Storing and transporting hazardous material, logistics strategies for Moroccan companies

Abstract

Companies manufacturing, using or transporting hazardous materials (HM) face risks at every link in their supply chain. Industrial activities related to this type of material expose not only the workers, but also the population and environment to serious risks. Logistic management and risk management are often considered independent. However, logistics choices related to hazardous materials mix the two aspects in an inseparable way. In fact, risk management must be synchronized with the choices and logistics strategies of companies. The analysis of the risk relating to the management of these HMs, therefore, requires making methodological choices, but also using a lot of data, which are often incomplete. The achievement of the present study was a real challenge owing to the lack of information and statistics on the use, transportation or storage of HMs in Moroccan territory. The purpose of this study is to provide a portrait of the industrial practices surrounding the management of hazardous materials in Morocco in order to identify the determining factors, specifically those related to health, safety at work, in the logistic choices of companies as well as the different strategies that take into account the variables: storage, transport and quantity, including cost and risk factors. In this context, and to conduct a survey on the logistic choices related to hazardous materials at our country, we have set up a questionnaire that will try to reach the largest number of Moroccan companies. This questionnaire focuses on the practices surrounding: procurement, shipping, storage, outsourcing, risk management, the influence of economic factors on the management of hazardous materials and the elements affecting specifically workers.