Hazard Knowledge

The main hazards for transport incidents are listed below, for which some generic control measures are provided. The hazards for each type of transport are detailed in their own section of this guidance, along with the relevant control measures.

Failure to identify the potential for transport disruptions and pre-plan for them can increase the amount of disruption to the transport network, which can then impact the community.

Air

The hazards associated with attending incidents on aerodromes or incidents involving aircraft off aerodrome include:

• Moving aircraft and vehicles
• Aerodrome access restrictions
• Accessing remote locations
• Aircraft construction and features
• People
• Open water hazards, such as interceptors and ditches used for water management

Rail (including light rail and trams)

The hazards associated with attending incidents on the rail network include:

• Moving rail vehicles
• Rail tracks
• Electricity
• Rail network access restrictions or delays
• Accessing remote locations
• Rail vehicle construction and features
• People
• Animals
• Unstable structures, such as bridges, flyovers, underpasses or tunnels

Road

The hazards associated with attending incidents on the road network or incidents involving road vehicles include:

• Moving vehicles
• Road restrictions
• Road closures or roadworks
• Vehicle construction and features
• People
• Animals
• Unstable structures, such as bridges, flyovers, underpasses or tunnels

Waterways

The hazards associated with attending incidents on waterways or non-fire incidents involving vessels include:

• Moving vessels
• Moving vehicles
• On-site machinery
• Working near water
• Waterway access restrictions
• High tensile mooring lines
• Tidal changes
• Accessing remote locations
• Vessel construction and features
• People
• Animals

Fuel

Fuel systems will be present in many modes of transport, presenting the hazards that are generally associated with fuel. Some modes of transport also carry large volumes of fuel as cargo.

There most commonly used fuels are petrol and diesel:

• Petrol:
  • Is highly flammable and may cause fire or explosions if not handled appropriately
  • Is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons
  • Is produced by mixing fractions obtained from the distillation of crude oil with brand-specific additives to improve performance
  • Under normal conditions, is a volatile liquid with a characteristic odour
  • Has a flashpoint of approximately -40°C
• Diesel:
  • Is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons produced by blending several fractions of crude oil distillates with brand-specific chemical additives
  • Has a flashpoint of above 50°C

A clean-burning alternative is biodiesel, which is derived from agricultural materials, such as plant or animal products.

Some types of fuel are specific to the type of mode of transport, including:

• Aviation fuel
• Rail power systems
• Marine fuel