International carriage of dangerous goods

 

A Dangerous good is any solid, liquid, or gas that can harm people, other living organisms, property, or the environment. An equivalent term, used almost exclusively in the United States, is hazardous material. Dangerous goods may be radioactive, flammable, explosive, toxic, corrosive, biohazardous, an oxidizer, an asphyxiant, a pathogen, an allergen, or may have other characteristics that render it hazardous in specific circumstances.

Mitigating the risks associated with dangerous goods may require the application of safety precautions during their transport, use, storage and disposal. Most countries regulate hazardous materials by law, and they are subject to several international treaties as well.

                                                                                                 

 

Transport by road

 

The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road, commonly known as ADR (from the french abbreviation Accord européen relatif au transport international des marchandises dangereuses par route), governs transnational transport of hazardous materials. Launched in Geneva on 30 September 1957 under the aegis of the United Nations' Economic Commission for Europe, it first took effect on 29 January 1968. The agreement was modified (article 14, paragraph 3) in New York on 21 August 1975, though these changes only took effect on 19 April 1985. A set of new Amendments entered into force on 1 January 2007, and consequently, a fourth consolidated restructured version was published as document ECE/TRANS/175, Vol.I and II (ADR 2007).

The agreement itself is brief and simple, and its most important article is article 2. This article states that with the exception of certain exceptionally dangerous materials, hazardous materials may in general be transported internationally in wheeled vehicles, provided that two sets of conditions be met:

• Annex A regulates the merchandise involved, notably their packaging and labels.
• Annex B regulates the construction, equipment and use of vehicles for the transport of hazardous materials.

 

 

 

Transport by sea

 

The IMDG (International Maritime Dangerous Goods) Code is accepted as an international guide to the transport of dangerous goods by sea and is recommended to governments for adoption or for use as the basis for national regulations. It is intended for use not only by the mariner but also by all those involved in industries and services connected with shipping, and contains advice on terminology, packaging, labeling, placarding, markings, stowage, segregation, handling, and emergency response. The code is updated and maintained by the International Maritime Organization every 2 years.

 

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Trasporto aereo

 

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations, codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth.

The ICAO Council adopts standards and recommended practices concerning air navigation, prevention of unlawful interference, and facilitation of border-crossing procedures for international civil aviation.

In addition, the ICAO defines the protocols for air accident investigation followed by transport safety authorities in countries signatory to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, commonly known as the Chicago Convention. See NTSB, TSB, AAIB, BFU, and BEA.

Its headquarters are located in the Quartier International of Montreal, Canada.

The ICAO should not be confused with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade organization for airlines also headquartered in Montreal.