ADR stands for Accord européen relatif au transport international des marchandises Dangereuses par Route (in English: European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road) and is the European Agreement that regulates the transport of dangerous goods by road. It was first signed in Geneva on September 30, 1957, and ratified in Italy with Law No. 1839 of August 12, 1962.
RID stands for Règlement concernant le transport International ferroviaire des marchandises Dangereuses (in English: International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail) and similarly regulates the transport of dangerous goods by rail.
Focus on Dangerous Goods: Dangerous goods are defined as substances or materials that, due to their physical-chemical properties or characteristics, may pose risks during transport (regardless of the mode of transport). Consequently, the transport of such goods is only allowed under the conditions prescribed by the applicable regulations (ADR for road, IMDG for sea, RID for rail, ICAO T.I./DGR IATA for air).
ADR and RID regulate the classification of dangerous goods (including waste), packaging methods, conditions for transporting goods in bulk or tanks, labeling of packages and transport units, preparation of transport documents, types of tanks and vehicles suitable for transporting dangerous goods, security measures, and more.
All parties involved in the activities of shipping, loading, packaging, filling, unloading, transporting, and receiving dangerous goods must comply with the requirements of the relevant regulations (ADR or RID). For instance, a shipper preparing packages for transport is also considered a packer. A company offering third-party logistics and warehousing services may be categorized as a loader, while a company may hold multiple roles depending on its activities.
We provide our expertise through the DGSA (Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor) service:
- Appointment of a DGSA on behalf of the client;
- Drafting of a Preliminary Report: within 60 days of appointment, Flashpoint DGSA drafts an initial technical report to be delivered to the company’s legal representative;
- Drafting of the Annual Report related to the company’s activities that involve dangerous goods and wastes;
- Audit at the client’s operational site to verify the following: product classification process, selection and suitability of containment means (packaging, tanks, and bulk transport), labels, markings, and inscriptions; transport and onboard documents; hazardous waste management process; suitability of vehicles and drivers; and compliance with loading, unloading, and security operations;
- Other customizable services (e.g., tailored corporate training, daily technical assistance, second-party audits at third-party suppliers, drafting of product/waste management sheets, verification of contractual responsibilities with customers and suppliers, etc.).
For companies not requiring the full DGSA service, we offer the ADR Check-up, which involves a visit by one of our ADR/RID Consultants to evaluate the compliance of your shipments (including multimodal transport).