ADR is the name of the European Agreement for Dangerous Goods. The contract contains movement provisions regarding the packaging, securing of cargo and labeling of dangerous goods.
The deadline
ADR is an abbreviation of “Accord européen relatif au transport international des marchandises dangereuses par route”, which translates as “European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road”. The international term ADR is so widely used in the transport industry that almost everyone in the industry understands what is meant, regardless of country of origin.
History
The treaty was signed in Geneva in 1957 but did not enter into force until the end of January 1968. Every two years it is adjusted to conform to the latest technical and legal findings. All EU member states are parties to the treaty, ADR is legally valid thanks to an EU directive. In addition, all other European countries joined the treaty, along with Morocco, Tunisia and some of the Central Asian countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union. In total, the ADR treaty has 48 member states (as of 6/2017).
The regulations
A dangerous goods license is required for any HGV driver who transports dangerous goods. The official name of this license is the ADR Training Certificate. It is valid for five years and automatically expires if not extended before the expiry date. To extend the license, every driver must pass a refresher course.
Any company that regularly transports dangerous goods requires at least one dangerous goods safety advisor. They are responsible for ensuring that the company complies with regulations and obligations relating to dangerous goods. Any truck that carries dangerous goods requires special equipment. This includes hinged orange hazard signs, a helmet and goggles and two fire extinguishers.
