Dangerous goods: narrating principles of safe transportation

Transportation of dangerous goods is kind of "an assignment with an asterisk" for the carrier since it is not enough just to know the characteristics of the cargo and requirements for its transportation. What other nuances are important to take into account? Let’s take a close look.

What cargo is considered dangerous?
Dangerous cargo (ADR) can adversely affect human beings and environment. This may present, among all, combustion, toxic or corrosive effects, infectious hazard, etc.

There are 9 classes of dangerous goods. APS practises transportation of all of them, apart from explosive substances and articles class 1* and radioactive materials class 7.

*Carriage of goods class 1.4S is possible.

What are peculiarities in relation to the carriage of dangerous goods in different countries?
In most countries of the Eurasian continent, there is a unified approach defined by ADR (Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road). To date, there are 52 member states. At the same time, any of these countries may apply additional national provisions to the transportation.

Some Asian countries, such as Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, China, etc. have not acceded to the ADR treaty and only apply local rules for the carriage of dangerous goods.

What are requirements for the carrier?
The carrier doesn’t need to obtain a special licence to practise the carriage of dangerous goods. The requirements only concern the driver and vehicle engaged into the transportation. The driver must undergo a training and have a valid ADR certificate. The vehicle must be equipped with special gear and personal protection equipment for the primary elimination of possible consequences in an accident.

What shipping documents are required for the carriage?
Prior to the carriage, at the loading place, the driver must receive an accompanying document for dangerous goods in one of the three procedural languages of ADR: English, German, French.
Putting down the information on dangerous cargo into a CMR consignment note is also allowed. The content must strictly comply with the requirements of ADR.

What is important to pay attention on while taking over dangerous goods for transportation?
First of all, it is crucial to define the hazard class, calculate the number of colli, examine the package. There should be no damage or deformation, including on the pallets. Next, the conformity of the marking and the presence of the accompanying document for dangerous goods or the entry in the CMR are checked. During the loading, it is important to supervise the distribution of the colli in the semi-trailer and their fastening.

What are high consequence dangerous goods? In what way do the requirements for transportation toughen?
High consequence dangerous goods are cargo which might be used not for the intended purpose, but for terrorist reasons. Every country has its own approach to the regulation of the carriages of this type of cargo. For instance, in Russia, the carrier must obtain a special permit beforehand for toxic gases and poison substances. That is why for planning such a transportation, it is worth turning to experienced carriers that know the specificities of different countries and can undertake all organizational issues.

Is transporting dangerous goods allowed as part of groupage cargo?
It is permitted to carry packaged dangerous goods with other cargoes. Foodstuffs and animal feed can only be transported with ADR goods if there is a dividing wall. Exceptions are infectious and toxic substances, which are forbidden to transport as part of groupage cargo.

What issues do clients concern about when ordering the transportation of dangerous goods?
As a rule, clients specify the possibility of combining several dangerous goods in one truck, the need to arrange special permits, and the correct execution of accompanying documentation for the cargo.

The key to a safe carriage of ADR goods is information awareness and overall understanding of the matter. The APS specialists are always ready to give a constructive consultancy and perform transportation of ADR goods to European and Asian countries.