The carriage of dangerous goods by road is governed by UNECE legislation. Reference to the specific requirements is contained in the ADR reference books. Every two years these are updated with a new version being published.
With the new year well under way and two years having passed since the last update, UNECE has updated the ADR Regulations. ADR 2023 came into force on 1 January 2023 and was subject to numerous changes.
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHANGES?
- A new regulation for gas cylinders from the USA in the new subsection 1.1.4.7.
- A new section 1.2.3 is added with abbreviations previously included in 1.2.1.
- Sections 1.8.6 and 1.8.7 have been fundamentally revised with numerous changes relating to the conformity assessment of pressure receptacles.
- A new UN number is introduced; this substance was previously assigned to UN 3077 UN 3550 - COBALT DIHYDROXIDE POWDER with at least 10% respirable particles Class 6.1 VG I.
- UN 1169 EXTRACTS, AROMATIC, LIQUID and UN 1197 EXTRACTS, FLAVOURING, LIQUID are combined under UN 1197 EXTRACTS, LIQUID.
- Elimination of the telephone number in the lithium battery licence plate.
- New regulations for UN 3536 lithium batteries installed in cargo transport units about the application of 1.1.3.6 (1000-point regulation).
- In the case of waste, the quantity specified for the transport document can be estimated in the future.
- New Chapter 6.9, this then only applies to portable tanks made of fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP).
- New Chapter 6.13 for fixed tanks (tank vehicles) and demountable tanks.
DANGEROUS GOODS SAFETY ADVISOR (DGSA)
On 31 December 2022, a transitional measure – 1.6.1.44 – came to an end. This meant that operators that participate in the carriage of dangerous goods only as consignors would have to appoint a safety advisor. A business requires a DGSA if they regularly fill, pack, load, transport or unload dangerous goods. The only exemptions for not appointing a DGSA are:
- a business is involved in the carriage of dangerous goods in quantities per transport unit that are smaller than those referred to in 1.1.3.6, 1.7.1.4, and in chapter 3.3, 3.4 and 3.5;
- if the main or secondary activities of the undertaking are not the carriage or related loading or unloading of dangerous goods, but the undertaking does occasionally engage in the national carriage or the related loading or unloading of dangerous goods posing little danger or risk of pollution (this was recently initiated in Multilateral Agreement M351);
- if that carriage operation complies with the conditions specified in the Road Derogation 11 (RO-bi-UK-1) The crossing of public roads, as set out in the Carriage of Dangerous Goods: Approved Derogations and Transitional Provisions document 2012; and
- if that carriage operation complies with the conditions specified in 1.1.3.
Operators that carry dangerous goods have a six-month window from the start of the new requirements (January 2023) to comply. In this period, they can carry on operating under the 2021 requirements or adopt the 2023 requirements. However, after this grace period the operator must fully comply with the latest requirements. For a full explanation of the changes please refer to ADR 2023.
For the full list of updates and further information contact the Member Advice Centre.
*www.logistics.org.uk/mac
