Dangerous goods advice- UK regs and ADR

Peter K:
Hi Dave,

I’ll try and explain what I mean, but of course if you would prefer me to go to PM I will. I’m going on from 8wheels question, if he was to carry UN1202 diesel in say drums with 200 ltr capacity but with only 100 ltrs in each drum, then for the purposes of the load size thresholds would the amount to be used for the calculation be the capacity or the contents? In the past it was definitely the capacity but I can’t see that anywhere in the regulations now. I have access to ADR 2007 so if you had a reference I could find it.

Thanks
Pete.

Hi Pete.
Now I understand the question- thanks for the clarification. :wink:

The reference you need is ADR 2007 1.1.3.6.3

If the drum(s) had been normally drained of dangerous goods, (ADR calls this “nominally empty.”) there would of course be some residue of dangerous goods remaining inside. In that case, the drum(s) would be in TC4 and could be carried by an untrained driver in any quantity and without orange boards etc… (Please see the entry for TC4 in the table at 1.1.3.6.3 and note that the load threshold for TC4 is “unlimited.”)

A 200 litre drum containing 100 litres could not be argued as being “nominally empty,” so the load limit for diesel fuel would apply. Diesel fuel is in TC3, so the limit is 1,000 litres. You could therefore load five such drums, before ADR applies in full, since the “nominal capacity” of the drums is 200 litres. This is also in 1.1.3.6.3 just after the table. If you read that reference, you’ll see why I mentioned about whether your question related to liquids, solids or gases. :wink: You’ll also see that gases are treated differently, dependant upon whether they’re liquified. :open_mouth:

To clarify “nominal capacity,” a drum is normally around 205 - 210 litres ACTUAL capacity, but the extra 5 or 10 litres of space is required for possible expansion of the liquid contents due to warm weather. (This extra space is called “ullage.”) Even if the drum is 210 litres actual size, for ADR’s purposes we’d only count 200 litres for the calculation of load thresholds in 1.1.3.6.3.