In order to transport hazardous goods by road, what details must be provided?

Materials and items with hazardous properties are classified as hazardous goods and if they are not properly controlled, they present a potential threat to human and animal health and safety, the environment, and infrastructure.

As per the regulations set out by the IMDG Code by the International Maritime Organisation, Hazardous goods must be handled with utmost care and consideration of their dangerous nature, and lastly, they must be: 

• Classified
• Packaged
• Marked
• Labeled 
• Packed 

Onshore or on a ship, any misstatement, miscommunication, or incorrect documentation could result in grave consequences.

Locally and internationally, the transportation of hazardous goods is subject to various regulations depending on the country of origin and destination. The parties undertaking the transportation of dangerous goods must strictly follow these regulations.

For intermodal transportation, these rules and regulations may apply to transport within a political or economic union or trading zone.

Some of these regulations are:

• European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR);
• European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland Waterways (ADN);
• Regulations concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID); and
• Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations of the United States

We all need to understand that Dangerous Goods or Hazardous Goods have been given this name for a reason.

There are several examples of tragedy including the Tianjin tragedy in 2015 due to misdeclaration, improper packaging, handling, and transportation.

As recently as the 25th of June 2017, more than 200 people were killed in Bahawalpur when one of the tankers contracted by Royal Dutch Shell’s local subsidiary crashed and exploded on the main highway in central Punjab Province in Pakistan while carrying some 50,000 litres of fuel from Karachi to Lahore.

Such incidents demonstrate how important it is for the regulation of transportation of hazardous goods to be adhered to strictly.

To read more about this case click here