CARGOCONNECT-APRIL2025 - Flipbook - Page 74
PANEL 4
MANAGING HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS ACROSS
THE SUPPLY CHAIN AND WAREHOUSING
“We are addressing a topic of
immense relevance—Managing
Hazardous Chemicals across
Supply Chain and Warehousing, which span across industries such as textiles, hygiene
products, and wearables. The
chemical industry, unfortunately, remains one of the
most risk-prone sectors. I’m
sure every single person here
has heard of an incident or accident in the chemical industry—whether
it's a spill, explosion, or contamination. The question is not if these
incidents will occur, but when. The consequences of such incidents are
devastating. The impact goes far beyond the immediate damage—it a昀昀ects
the lives of individuals, communities, and the broader environment.
These accidents harm ecosystems, disrupt societies, and jeopardise
the health and safety of all living beings on this planet. Given these
severe implications, the importance of managing hazardous waste
chemicals cannot be overstated. This is a responsibility we must all
take very seriously.”
AJITH SASIDHARAN, Head of Logistics, UPL (MODERATOR)
“At Deepak Fertilisers, we not
only take responsibility for
managing hazardous products and ensuring their safe
handling but also addressing
environmental challenges.
For instance, while producing
ammonia, we generate signi昀椀cant carbon dioxide emissions,
which pose a major challenge
for us. Instead of viewing this
as just an obstacle, we turned it into an opportunity by capturing
and liquefying the CO₂ and repurposing it as a product for beverage
companies. In the upstream value chain, we place a strong emphasis
on vendor assessment. We ensure that our vendors align with our
environmental ethos and share similar sustainability goals. If they don’t
meet our standards, we work with them to help them improve. Regarding
our production processes, one of the major emissions is chemical coal,
which contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer. We view this as an
opportunity to reduce our energy load by implementing new technologies,
which have allowed us to lower emissions compared to previous levels.
In terms of transportation, we are shifting from road to rail transport.”
DEBDUTTA CHOWDHURY, Associate VP– Category Plant Logistics
and Indirect Purchase, Deepak Fertilisers & Petrochemicals Corp
74 | CARGOCONNECT APRIL 2025
“Once chemicals are on the road,
if there is no clear identi昀椀cation
on the vehicle, it can lead to major
accidents in the event of an emergency. Our process starts when
the vehicle arrives for loading. The
昀椀rst critical step is removing any
outdated labels from the vehicle.
This is important because if old
and new labels are both present,
emergency responders may get
confused during an incident, especially if there’s a leak or spill. Once
the vehicle is ready for loading, we follow the mandatory requirements
outlined in the CNB Act, Section 129, which dictates that Emergency
Information Panels (EIP) must be a昀케xed to at least three sides of the
vehicle. These panels display essential details, such as the product's hazard
class, emergency contact information, and special advice in case of leaks
or 昀椀re. Besides that, we verify the vehicle’s registration, followed by the
PUC and 昀椀tness certi昀椀cate, the driver’s license along with the mandatory
hazardous materials training certi昀椀cate, issued by an RTO-approved
agency. Beyond those, we also provide the transport emergency card as
well as the MSDS for the chemicals being transported.”
ALPESH PATEL, Associate VP– Supply Chain, Navin Fluorine International
“Responsible Care encompasses
several key codes, and the
distribution code specifically
aligns with the supply chain
process. This involves classifying chemicals and products
that are manufactured, procured
from suppliers, or distributed to
customers. The first step is to
identify risks across the entire
supply chain—from the supplier
to the manufacturing location and from the plant to the end customers.
Once risks are identi昀椀ed, companies must assess the potential chemical
hazards and implement mitigation strategies. This includes training,
route de昀椀nition, and identifying public areas along the transportation
routes. Driver training is particularly crucial to make them understand
the chemicals they are transporting, as they are the 昀椀rst line of response
in case of an emergency. Further to that, it is essential to prepare and
implement transport emergency plans that comply with regulatory and
statutory requirements and be speci昀椀c to the transportation of hazardous
goods. Responsible Care also extends to evaluating and selecting LSPs
to ensure they meet the necessary safety and compliance standards.”
BABUBHAI VANJAR, Head– SCM, Gujarat Insecticides
