Safety and Regulations in the Tanker Truck Industry Attract Significant Attention
Recently, frequent incidents related to tanker trucks have aroused widespread global concern about the safety and industry regulations of tanker trucks. From transportation accidents to irregular operations during transportation, the tanker truck industry is facing unprecedented scrutiny.
In Italy, on the morning of July 12 local time, a tanker truck carrying diesel fuel had a serious traffic accident in the city of Crespellano, Bologna Province. The vehicle first collided with a Toyota Yaris while driving, causing minor injuries to the two elderly passengers in the car. Subsequently, the out-of-control tanker truck rushed off the road, crashed into the square in front of the GLS company, and hit the diesel storage tank used for refueling, instantly causing a violent explosion. The accident resulted in the death of the tanker truck driver, 61-year-old Marino Boki. At present, the preliminary investigation into the cause of the accident does not rule out that it was caused by a tire blowout, and the relevant departments are conducting further in-depth investigations. After the incident, local police, gendarmes, emergency personnel and air medical forces rushed to the scene to carry out rescue and disposal work.
In the field of food safety, the problem of "mixed use of tanker trucks for transportation" exposed in 2024 is also shocking. Media tracking found that many general cargo tankers in China have serious irregularities during transportation. These tankers not only carry edible liquids such as syrup and soybean oil, but also transport chemical liquids such as coal-based oil. Moreover, in order to save costs, the tanks are mostly not cleaned during the replacement of goods for transportation, which directly leads to the contamination of edible oil by residual chemical liquids. For example, two tankers that had just unloaded coal-based oil were loaded with edible oil without cleaning the tanks, involving enterprises including the well-known Huifu Oil & Fat Group and Sinograin Oils & Fats (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. After the incident fermented, it was found through the positioning platform that an involved vehicle shuttled frequently between different edible oil manufacturers and coal-based oil manufacturers for transportation within half a year.
On August 25, 2024, the Food Safety Office of the State Council announced the investigation and disposal situation, determining that the incident of mixed transportation of edible vegetable oil by tankers was extremely bad in nature, violated common sense, trampled on the bottom line of morality and the red line of law, and was a typical illegal and criminal act that must be severely cracked down. In the end, 7 involved enterprises were legally given administrative penalties. On September 3, 2024, the Standardization Administration of China issued a notice on the formulation plan of the mandatory national standard "Hygienic Requirements for Bulk Transportation of Edible Vegetable Oils", aiming to further standardize the transportation link of edible oil and ensure food safety.
As an important tool for the transportation of dangerous chemicals, the safe and standardized operation of tanker trucks is crucial. Whether transporting flammable and explosive oil products or edible oil related to food safety, any negligence may lead to serious consequences, threatening the safety of life and property and public health. Relevant enterprises should strictly abide by laws and regulations, strengthen vehicle maintenance, personnel training and transportation process management; government departments also need to continuously strengthen supervision to ensure the safe and orderly operation of the tanker truck industry and safeguard social safety and stability