Every day, hundreds of tons of various types of dangerous goods are transported—technical and medical gases, fuels, paints and solvents, intermediates, raw materials, and much more—used in many manufacturing industries and commercial contexts. Dangerous goods can exhibit one or more hazardous properties such as explosiveness, flammability, corrosiveness, toxicity, infectivity, or even radioactivity. These properties can be deplorably exploited by malicious individuals for various purposes, such as the preparation of improvised explosive devices or smuggling. Consequently, certain categories of hazardous materials and products are classified as “high-risk dangerous goods,” which are potentially usable for terrorist purposes and may cause severe effects such as significant loss of life, mass destruction, or, particularly in the case of Class 7 (radioactive materials), socioeconomic upheavals.
For this reason, high-risk dangerous goods are subject to additional security provisions, i.e., measures or precautions to minimize the theft or misuse of dangerous goods that could endanger people, property, or the environment. The security provisions are outlined in Chapter 1.10 of the ADR, which includes a detailed list of substances subject to these regulations: explosives, flammable and toxic gases, desensitized explosives, flammable liquids, perchlorates, ammonium nitrates, ammonium nitrate-based fertilizers, and certain materials from Packing Group I.
Entities involved in managing high-risk dangerous goods (transporters, shippers, etc.) must prepare a detailed security plan, which must include, among other information:
registration of the dangerous goods in question; assignment of security responsibilities to competent individuals; specific training in this area; effective and up-to-date procedures for reporting and addressing threats, security breaches, or incidents related to security; procedures for evaluating and reviewing the security plans.
In addition to providing specific ADR training as required by regulations, and consultancy services for classification processes and the drafting of the Security Plan (Ref. 1.10.3 ADR), Flashpoint supports clients in the operational field through dedicated audits. These audits aim to identify critical issues, strengths, and areas for improvement with a view to comprehensive risk management.