not/ dangerous/ are.

2. goods/ Dangerous/ liquid/ solid/ or/ substances.

3. different/ classes/ assigned/ are/ Dangerous/ goods/ to.

4. dangerous/ Carriage/ goods/ of/ regulated/ is/ agreements/ by.

Exercise 4.4.12 Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Перевозка грузов по воздуху влечет за собой опасность авиационных происшествий.

2. Если перевозятся опасные грузы, существует риск такого инцидента, как утечка груза, которая может быть причиной пожара, взрыва или химического ожога.

3. Большинство товаров не считаются опасными для перевозки.

4. Некоторые товары обладают такими свойствами, что они могут представлять опасность для транспортировки.

5. К опасным грузам относятся жидкие и твердые вещества, которые были проверены и оценены согласно международным стандартам и эти грузы считаются потенциально опасными во время транспортировки.

6. Существуют специальные правила, касающиеся перевозки опасных грузов.

7. Перевозка опасных грузов по воздуху и по железной дороге регламентируется международными договорами и Европейскими Директивами.

Exercise 4.4.13 Make up your own sentences using the words and word combinations.

To involve; dangerous goods; spillage; fire; explosion; chemical burn; environmental damage; regulations; depend on; to deal with ;purpose; agreements; to take account of; to implement; requirements.

Exercise 4.4.14 Retell the text.