Simple one, not after opinions, just the legal requirement.
Optional
blue estate:
Optional
Not optional on placarded loads.
$$$:
Simple one, not after opinions, just the legal requirement.
Depends on the load. Can only guess you mean non ADR loads so not legal requirement.
Star down under.:
blue estate:
OptionalNot optional on placarded loads.
What is a “placarded load”…? For the non convicts among us 
If you have one then check it’s in date.
WhiteTruckMan:
If you have one then check it’s in date.
Just reminded me of the first driver checks on a bus. Also part of the pcv mod4
the nodding donkey:
Star down under.:
blue estate:
OptionalNot optional on placarded loads.
What is a “placarded load”…? For the non convicts among us
Hi ND,
It’s the Australian version of what we call a fully regulated load. For us, a regulated load is a load that is in excess of the ADR Transport Category partial load exemptions provided by ADR 1.1.3.6.3 and 1.1.3.6.4 (20, 333 and 1,000)
ADR countries (currently there’s 52 of them, including the UK) use orange plates, whereas Australians use placards.
Can I ask about first aid kits being mandatory?
It’s one of the questions on the RHA daily checks app we use, but I’ve never seen a kit.
stu675:
Can I ask about first aid kits being mandatory?
It’s one of the questions on the RHA daily checks app we use, but I’ve never seen a kit.
I don’t believe they are, even under ADR!!!
the nodding donkey:
Star down under.:
blue estate:
OptionalNot optional on placarded loads.
What is a “placarded load”…? For the non convicts among us
Stephenjp:
stu675:
Can I ask about first aid kits being mandatory?
It’s one of the questions on the RHA daily checks app we use, but I’ve never seen a kit.I don’t believe they are, even under ADR!!!
Hi Stephenjp,
That’s correct for UK work, there’s no legal requirement for a first-aid kit on a UK registered commercial vehicle.
A first aid kit is required by various countries under their own road traffic legislation, but a first aid kit is still not required by ADR.
However, some companies provide first aid kits as a matter of company policy.
Star down under.:
the nodding donkey:
Star down under.:
blue estate:
OptionalNot optional on placarded loads.
What is a “placarded load”…? For the non convicts among us
Hi SDU, that’s very interesting. 
As I mentioned earlier, we have a 52 country agreement for international carriage of dangerous goods called ‘ADR.’
ADR specifies the way that the carriage of dangerous goods can be performed and whether carriage may take place in packages, in bulk, or in various forms of tanks.
My earlier answer to ND relates to the carriage of dangerous goods in packages in UN Classes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9, for which we mark a vehicle with 40cm X 30cm reflectorised orange plates, one to be fixed to the front of the vehicle and one to be fixed to the rear of the vehicle. For UN Classes 1 and 7, the relevant UN Class placards 25cm X 25cm must be displayed on both sides and the rear of the vehicle. As I mentioned to ND, there are some exemptions to the normal requirements that can be used for small loads when carried in packages.
For carriage in tanks, UK law (CDG 2009 as amended) differs from ADR and requires a UK registered tanker on UK work to use the UK marking system, for example:
We would use the Hazard Warning Panel above for the carriage of UN 1011 BUTANE, 2.1
We use the same 40cm X 30cm reflectorised orange plate to be fixed on the front, plus the Hazard Warning Panel 70cm X 40cm shown above to be fixed on both sides and the rear of a tank vehicle. There is no ‘small load’ exemptions for carriage in tanks, so the full rules apply to tankers loaded or empty at all times until the tank has been to a tank-wash station, cleaned and certified as clean.
The picture that you posted bears some resemblance to our Hazard Warning Panel in that you have an EAC and UN number for the dangerous goods on board, but does Australia use this for the carriage of packaged dangerous goods and call it a placard?
I realise that Australia isn’t a member country of ADR and that you therefore have your own rules, so I’m interested to know something outside of my comfort zone.
@DieselDave Why does there have to be the extra placard on the back for class 1 and 7? Surly if they were being transported by road there would be other people involved near by and advertising the contents doesn’t strike me as wise. Even class 5.2 doesn’t seem a good idea to advertise but i guess if the driver is unable to tell the authorities in that case they need to know
G’day Dave, now you’re stretching my memory. I haven’t done a DG course for nigh on twenty years. I never carried DG per se, apart from motor spirit, so didn’t maintain familiarity with modules not related to the cartage of fuel. Oddly, diesel is not classed as DG, but as a courtesy is placarded as Combustible Liquid.
The information placard has to be 820mm x 620mm and placed on the sides and rear of each trailer. The diamonds (300mm x 300mm) have to be displayed front, rear and each side, but as they are incorporated into the information placard only the front has diamonds alone.
Packaged DG do not require placating or for the driver to hold a DG licence. A stupid lack of requirements in my opinion.
