Update to Element C4

There have recently be amendments to the Carriage of Dangerous Goods Regulations, as a result we have updated a section of material in Element C4.

Please replace the main section "Transport of Dangerous Substances" up to the heading "Key Safety Principles in Loading and Unloading of Tankers and Tank Containers" with the following text:

TRANSPORT OF DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES

Carrying goods by road or rail involves the risk of traffic accidents. If the goods carried are dangerous, there is also the risk of an incident, such as spillage of the goods, leading to hazards such as fire, explosion, chemical burn or environmental damage. Most goods are not considered sufficiently dangerous to require special precautions during carriage. Some goods, however, have properties which mean they are potentially dangerous if carried.

Dangerous goods are liquid or solid substances and articles containing them that have been tested and assessed against internationally-agreed criteria (a process called classification) and found to be potentially dangerous (hazardous) when carried. Dangerous goods are assigned to the following different classes depending on their predominant hazard:

1.	Explosive substances and articles
2.	Gases
3.	Flammable liquids
4.1.	Flammable solids, self-reactive substances and solid desensitized explosives
4.2.	Substances liable to spontaneous combustion
4.3.	Substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases
5.1.	Oxidizing substances
5.2.	Organic peroxides
6.1.	Toxic substances
6.2.	Infectious substances
7.	Radioactive material
8.	Corrosive substances
9.	Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles

There are regulations to deal with the carriage of dangerous goods which are discussed briefly below. Their purpose is to protect everyone either directly involved (such as consignors or carriers), or who might become involved (such as members of the emergency services and public). Regulations place duties upon everyone involved in the carriage of dangerous goods to ensure that they know what they have to do to minimise the risk of incidents and guarantee an effective response.

Carriage of dangerous goods by road or rail is regulated internationally by agreements and European Directives, with biennial updates of the Directives to take account of technological advances. New safety requirements are implemented by Member States via domestic regulations which, for Great Britain, directly reference the technical agreements.

The Basic Regulatory Framework

The transport of dangerous substances is a highly complex and specialised area. Consequently it is sufficient for the purposes of this course simply to be familiar with the broad regulatory framework and the key requirements to minimise the associated risks. Transport of dangerous substances may involve transport across national boundaries and therefore is heavily regulated by legally enforced international agreements such as:

• ADR – for European Road Transport
• IMDG – for Sea transport
• ADN – for European inland waterways
• RID – for European Rail Transport
• ICAO/IATA – for Air Transport

There are also special rules for the Channel tunnel.

The current UK regulatory system references an international agreement known as “ADR” (the letters taken as an abbreviation of the French title for the document). ADR is a very extensive and detailed tome covering all the conceptual and operational requirements for European road transport of dangerous goods. It is normally updated on a 2-year cycle. The UK has certain exemptions, extensions and modifications but the bulk of ADR is enforced “as is”.

ADR as Applicable from 1st Jan 2007

The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road is referred to by the abbreviation ADR. The current version of the Agreement contains a key article, the second, which say that apart from some excessively dangerous goods, other dangerous goods may be carried internationally in road vehicles subject to compliance with:

• The conditions laid down in Annex A for the goods in question, in particular as regards their packaging and labelling; and
• The conditions laid down in Annex B, in particular as regards the construction, equipment and operation of the vehicle carrying the goods in question.

Annexes A and B have been regularly amended and updated since the entry into force of ADR. The last amendments entered into force on 1 January 2007, and consequently, a revised consolidated version was published as document ECE/TRANS/185, Vol.I and II (ADR 2007).

The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2007

These regulations control the carriage of dangerous goods by road and rail in Great Britain and also, in so far as it relates to safety advisers, regulate the carriage of dangerous goods by inland waterway. They also replace the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2004 (the 2004 Carriage Regulations). The United Kingdom is required to apply the provisions of ADR and RID to national transport within its territory because EC Directives require ADR and RID to be applied (although the UK, like other member States of the European Community, is permitted to modify in certain ways how ADR and RID are applied within its territory.)

The key areas to briefly note in the regulations are:

Requirements of ADR and RID which address issues such as:

• training requirements
• compliance with safety obligations
• special requirements relating to the carriage of class 7 (radioactive) goods
• appointment of Dangerous Goods Safety Advisers
• reporting accidents or incidents
• security provisions
requirements relating to the construction and testing of packaging, receptacles and containers
• carriage, loading, unloading and handling
• vehicle crew training equipment, operation and documentation
• construction and approval of vehicles.

Requirements in addition to ADR and RID which include:

• attendant for, duration of and security for carriage of class 1 (explosive) goods by road
• keeping of consignment information
• use of placards, marks and plate markings for carriage within Great Britain.

Transportable Pressure Equipment which specifies:

• design and manufacturing standards
• requirements for periodic inspection.

Then, in the first section under the heading "Driver Training and the Role of Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser" amend the first paragraph to read:

As mentioned previously, the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2007 reinforce the ADR requirement for all drivers of tankers and tank containers carrying dangerous goods to attend a vocational course of instruction and sit an externally assessed examination – for the classes of goods carried. This gives them a certificate of competency, which is required to be updated at specific intervals. Drivers of vehicles carrying packaged dangerous goods above certain limits must similarly be vocationally trained and certified. Consequently the regulations, in effect, prohibit the transport of dangerous goods by road, inland waterways or rail unless a qualified safety adviser or advisers are appointed. They must also hold a vocational training certificate which covers the types of transport used and the dangerous goods transported by the employer.

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