Attendance requirements when loading and unloading cargo tanks

Scope

A cargo tank must be attended at all times by a qualified person when it is being loaded or unloaded.

Regulatory citations

• 49 CFR 177.834 — General requirements
• 49 CFR 177.840 — Class 2 (gases) materials

Key definitions

• Cargo tank: A bulk package that:
  • Is a tank intended primarily for the carriage of liquids or gases and includes appurtenances, reinforcements, fittings, and closures;
  • Is permanently attached to or forms a part of a motor vehicle, or is not permanently attached to a motor vehicle but which, by reason of its size, construction or attachment to a motor vehicle is loaded or unloaded without being removed from the motor vehicle; and
  • Is not fabricated under a specification for cylinders, intermediate bulk containers, multi-unit tank car tanks, portable tanks, or tank cars.

• Tank: A container, consisting of a shell and heads, that forms a pressure tight vessel having openings designed to accept pressure tight fittings or closures, but excludes any appurtenances, reinforcements, fittings, or closures.

Summary of requirements

A cargo tank must be attended at all times by a qualified person when it is being loaded or unloaded.

A person is “qualified” if they:

• Have been made aware of the nature of the hazardous material, which is to be loaded or unloaded;
• Have been instructed on the procedures to be followed in emergencies; and
• Are authorized to move the cargo tank and have the means to do so.

• Alert,
• Has an unobstructed view of the cargo tank and delivery hose to the maximum extent practicable, and
• Is within 7.62 meters (25 feet) of the cargo tank.