European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road
Encyclopedia
The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road, commonly known as ADR (from the French abbreviation Accord européen relatif au transport international des marchandises Dangereuses par Route), governs transnational transport of hazardous materials.
Launched in Geneva
on 30 September 1957 under the aegis of the United Nations
' Economic Commission for Europe
, it first took effect on 29 January 1968. The agreement was modified (article 14, paragraph 3) in New York
on 21 August 1975, though these changes only took effect on 19 April 1985. A new amended ADR 2011 entered into force on 1 January 2011..
The agreement itself is brief and simple, and its most important article is article 2. This article states that with the exception of certain exceptionally dangerous materials, hazardous materials may in general be transported internationally in wheeled vehicles, provided that two sets of conditions be met:
The classes of dangerous goods according to ADR are the following:
Each entry in the different classes has been assigned a 4 digit UN number
. It is not usually possible to deduce the hazard class(es) of a substance from its UN number: they have to be looked up in a table. An exception to this are Class 1 substances whose UN number will always begin with a 0. See List of UN numbers
Launched in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
on 30 September 1957 under the aegis of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
' Economic Commission for Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, it first took effect on 29 January 1968. The agreement was modified (article 14, paragraph 3) in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on 21 August 1975, though these changes only took effect on 19 April 1985. A new amended ADR 2011 entered into force on 1 January 2011..
The agreement itself is brief and simple, and its most important article is article 2. This article states that with the exception of certain exceptionally dangerous materials, hazardous materials may in general be transported internationally in wheeled vehicles, provided that two sets of conditions be met:
- Annex A regulates the merchandise involved, notably their packaging and labels.
- Annex B regulates the construction, equipment and use of vehicles for the transport of hazardous materials.
The classes of dangerous goods according to ADR are the following:
Hazard classes
- Class 1 Explosive substances and articles
- Class 2 Gases
- Class 2.1 Flammable gas (e.g. butane, propane acetylene)
- Class 2.2 Non-flammable and non-toxic,likely to cause asphyxiation (e.g. nitrogen, CO2) or oxidisers (e.g. oxygen)
- Class 2.3 Toxic (e.g. Chlorine, Phosgene)
- Class 3 Flammable liquids
- Class 4.1 Flammable solids, self-reactive substances and solid desensitized explosives
- Class 4.2 Substances liable to spontaneous combustion
- Class 4.3 Substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases
- Class 5.1 Oxidizing substances
- Class 5.2 Organic peroxides
- Class 6.1 Toxic substances
- Class 6.2 Infectious substances
- Class 7 Radioactive material
- Class 8 Corrosive substances
- Class 9 Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles
Each entry in the different classes has been assigned a 4 digit UN number
UN number
UN numbers or UN IDs are four-digit numbers that identify hazardous substances, and articles in the framework of international transport....
. It is not usually possible to deduce the hazard class(es) of a substance from its UN number: they have to be looked up in a table. An exception to this are Class 1 substances whose UN number will always begin with a 0. See List of UN numbers