Hazmat (alternative spelling: HAZMAT) is a common term for dangerous goods. The term hazmat originally comes from the English ("hazardous materials") and describes substances that pose certain risks to health, property or the environment during transportation. Substances that can be designated as hazardous materials are, for example, toxic chemicals, fuels, nuclear waste products or biological, chemical and radiological warfare agents.
Hazmat/hazardous goods equipment in vehicles
Depending on their area of use, certain special vehicles must have the appropriate hazmat or dangerous goods equipment. This includes the transportation of hazardous goods as well as fighting them. One example of the transportation of hazardous goods in a special vehicle is the supply of diesel fuel or explosives by the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW).
Certain special fire department vehicles can be used to combat hazardous materials. These are the so-called hazardous materials equipment vehicle (GW-G), which is often part of the so-called hazardous materials platoon together with a command vehicle and several other equipment vehicles. There are also specially equipped hazmat or decontamination vehicles, which also have the appropriate hazardous goods equipment. The equipment is usually provided via specially equipped roll-off containers or a box body. However, there are generally no dedicated ambulances or patient transport vehicles (KTW) for the transportation of people injured by hazardous goods.
