Local news station confronts hazmat drivers for smoking on the job
Atlanta news station WSB-TV just released the results of a two month investigation into hazmat truck drivers smoking behind the wheel.
The report, entitled “‘It’s explosive’: Hazmat drivers smoking while hauling fuel – a dangerous combination” aired on WSB-TV on May 7. WSB-TV says that for two months, they filmed hazmat truck drivers and eventually caught six of the drivers smoking.
In the video below, news crews from WSB-TV confront a truck driver who they caught smoking and call his company to let them know about what they discovered. One truck driver even lost his job as a result of this report.
You can read the federal regulations that prohibit smoking near a hazmat load below.
No person may smoke or carry a lighted cigarette, cigar, or pipe on or within 25 feet of—
(a) A motor vehicle which contains Class 1 materials, Class 5 materials, or flammable materials classified as Division 2.1, Class 3, Divisions 4.1 and 4.2; or
(b) An empty tank motor vehicle which has been used to transport Class 3, flammable materials, or Division 2.1 flammable gases, which when so used, was required to be marked or placarded in accordance with the rules in §177.823 of this title.