During the second wave of COVID-19 in India, the Union ministry of road transport and highways asked states and Union territories to create a pool of drivers trained especially to transport ‘hazardous cargo’ amid an increase in transportation and supply of liquid medical oxygen. As per the ministry’s statement issued in May’21, ONLY trained drivers with adequate training and having ‘hazardous cargo’ license would be allowed to operate the Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) trucks.

This is one of the recent examples that demonstrate the highly critical nature of Chemical Logistics; and how it differs itself from many other logistics disciplines because of the potential danger posed by the cargo and its impact on health, safety, security, and the environment (HSSE).

Dangerous goods can be transported only if handled properly and with care. All DG containers have to be checked for proper label/placard as required by the IMDG code and shall be rejected if it poses hazard prior loading. DLDS [(DMIDC) Logistics Data Services Ltd.] provides digital container tracking solution that helps reduce logistics cost from present 14% of the GDP to international standards of 8%.

Though, India is the fourth-largest producer of agrochemicals in the world, 6th largest producer of chemicals in the world and produces 16% of the world’s dyes yet safe movement of chemicals still remains to be one of the biggest challenges. To learn more about the critical factors that define safe chemical logistics, read: http://bwdisrupt.businessworld.in/article/Critical-Factors-That-Define-Safe-Chemical-Logistics/14-10-2021-408659/