When the 'flame symbol' is no longer sufficient

When the 'flame symbol' is no longer sufficient

At the turn of the year, new regulations governing the carriage of dangerous goods by road come into effect. The amendments to the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road, in short ADR, apply to both piece goods and tank transports. For water-polluting substances there is no transitional period. These substances must be identified by the new symbols effective 1 January 2011.

"Essentially, the ADR is updated to correspond to the UN model regulations, which means companies in the logistics sector will have to get used to new terms and definitions and new classifications", explains Klaus Häpp, transport and logistics expert at TÜV SÜD Akademie. Environmentally hazardous substances in particular have been aligned to the "Globally Harmonized System" (GHS) which defines a standard global classification, labeling and packaging for chemicals. From now on, trucks carrying dangerous goods will display the new 'dead fish and tree' symbol next to the familiar flame symbol.

For companies in the transport sector and the providers of further training this involves changes in the training process and the content-related requirements of courses. Even the ADR certificate itself will change: in the future, the ADR certificate will come in a convenient credit card-sized format.

"Our lecturers have already been trained in the new regulations, so that our current training programme already addresses the new requirements to be met by companies in the transport and logistics sectors through professional training courses and expert personnel", notes Häpp.

For further information and to register for the seminars, contact Klaus Häpp, TÜV SÜD Akademie, Tel. +49 (0) 9 31 / 35 95 – 16 12, or visit www.tuev-sued.de/akademie.

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