Transport of dangerous goods by road

Do you transport dangerous goods by road in the Netherlands, such as explosives, toxins, or carcinogens? You must meet a number of international safety regulations, for example the Carriage of Dangerous Substances Act (Wet vervoer gevaarlijke stoffen, in Dutch) and the European Agreement on the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR). The ADR applies in all countries that have joined the ADR, this includes the entire European Union. The ADR contains safety regulations for various parties in the chain.

As a haulier you must:

• check if the shipment complies with the ADR
• check if the right documents accompany the load
• make sure the vehicle and the way the goods are loaded comply with the rules
• make sure the goods are properly secured, so they cannot slide or get damaged

You are also responsible for transporting, loading, and unloading the dangerous goods.

Dangerous goods and UN number

Hazardous goods are harmful to humans, animals, or the environment, for example explosive, toxic, or flammable substances. The manufacturer of a hazardous substance must test and classify the substance. Substances that are dangerous for transport are assigned a UN number.

If you are going to transport dangerous goods that must have a UN number, you have to make sure that they have one. The UN number can be found in the product’s Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). If the substance has a UN number, you have to keep to the Carriage of Dangerous Substances Act (in Dutch) and the rules of the ADR. Sometimes you can get an exemption from the ADR.

ADR certificate for drivers

Drivers must have an ADR certificate if they transport dangerous goods. You can apply for an ADR basic certificate for drivers (ADR basiscertificaat, in Dutch) to the Central Office for Motor Vehicle Driver Testing (CBR). This certificate is valid for 5 years. Then it must be renewed (in Dutch). You have to take an exam for this. If you fail to renew in time, you must take the basic exam again.

Does your driver have a foreign ADR certificate? This can be renewed in the Netherlands (in Dutch). For this the same rules apply as for renewal of a Dutch certificate.

Co-drivers who do not drive do not need an ADR certificate, but they must have completed an awareness course (in Dutch). The co-driver and the employer must be able to show proof of this.

ADR instruction cards

Drivers who transport dangerous goods must carry an ADR instruction in writing (in Dutch), called a hazard card. This card provides information on the danger posed by the substances, the precautionary measures to be taken, and the tools and personal protective equipment that must be present.

Drivers must understand the written instructions and be able to take the right course of action. You can download ADR instructions in different languages from the UNECE website. If you transport a small quantity of dangerous goods, you do not have to carry the ADR instructions.

Transport safety advisor for dangerous goods

Do you dispatch, transport, load, unload, or temporarily store dangerous goods? You must appoint 1 or more safety advisors. Safety advisors for dangerous goods have for instance the following tasks:

• advise the company on the transport of dangerous goods
• supervise compliance with the rules
• take measures to prevent accidents

A safety advisor must have a safety advisor certificate (in Dutch) that is issued by the CCV department at the Central Office for Motor Vehicle Driver Testing (Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen, CBR). Contact CBR for the minimum requirements. It is valid for 5 years. You need to take an extension exam (in Dutch) at least 1 year before it expires.

Mandatory documents

When you transport dangerous goods, you must usually carry these documents in the vehicle:

• the transport document stating which substances you are transporting
• the container loading certificate (if the transport continues by sea)
• the certificate of approval (ADR inspection document)
• an exemption for transport of dangerous goods by road (if you cannot comply with the rules, for example if the packaging is damaged)
• the ADR instruction card (hazard card)

Obligatory route for transporting dangerous goods

In the Netherlands, municipalities and provinces can appoint a route that you must follow to transport certain dangerous goods. This is called route obligation (in Dutch). This means that municipalities may appoint routes within their municipal boundaries with traffic signs for the transport of dangerous goods. Do you want to take a different route, for example to load or unload? If so, you must apply for an exemption from the municipality.

Provinces must appoint a road network for the transit of all dangerous goods through the province on roads under their control.

Inspections of vehicles carrying dangerous goods

You need to have certain vehicles specially inspected for the transport of dangerous goods. You can have your vehicle inspected at RDW (in Dutch). After the inspection, you will receive an ADR inspection document. The driver must carry the ADR inspection document during transport.

Equipment

The vehicle should be equipped with the right tools to handle an incident. Among others, there should be a fire extinguisher and personal protection equipment on board.

Soot filters

The ADR describes the requirements for exhaust pipe guard and safety of electrical components. If you are going to install a soot filter in a vehicle that transports dangerous goods, please note that the vehicle must still meet these requirements.

Recognition placards

The rules on the labelling of dangerous goods are laid down in the ADR. In addition, every vehicle transporting such substances, must show the orange recognition placards with the right hazard identification numbers (Kemler codes).

Exemption from transport ban in bad weather

In certain weather conditions, such as icy roads or dense fog, you are prohibited from transporting dangerous goods. You can obtain an exemption from this prohibition if these circumstances are persistent, and if you can prove the transport is urgent. You can obtain this exemption from the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport, ILT).

Secure and separate freight

You must properly secure freight containing dangerous goods. You need to make sure the freight does not shift or damage during transport. You must also make sure that dangerous goods that should not be transported next to each other are properly separated.

Tunnels

Some tunnels have restrictions for the transport of dangerous goods. Tunnels are divided in 5 safety categories. Which dangerous goods are allowed to pass, depends on the tunnel's safety category (in Dutch). There are no restrictions for Category A tunnels. For categories B to D there are increasing limitations on the type and quantity of dangerous goods that can pass. There is a ban on transporting almost all dangerous goods through Category E tunnels.

Parking

You cannot park vehicles loaded with dangerous goods just anywhere. For example, you are not allowed to park within built-up areas. Municipalities can set requirements for parking spaces for trucks carrying dangerous goods in a General Municipal By-Law (APV). If you park outside the public road, the safety regulations from the Environmental Activities Decree (Besluit activiteiten leefomgeving, Bal, in Dutch) apply. In some cases (see chapter 4 of the Bal), you must also make a notification in the online service counter Omgevingsloket (in Dutch).

Report accident with transport of dangerous goods

If something goes wrong with packaging, loading, transporting, unloading, or filling, you must report an incident or accident involving dangerous goods (in Dutch) to the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT).

Exemption for the transport of dangerous goods

Are you unable to comply with the rules for the transport of dangerous goods? In special cases you can apply for an exemption from the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate.