Update to Code of Practice for safe bitumen delivery

The Refined Bitumen Association (RBA), the UK trade body for the bitumen industry, has published an updated version of its safety advisory booklet: Code of Practice for the Safe Delivery of Bitumen Products.

First published in 1996, the Code of Practice was originally conceived as a means of helping to raise awareness of the occurrence and causes of accidents during bitumen delivery and to reduce their frequency by defining good operational and environmental practice. The RBA’s Code is now established as the authoritative document on best practice for the safe delivery and receipt of bitumen.

The new update includes a copy of the guidance on first aid treatment for burns published by the European industry association, Eurobitume, and four appendices providing practical advice and checklists. These cover: personal protective equipment for drivers; an equipment list for bitumen delivery vehicles; the calculation of safe working capacity for bitumen tanks; and a design for a safer bitumen hose flange.

The good practice advice given in the Code comprehensively covers the spectrum of activities involved in both the delivery and receipt of bitumen, including operational maintenance procedures, and will also be a valuable aid in the training of customer employees and supplier representatives.

Copies of the Code of Practice for the Safe Delivery of Bitumen Products are available from bitumen suppliers or can be downloaded from the RBA web site.