I carry gas cylinders in my works van, do any legal regulations apply to me?
Yes.
The European Agreement Concerning The International Carriage Of Dangerous Goods By Road (ADR) protects everyone, either directly involved or who might become involved (such as members of the public or emergency services), when potentially hazardous products such as gases are transported.
If you are carrying small volumes of gas cylinders for work purposes, then you are exempt from most of the regulations, however you must comply with what are called the basic legal requirements.
What are the basic legal requirements?
Firstly, the driver should know the potential hazards of the goods they are transporting.
They also need to know how to handle gas cylinders safely, moving them in a well-ventilated vehicle and know what to do in an emergency situation (either an accident or a gas leak).
They must carry a 2 kg dry powder fire extinguisher on the vehicle and know how to use it.
The cylinders should also be secured to stop them from moving in the event of an accident.
If I’m only carrying small quantities of gas do I need to carry any documentation?
If you are only carrying a small number of gas cylinders, then, legally, you don’t need to carry documents detailing the load you are carrying (i.e. datasheets and/or Tremcards). However, in the event of an accident or emergency, this information would be useful to have and would greatly assist the emergency services.
If I’m only carrying small quantities of gas, do I need to put warning hazard diamonds on the rear of my van?
No.
BCGA Leaflet 1 states:
‘You are not required to display any hazard warning labels or signs on your vehicles if you are only carrying small quantities of gas cylinders.’
Do I need to comply with these regulations if I’m simply collecting a small propane cylinder for use at a family barbecue?
No.
ADR does not apply at all when the transportation is by a customer who collects their gas for private use, e.g. a cylinder of balloon gas for a party at home or a propane cylinder for barbecuing or for a caravaning holiday. This is known as the private carriage exemption.
