Saratoga:
As you are ‘in the know’ DD, is there a reccomended book or booklet or something for members who would like to have that information to hand. For example, most drivers won’t know what they can and can’t carry under the ADR regs.
Hi Saratoga,
I agree that most drivers won’t know what they can and can’t carry, but that’s because they’re not required to have that knowledge.
For UK domestic dangerous goods work, the requirement for drivers to have that knowledge ended at midnight on 09/05/2004, but for countries who use ADR as their domestic Regs, it ended much earleir than that.
ADR is very specific about the responsibilities of the various participants in the chain.
The consignor (= sender) and the carrier (= vehicle owner) must appoint a properly qualified DGSA.
The DGSA must (amongst a lot of other things) deal with ADR compliance, or see to it that compliance is achieved.
Saratoga:
You can’t necessarily say ‘no’ to everything that could be dangerous because some of it is small enough to be allowed, if you see what I mean 
Quite right mate!!
Some of it is small enough (in terms of individual package size) to be allowed, and this concept is called “Limited Quantities.”
A completely different concept is that some of it is small enough (in terms of amount loaded on a vehicle) to be allowed, but there’s an allowance, which if exceeded, brings the full weight of ADR into play.
There are approx 3,500 dangerous substances and dangerous articles listed in ADR’s dangerous goods list, but then there are also mixtures and solutions so the actual number of substances is almost infinite.
Add to that the fact that each substance may have special provisions (SPs) attaching, then you’ll see why a driver with an iPhone isn’t going to be able to accurately say whether, or how much of ADR applies to any particular job. It’s just not the kind of info that can be ‘googled’ either, because sometimes there are calculations to be made.
If you’re good at looking stuff up, please check ADR 1.8.3.1 to discover who needs a DGSA and a little look at ADR 1.8.3.3 will tell you a DGSA’s responsibilities.
The good thing about DGSA is that it’s not the kind of job that a boss can just give to somebody because it’s a proper qualification, there are no grandfather rights, so exams must be taken and a DGSA certificate obtained.
In cases of any doubt, my general adivce to drivers is that they should ask the sender to write on your paperwork “not subject to ADR” or “Limited Quantities” or whatever their reason is for telling you that what they’re asking to to carry is exempted in some way.
Asking them to write their signature just after that tends to focus their minds a little.
