Equipment to be carried on a vehicle when transporting regulated Dangerous Goods

In the first half of 2016 the HSE has published the prohibition notices issued by the Police  and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).  Our analysis has shown the main areas of non-compliance relate to:

• Fire Extinguishers
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Documentation

In an effort to reduce these prohibition notices we felt it necessary to highlight the specific requirements as detailed in the Carriage of Dangerous Goods(ADR) Regulations.

Fire Extinguisher:

The following table shows the minimum provisions for portable fire extinguishers that apply to transport units carrying dangerous goods except those transport units who carry dangerous goods below the load thresholds.

Transport unit maximum permissible mass	Minimum number of fire extinguishers	Minimum total capacity per transport unit	Extinguisher suitable for engine or cab fire.  At least one with a minimum capacity of:	Additional extinguisher(s) requirement.  At least one extinguisher shall have a minimum capacity of:
< 3.5 tonne	2	4kg	2kg	2kg
> 3.5 tonne < 7.5 tonne	2	8kg	2kg	6kg
> 7.5 tonne	2	12kg	2kg	6kg
The capacities are for dry powder devices (or an equivalent capacity for any other suitable extinguishing agent).

 

Those transport units carrying below the load thresholds will only require one portable fire extinguisher with a minimum capacity of 2kg dry powder (or equivalent capacity for any other suitable extinguishing agent)

The Fire extinguishers need to be fitted with a seal showing they have not previously been used and should be easily accessible by the crew.  They should also be protected against the effects of the weather.

They should be inspected in accordance with authorised national standards in order to guarantee their functional safety.  They shall also display the mark of compliance by a competent authority and have a marking indicating the date (month, year) of the next inspection.  During carriage, the date shall not have expired.

Personal Protective Equipment

Each transport unit carrying dangerous goods shall be equipped with items to provide personal protection in accordance to the dangers of the goods loaded.  This includes:

• Suitable wheel chock for the size of vehicle
• Two self-standing warning signs
• Eye rinsing liquid(only certain classes) and

For each member of the vehicle crew:

• A warning vest
• Portable lighting
• Protective gloves
• Eye protection i.e. goggles

Certain classes of dangerous goods will also require:

• emergency escape mask
• shovel
• drain deal
• collecting container

Documentation:

The following documents are required to be carried on the transport unit when loaded with dangerous goods and ‘orange -plate’ markings are displayed:

• Transport Document detailing all dangerous goods carried and when appropriate the larger container or vehicle packing certificate.
• Instructions in Writing are used as an aid in the event of an emergency and should correspond to the 4 page model (2015). These need to be provided by the carrier to the vehicle crew in the language they understand.
• Photographic identification for each member of the vehicle crew.

 

For further information or if you have a query relating to the carriage of dangerous goods (ADR) then please do not hesitate to contact us on 0800 328 3297 where we will be happy to help.