Packaged goods are defined as quantities below 1,000kg/1,000litres, in separate packages. Some classes may have had the quantities reduced since my last course, but it’s not hard to think of a hypothetical (or not so) case where a truck is loaded with 25 tonne of lighter fluid (basically petroleum) in 250 ml cans, for delivery to a DC, with no requirement for placarding.
A DG licence is a prerequisite to obtain a fuel passport(yet another course), which is needed for access to fuel terminals.
dieseldave:
Stephenjp:
stu675:
Can I ask about first aid kits being mandatory?
It’s one of the questions on the RHA daily checks app we use, but I’ve never seen a kit.I don’t believe they are, even under ADR!!!
Hi Stephenjp,
That’s correct for UK work, there’s no legal requirement for a first-aid kit on a UK registered commercial vehicle.
A first aid kit is required by various countries under their own road traffic legislation, but a first aid kit is still not required by ADR.
However, some companies provide first aid kits as a matter of company policy.
Thanks Stephen and Dave
cooper1203:
@DieselDave Why does there have to be the extra placard on the back for class 1 and 7? Surly if they were being transported by road there would be other people involved near by and advertising the contents doesn’t strike me as wise. Even class 5.2 doesn’t seem a good idea to advertise but i guess if the driver is unable to tell the authorities in that case they need to know
Hi cooper1203,
I can tell you the requirements in ADR, but the big books would be much thicker than their current 1,300ish pages if they told why something has to be done in a certain way.
I can tell you this about marking a vehicle…
Orange plates.
Vehicles carrying packaged dangerous goods must display two plain reflectorised orange plates, one on the front and one on the rear. [ADR 5.3.2.1.1]
If a load of packaged dangerous goods does not exceed the small load partial exemption figures provided at ADR 1.1.3.6.3, (20, 333, and 1,000) or calculated using ADR 1.1.3.6.4 depending on the ADR Transport Category of the dangerous goods, then the requirement for the orange plates at ADR 5.3.2.1.1 does not apply. (There are a number of other requirements that are also disapplied by ADR 1.1.3.6.)
For the carriage by road of packaged dangerous goods of UN Classes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9, there is no requirement for a vehicle to be placarded.
I can’t provide a reference for something that doesn’t exist.
For the carriage by road of packaged dangerous goods of UN Class 1 exceeding the 20 or 333 (different limits apply to UK journeys) mentioned above, there is a requirement for the vehicle to be placarded on both sides and the rear. The only exception to this rule is for the carriage of 1.4S, which does not require to be placarded in any amount. [ADR 5.3.1.5.1]
For the carriage of packaged dangerous goods of UN Class 7, there is a requirement for the vehicle to be placarded on both sides and the rear. The only exception to this rule is for the carriage of excepted packages, which do not require to be placarded in any amount. [ADR 5.3.1.5.2]
Dave’s ADR trivia: UN Class placards are 25cm X 25cm and have the appearance of a diamond although they are described in ADR as a square set at 45 degrees.
I hope this helps, but please don’t be too concerned because most of the requirements in ADR are for the Consignor and Carrier to comply with and be responsible for. There is very little in ADR that an employed driver has to bear responsibility for.
sorry please dont think i was being argumentative the point i was trying to make was that if i had a vehicle marked up as carrying a corrosive it could be almost anything that is corrosive. might just be citic acid or it might be high strength and purity nitric acid. it would need further investigation by any person wishing to steal it. however if it was marked up as 5.2 its a far gamble and doesn’t need any further research to know what it is. same as if it was marked up as class 1 or 7. I just wondered if there was a reason they did that
cooper1203:
sorry please dont think i was being argumentative
Hi cooper1203,
I could tell that it wasn’t argumentative, but an honest question… it was such a good question that I didn’t know the answer to it.
cooper1203:
… the point i was trying to make was that if i had a vehicle marked up as carrying a corrosive it could be almost anything that is corrosive. might just be citic acid or it might be high strength and purity nitric acid. it would need further investigation by any person wishing to steal it. however if it was marked up as 5.2 its a far gamble and doesn’t need any further research to know what it is.
That’s true, but that is genuine knowledge on your part, which an intending thief might not have.
Stretching your point a little… if it were a tank vehicle of some kind, there’d be placards on two sides and the rear, but all the intending thief would know is that it carries a corrosive due to the placards being UN Class 8. The little picture in the top half of a placard only serves to warn of the type/kind of danger, but there’s nothing on UK tanker signage that would tell you the severity of the danger (Packing Group or ADR Transport Category) because that info is only to be found on the Transport Document (= delivery note.)
cooper1203:
same as if it was marked up as class 1 or 7. I just wondered if there was a reason they did that
Class 1 placards don’t all have the bursting bomb symbol, so the intending thief wouldn’t necessarily know what was on board for Divisions 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6, whereas Divisions 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 placards all have the bursting bomb symbol.
