The lack of adequate signs in trucks loaded with hazardous substances threatens the life of the firefighters, according to the fire department chief Hector Chaves.
When firefighters attend tanker trucks for emergencies, frequently they don’t know what kind of substance they are facing, because cargo isn’t properly identified. Even drivers, in many instances, do not know what are they carrying.
In the first five months of 2016, a total of 1,813 hazardous material emergencies were attended by the fire department.
According to traffic regulations, the trucks must display special plates to indicate what are they carrying. In addition, they should carry an emergency card that explains how to contain the substance.
However, Chaves said “rarely” the tanker trucks have this information.
Traffic police are responsible for enforcing these regulations. But the director of this institution, Mario Calderon, said they did not have money to fill a staff shortage of 1000 officers, who are needed to perform this and other duties.
Source: La Nación.