By Perry Beaty
Cleaning up an accident scene can involve more than sweeping up broken glass especially if a Big Rig is the casualty. Highway mishaps where fuel spills occur can sometimes prolong vehicle recovery efforts if it becomes necessary to pump off the fuel tanks.That task requires a certified Hazmat technician known as “HAZWOPER” an acronym for Hazardous Waste Operations.
The Federal Government requires that anyone engaging in the clean up, (remediation) or disposal of contaminates or hazardous material be trained and certified as per OSHA Regulations CFR 1910.120, which involves 40 hours of training.
Heavy duty vehicle recovery operations stand by and experience long periods of response time for clean up companies to arrive and perform their task of pumping off damaged saddle tanks before towing away the disabled unit. Youʼre already on the scene so why not take charge of the entire cleanup and collect the revenue for the fluid spill? Have your personnel certified by a Training staff which may conduct training with flexible days and hours to accommodate your business.
Your roster of towing clients is an established customer base ready for your services. Traffic accidents are not the only source of response. Loading dock mishaps at freight terminals and scheduled degreasing of fuel islands are of many opportunities.
There are Consulting entities for Insurance companies and the transportation industry for highway and rail (example) that engage in transporting hazardous goods across the nation. These Consulting firms maintain a list of qualified and certified companies that provide services to clean up any casualty in different locations in the country; (much like motor clubs for towing,flat tires, jump starts).
Once you become affiliated with many of these firms you can expect remediation calls through this medium.
Tools and supplies such as personal protective gear, absorbents, spark resistant hand tools, pumps, hoses will be your initial investment. Equipment such as backhoes or bobcats and dump trucks can be rented per job.
We all know the authorities love quick responses, and youʼre already on the scene!
