So today, one of my “colleagues” were called to a block of flats where the gaffer had given instructions to pick up some gas canisters and take them to BARR Industrial. He said there was one or two that still had some in it but most were empty.
It got me thinking, did he need an ADR qualification to do this regardless if they were empty or not?
I suppose it all depends on how many cylinders there were and what size/capacity they were, that way someone would know wether the amount would exceed the threshold, and also what gases the cylinders had in them.
Well it was cylinders for the old style gas fires like these ones: 
and there was about 7 of them.
As I understand it, you don’t need ADR if you are carrying less than 333kg of gas, although you do need a 2kg fire extinguisher… I will stand corrected on this if I’m wrong, I don’t have ADR myself, that’s just my understanding of it.
Harry Monk:
As I understand it, you don’t need ADR if you are carrying less than 333kg of gas, although you do need a 2kg fire extinguisher… I will stand corrected on this if I’m wrong, I don’t have ADR myself, that’s just my understanding of it.
Hi Harry,
There’s no need to stand, cos you don’t need to be corrected. :
You’re spot-on about the 333kg limit that applies to flammable gases of UN Class 2.1
It doesn’t matter whether the gas was Butane or Propane, the limit is 333kg for either, or both.
Given that both Butane and Propane are LPG gases, the 333kg is net Kg of gas, regardless of the literage.
The ADR threshold limits for gases are as follows:
[White label] UN Class 2.3 toxic gas = 20kg/lit
[Red label] UN Class 2.1 flammable gas = 333kg/lit
[Green label] UN Class 2.2 non-toxic, non-flammable gas = 1,000kg/lit
Sam Millar:
Well it was cylinders for the old style gas fires like these ones:and there was about 7 of them.
Hi Sam,
ADR has ‘threshold’ limits for many (but not all) dangerous substances.
Your colleague was asked to collect 7 cylinders of approx 15kg net, so (imagining that the cylinders were all full) the calculation is:
7 X 15kg = 105kg
The ADR ‘threshold’ limit for flammable gases (Butane or Propane) is 333kg net, so your colleague could have carried another 15 cylinders without needing an ADR licence.
Ah so he was fine then, not that I was going to shop him in or anything but it got me thinking when does it become dangerous.