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The transport of dangerous goods is subject to a large body of legislation. The following schematic provides a basic overview of the dangerous goods regulations.
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UN CoE United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods
The United Nations Committee of Experts (COE) on the Transport of Dangerous Goods in conjunction with various specialist groups set down the basic rules that are adopted by the various modes of transport and national governments.
The UN CoE was established in 1954 by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) due to concerns that different rules were being developed nationally and internationally by each mode of transport, which could lead to conflict between the rules, thereby resulting in safety problems.
The original CoE has since been expanded to become the Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals.
The UN CoE produce the United Nations Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UNRTDG), along with the accompanying Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods - Manual of Tests and Criteria (UNMTC).
The UNRTDG Model Regulations, known commonly as the "Orange Book", aim at presenting a basic scheme of provisions that will allow uniform development of national and international regulations governing the various modes of transport; yet they remain flexible enough to accommodate any special requirements that might have to be met. It is expected that governments, intergovernmental organizations and other international organizations, when revising or developing regulations for which they are responsible, will conform to the principles laid down in these Model Regulations, thus contributing to worldwide harmonization in this field.
The United Nations Manual of Tests and Criteria (UNMTC) sets out appropriate tests methods and criteria to assist national competent authorities and consignors to reach accurate classifications of dangerous goods. It does not set out any duties - merely, technical information on tests the results of which aid determination of correct classifications.
The UNRTDG and the UNMTC have no legal force in themselves. Only when the recommendations are adopted into modal (mode-specific) agreements or domestic legislation do they have any legal force.
International Regulatory Bodies
| Air | ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organisation |
| Sea | IMO | International Maritime Organisation |
| Road | ECE | Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Inland Transport Committee |
| Rail | OCTI | Central Office of International Rail Transport |
| Inland Waterway | ECE | Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) Inland Transport Committee |
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) publishes Technical Instructions (TIs).
In practice the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) Manual is the industry standard for transportation of dangerous goods by air. It provides all provisions mandated by ICAO, and all rules agreed by airlines for safely handling of dangerous goods.
The principal international rules for the carriage of packaged dangerous goods by sea are published in the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG Code).
The IMDG Code is updated and published by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
The IMDG Code, which was first published in 1965, is intended to provide for the safe transportation of hazardous materials by vessel and to prevent marine pollution.
The Code is based on the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods but also includes additional requirements applicable to the transport of hazardous materials by sea (e.g. requirements for marine pollutants, freight containers, stowage and segregation as well other requirements applicable to shipboard safety and preservation of the marine environment) that are not covered by the UN Recommendations.
The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) was drawn up in Geneva by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) on 30 September 1957, and was signed by the UK in 1967.
For those of you who may wish to know the acronym 'ADR' comes from their French name and stands for 'Accord European Relatif au Transport International des Marchandises Dangereuses par Route'.
The international carriage of dangerous goods by rail within Europe is governed by the Convention Concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF). Annex I contains the Regulations Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID).
As English is not an official language for the convention under which RID is made the Department for Transport (DfT) prepare and publish an English language edition.
The ECE Inland Transport Committee produces the European Provisions Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland Waterway (ADN) and the Central Rhine Commission produces the Regulations for the Carriage of Dangerous Substances on the Rhine (ADNR).
The ADN entered force in 2001. The European Commission has proposed an ADN framework Directive to enter force after AND was adopted. It is unlikely that this will apply to UK waterways as we have no waterways carrying commercial traffic linked to the inland waterway networks of another member state.
The Secretary of State for Transport, is responsible for the transport of dangerous goods by all modes of transport within the UK, supported by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Within the DFT, responsibility falls variously to the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA), the Radioactive Materials Transport Division and the Dangerous Goods Branch.
Most of the UK regulations concerning dangerous goods are made as a Statutory Instrument (SI) under the HSWA after lengthy consultations with industry and other interested parties.
The following regulatory bodies are responsible for producing and updating national recommendations and regulations in terms of the transport of goods by road, rail and tunnels in the UK.
| Air | the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) |
| Rail | the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) |
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Road |
the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in consultation with the DfT, except for Radioactives, which are dealt with by the Radioactives Branch |
| Sea | the Maritime and Coastguard Agency |
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