In 2011, the Dutch “Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport” (ILT) conducted inspections onboard thirty inland tankers to check on the use of personal protection equipment during loading operations. The ships all conformed to regulations.
According to regulations, crew members of ships transporting dangerous goods have to wear safety clothing during loading operations. In addition, depending on the kind of dangerous goods transported, the ship has to carry a gas detection meter, one or several appropriate rescue devices, and a toximeter and breathing apparatus for every crew member. All thirty ships had this equipment onboard and it was used correctly as well.
However, the random survey was too small to declare all inland ships follow regulations. The inspection will continue to conduct further ramdom inspections into the use of personal protection equipment in the future.