Class 7 placards all have the trefoil symbol, and even the less educated intending thief has seen that sign before.
The good thing about Classes 1 and 7 is that there’s usually a supervision requirement for those types of loads, so the driver won’t be far away when the vehicle is stationary, and they’re not allowed to park in certain places.
=============================
Back to topic… a tanker or packages vehicle fully subject to all ADR requirements is required to carry TWO fire extinguishers [ADR 8.1.4.1,] but for the carriage of packaged dangerous goods in accordance with the small load partial exemption at ADR 1.1.3.6, the requirement in that case is for just 1 X 2Kg fire extinguisher. [ADR 8.1.4.2]
Star down under.:
G’day Dave, now you’re stretching my memory. I haven’t done a DG course for nigh on twenty years. I never carried DG per se, apart from motor spirit, so didn’t maintain familiarity with modules not related to the cartage of fuel. Oddly, diesel is not classed as DG, but as a courtesy is placarded as Combustible Liquid.
G’day to you too SDU,
Blimey!! 
Given the 20yrs since your last DG course, your knowledge of DG is quite something, if you don’t mind me saying so.
In the 52 ADR countries, Diesel is brought into the Regs by its UN number and flashpoint.
UN Class 3 is regarded as officially dangerous if the flashpoint of the substance in question is 60 deg C or less.
However, there’s a requirement that UN 1202 (diesel, heating oil etc) is classified as DG when it has a flashpoint of 100 deg C or less, which catches lots of tankers that serve farms and domestic/business customers who have oil fired heating.
If this extra requirement didn’t apply to UN 1202, then we’d have loads of old sheds driven by Carryfast running around on the roads completely pleasing themselves with no regulations to worry about! That was the case in the UK until 2004/5 (IIRC) when we came more in line with ADR.
Star down under.:
The information placard has to be 820mm x 620mm and placed on the sides and rear of each trailer. The diamonds (300mm x 300mm) have to be displayed front, rear and each side, but as they are incorporated into the information placard only the front has diamonds alone.
We do exactly that too, except that we don’t put UN Class diamonds on the front of any vehicle.
For us, ADR and UK Regs say that a placard is diamond shaped as in my trivia comment above.
The thing that you’re calling a placard… we call it a Hazard Warning Panel, and under UK regs it’s 70cm X 40cm, but I suspect that there’s a little coincidence going on here due to the info required to be displayed on them.
ADR does the marking of tankers differently:
This goes on the front and rear of the vehicle
UN Class 2.1 placards on both sides and the rear.
Star down under.:
Packaged DG do not require placating or for the driver to hold a DG licence. A stupid lack of requirements in my opinion.
I didn’t know that, but I agree with you completely. Even a driver driving in accordance with ADR 1.1.3.6 needs to have had some documented ‘awareness’ training, but not a full blown DG licence.
Star down under.:
Packaged goods are defined as quantities below 1,000kg/1,000litres, in separate packages. Some classes may have had the quantities reduced since my last course, …
I guess that’s possible because I’ve been a self-employed DG course tutor and independent DG transport consultant (DGSA) for the last 20 years, and we’ve had some massive changes to DG law in that time. ADR is valid for international journeys amongst (currently) 52 countries, but we in the UK have a particular way of doing some of it in a ‘British’ way, but this only applies to UK registered vehicles engaged on the domestic carriage of DG. This is because HM Queen and now HM King want us to do it this way and gave us Brits a UK law called CDG 2009 (as amended) which requires it. Foreign registered vehicles in the UK will always do things the internationally agreed (ADR) way.
Star down under.:
but it’s not hard to think of a hypothetical (or not so) case where a truck is loaded with 25 tonne of lighter fluid (basically petroleum) in 250 ml cans, for delivery to a DC, with no requirement for placarding.
That’s a great example of what ADR and UK law calls Limited Quantities (LQs)
The notion of LQs can be best thought of as the type and kind of DG that can be legitimately bought over the counter in a retail shop. It stands to sense that there’s a complete exemption from DG law for those bringing their shopping home. The surprising thing (to most people) is that a truck driver can have a full load of LQs moving from a warehouse to the shop without the need of a DG licence or any fire extinguishers. All perfectly legal, provided that it’s retail type DGs packaged for retail sale. [ADR 3.4]
Star down under.:
A DG licence is a prerequisite to obtain a fuel passport(yet another course), which is needed for access to fuel terminals.
We have this too.
We call it Petroleum Driver Passport (PDP), which is required for drivers who need to enter a refinery to collect certain UN numbers, usually petroleum-based fuel products. PDP is intended to standardise the training needed for drivers collecting from the various refineries.