ADR (Road Transport of Dangerous Goods)
The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road — sets packaging, labelling, vehicle, driver-training and documentation requirements for hazardous road freight.
01What it is
The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road — sets packaging, labelling, vehicle, driver-training and documentation requirements for hazardous road freight. The discipline matters because dangerous-goods incidents are catastrophic — fires, explosions, toxic releases, environmental damage — and regulators respond with personal liability for senior staff, suspension of licences and criminal prosecution. A warehouse that runs ADR Road Transport well treats hazardous-goods handling as an engineered control: classified inventory, validated storage areas, trained operators, segregation matrices enforced in WMS, and a documented emergency response plan rehearsed at least annually.
- Every SKU is classified by UN number and class — not by free-text 'hazardous yes/no'.
- Storage areas are designed and licensed for the classes they hold.
- Segregation matrices are enforced at putaway — not policed by walking the aisles.
- Documents (SDS, transport papers) are version-controlled and accessible at the gate.
- Emergency response is rehearsed — not just written.
02Typical operational flow
| Stage | Activity | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Classify | UN number + class | UN Model Regs |
| Pack | Approved packaging code | UN PG I/II/III |
| Label | GHS pictogram, UN# placard | GHS / ADR 5.2 |
| Store | Segregated location | IMDG seg table |
| Transport | ADR/IMDG/IATA papers | ADR/IMDG/IATA |
| Incident | Emergency plan | DGSA / TREM |
| Report | Annual DGSA report | ADR 1.8.3.3 |
03Execution and controls
- Maintain a master DG list per SKU with UN#, class, packing group and SDS version.
- Configure WMS to enforce segregation at putaway — block incompatible class combinations.
- Bund all liquid chemical storage to at least 110% of largest container.
- Train operators against the modes they handle — ADR Awareness or Full ADR as appropriate.
- Rehearse the emergency response with the local fire service at least annually.
04Common mistakes
- Free-text 'hazardous' flag with no UN# or class — segregation cannot be enforced.
- SDS folder out of date — operators reference the wrong hazard data in an incident.
- Bunds undersized or shared between incompatible chemicals.
- Operators trained once at induction and never refreshed.
- No DGSA appointed despite ADR thresholds being exceeded.
05Cross-industry examples
- Pharma — controlled drugs plus flammable solvents in dedicated DG zones.
- Agricultural chemicals — pesticide storage under FIFRA / EU REACH controls.
- Lithium batteries — UN 3480 / 3481 with specific packaging, labelling and air-mode bans.
- Aerosols — flammable gas storage requires fire-rated cages and vapour control.
- Petrochemical distribution — bulk DG storage under COMAH / Seveso III.
06How V5 Ultimate handles ADR Road Transport
Frequently asked questions
Q.What is a UN number?+
A four-digit identifier (e.g. UN 1203 petrol, UN 3480 lithium-ion batteries) that drives all downstream classification and labelling decisions.
Q.When is a DGSA required?+
Under ADR 1.8.3, any undertaking that consigns or carries dangerous goods above defined thresholds in Europe must appoint a qualified DGSA.
Q.Do small quantities escape the rules?+
Limited Quantities (LQ) and Excepted Quantities (EQ) exemptions apply, but the SKU must still be classified and the LQ/EQ marking applied.
Q.How often does the IATA DGR change?+
Annually — the new edition is published each January and operators must update procedures and training accordingly.
Q.Are GHS labels enough for transport?+
No — GHS covers workplace and supply labelling; transport labels (ADR/IMDG/IATA placards and UN# marks) are separate and required additionally.
Primary sources
Further reading
V5 Ultimate ships with the ADR (Road Transport of Dangerous Goods) controls already wired in — audit trail, e-signatures, validation evidence. Free trial, no credit card, onboard in days, not months.