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ADR
Marking/labelling of dangerous goods (ADR)
Conditions for the carriage of dangerous goods by road vehicles are defined by the Act on Road Transport No. 111/1994 Sb. and related executive regulation. The international transport of dangerous goods is regulated by the European Agreement concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods by road called in short the ADR Agreement. This international agreement has been implemented into the Czech legal system. Dangerous goods (i.e. dangerous substances, gases, explosives and other dangerous materials/articles) have been classified internationally under the auspices of the UN into several specific classes. Due to the properties of dangerous goods, their transport may put under risk the safety of persons or property or jeopardise the environment.
Dangerous goods are divided into the following classes:
Explosive substances and articles
Exclusive class
Gases – compressed, liquefied or dissolved under pressure
Exclusive class
Class 3
Flammable
Free class
Class 4.1
Flammable solids, self-reactive substances and solid desensitized explosives
Free class
Class 4.2
Substances liable to spontaneous combustion
Free class
Class 4.3
Substances which emit flammable gases in contact with water
Free class
Class 5.1
Oxidizing (fire supporting) substances
Free class
Class 5.2
Organic peroxides
Free class
Toxic substances
Free class
Infectious substances
Exclusive class
Radioactive material
Exclusive class
Corrosive substances
Free class
Class 9
Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles
Free class
Note: It is primarily the consigner or manufacturer who is responsible for packing and labelling of consignments and notices/safety labels on packages (containers).
The Attachment A of the ADR agreement stipulates which dangerous items are completely excluded from the international road transport and which can be accepted under certain conditions. For these purposes the dangerous goods are classified into exclusive or free classes.
Dangerous substances/items as specified in the executive regulation can be transported only with a special permission issued by the Ministry of Transport. The validity of such permission does not exceed one year. The Ministry of Transport may define additional applicable conditions for loading/unloading, route or escort.
Consigner duties
The consigner shall be responsible for the classification of specific dangerous substances/items or dangerous waste into appropriate class of risk by selecting respective class number and paragraph. Further, the consigner shall be responsible for packing of dangerous substances/items in a prescribed way for transport, namely into prescribed packaging or big containers for bulk materials, if an open transport of such substances/items by trucks, tank containers, tanks or tankers has not been permitted. Requirements for packaging are presented in the Attachment A of the ADR agreement.
The consigner shall be responsible also for the placement of warning signs. Transport units carrying dangerous substances must be equipped, apart from other things, with two orange warning tables with the length of 400 mm and the height of min. 300 mm, with black edges max. 15 mm wide. One of such tables must be installed at the front side and the other one at the back side of the transport unit perpendicularly to its longitudinal axis and must be clearly visible. The inscriptions on such warning tables must be indelible and clearly readable. Exact technical specifications of safety warning tables are included in the ADR Agreement.
Carrier duties and requirements on vehicles and drivers
The carrier shall be responsible above all for the good technical condition of vehicles used for the transport of dangerous substances; such vehicles must comply with appropriate technical conditions set for respective classes of dangerous substances - see the Attachment B of the ADR Agreement.
Any driver who transports dangerous substances both on domestic and foreign roads must complete a special training for such transport; this must be documented by a certificate which is valid for the following 5 years.
Documents accompanying dangerous goods
Except of documents generally required for the operation of transport vehicles such as a certificate for roadworthiness, driving licence, etc., each vehicle driver must posses some additional documents such as:
- Consignment note
- Copy of principal text of the special agreement concluded in accordance with the points 2010 and/or 10602, if it relates to the transportation performed on the basis of the ADR Agreement
- Instructions for the case of an accident or contingency
- Certificate on the approval of the vehicle for transport, if required
- Certificate on the training of the driver, if required
- Permit authorising the transportation
