Pluming smoke is seen past the broken window of a damaged residential building near the site of the explosions at the Binhai new district, Tianjin, August 13, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

Highly explosive, flammable, poisonous, radioactive and corrosive chemicals and goods are likely to cause serious accidents if not properly handled, especially during their transportation.

Such goods require precautionary measures to minimize the risks inherent in their production, transportation and storage. And the authorities and logistics companies need to attach great importance to their emergency response systems.

Given the high risks that accompany such products, security, not economic interests, should always be the first priority. Many developed countries have strict regulations covering every link in the chain, from the classification of dangerous goods to the requirements for their transportation.

With China's industrialization, the number of dangerous chemical products has grown swiftly, which has led to the rapid development of logistic services for dangerous goods.

However, China still has a lot to do to catch up with the developed countries when it comes to its extensively operated but not-fully-professional logistics industry, which is yet to implement standardized management to deliver hazardous products across the country.

Precautionary management is the most effective and practical way to control risks. It is better to try and nip risks in the bud. It is essential to evaluate the risks at every stage and take precautionary measures.

The mechanisms of hazard and operability analysis (HAZOP) and hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) have proved to be effective and feasible in providing assessments of latent dangers and targeted precautionary measures.

Basically in logistical terms, any phenomenon that deviates from the preset operating conditions may give rise to dangers, even critical accidents.

HAZOP is designed to determine what can lead to deviations and how to deal with the possible dangers that might accompany these deviations.

It tries to take into account all the possible deviations that might occur in the purchase, transport and storage of dangerous goods, before coming up with solutions to them. For instance, enterprises should make their purchases based on their storage capabilities, continuously track the transportation of dangerous goods, and store the products in accordance with relevant regulations. Hazardous chemicals should be strictly classified and stored securely in an inert environment.

HACCP, on the other hand, focuses on analyzing all possible threats in the whole process, in terms of what may trigger them and how much damage they may cause. Critical control points are set on the basis of the analysis report to correct any deviation that may happen.

In the risk management of dangerous goods, a well-designed transport network plays a key role in minimizing the potential risks during delivery at the lowest cost. Of course, it takes wise and timely judgments to choose the best transportation vehicles and routes, and this is a very difficult task. China can learn from the Emergency Response Notification System of the United States and establish a similar database of its own.

Local governments, on their part, should spare no efforts in building an emergency response notification system, in which the transport sector, firebrigades, and medical teams carry out drills on a regular basis so they can respond quickly to an emergency and work efficiently together in any rescue efforts.

Also, the number and location of local emergency service stations have to be optimized to provide efficient services, and they need to be equipped with all necessary equipment, including fire trucks, ambulances, and communication tools.

In addition, advanced technologies such as the Global Positioning System, Geographic Information System and Radio Frequency Identification, need to be fully exploited in the logistics involving dangerous goods.

Only by following, monitoring, and managing the whole process can the departments concerned know the exact location of the goods in the event of an accident and adopt the best response. Radio Frequency Identification Devices, for example, can provide emergency workers with the category and amount of dangerous goods they are dealing with, helping to restrict post-accident damage to a minimum.

A logistics accident involving dangerous products not only threatens local residents' lives and property, but also causes great losses to the logistics company. Therefore, governments at all levels are obliged to double their financial and policy-related aid to the management of dangerous goods.

In addition, logistic companies should strictly conduct the delivery as requested, and try to determine and eliminate every possible risk involved in the transportation of such goods.

The author is a safety supervisor in Daqing, Heilongjiang province. This article first appeared in the magazine Heilongjiang Science and Technology Information, Issue 19, 2015.