Kelso Technologies Inc., a British Columbia, Canada-based provider of tank car service equipment used in the safe handling and containment of hazardous materials during transport, recently reported that the company has successfully completed initial commercial testing of its new emergency response kit known as the Kelso ERK (ERK). This specialized equipment is used by first responders to cap and contain chemical leaks in the field that originate in a HAZMAT rail tank car’s valve assembly or its connections located on the top of the tank car. The ERK is specifically designed to be implemented quickly and safely to reduce potential dangers to human life and environmental harm to communities during emergency events involving hazardous materials.
The ERK meets the design requirements of many first responder stakeholders in North America. These stakeholders include the National Hazardous Materials Response Team and their 13 regional response centers; six Class 1 railroads; 700 Class 2 and 3 railroads; and training organizations like the Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) – a division of the American Rail Road Association and TRANSCAER which provides a voluntary national outreach effort that focuses on assisting communities prepare for and respond to a possible hazardous material accident event. Both TTCI and TRANSCAER have direct influential relationships with the many first responders in North America.