Established conference in an innovative guise

The 19th Dangerous Goods Day organised by Swiss TS and GeFaSuisse took place for once not at Euroairport Basel, but in the Zofingen region. The focus was on the history and development of the regulations for the carriage of dangerous goods by road (SDR/ADR). And with good reason, as the ADR is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year and the national regulation SDR its 45th anniversary.

How the ADR came about
Klaus Ridder could be engaged as a proven expert of the matter. Within an hour, he managed to give the attendees a very animating presentation on the history of dangerous goods law. The first regulations date back to the 18th century and concerned the safe handling of gunpowder. In the 19th century, the focus was more on gas cylinders with unreliable welded seams. Certainly there were also military reasons - too many people unfit for service due to child labour, for example - all events requiring regulations. Dangerous goods legislation was first addressed after the Second World War. The rapid increase in world trade demanded international harmonisation of the existing transport regulations for each individual mode of transport. Thus, in 1957, the UN Recommendations, a small booklet with danger labels and classes, was created as the basis for global standardisation. The ADR based on this came into force on 30 September 1957. Today it has been ratified by 49 countries - with a significantly larger scope - although there are national supplements with certain deviations, such as the SDR introduced in our country on 24 May 1972. The drivers of dangerous goods legislation have always been accidents and incidents as well as new technologies. For example, the handling of the tank container that suddenly appeared from the USA raised many questions as to how it should be transported safely by rail and road. Internationally recognised rules for the dangerous goods to be transported had to be established immediately. Even with today's biennial revision of the law, it must be borne in mind that all new rules must be harmonised in all participating ratifying states. The fact that this is not always a simple matter was demonstrated by Klaus Ridder with the aid of an organigram and he described the sometimes bizarre circumstances that can arise, particularly due to multilingualism and translations across several languages.

Kurt Friderich, Head of the Chemical Fire Brigade School Zofingen, then used many examples to encourage people to think about the ADR protective equipment they need to carry, all the more so as the regulations leave room for improvement. The focus should always be on one's own safety and the reliable prevention of consequential damage. Last but not least, from an insurance point of view, it may well be important whether or not appropriate equipment is available in the event of an incident.

Attractive post race
On the grounds of the chemical fire brigade school, various posts offered a mixture of the previously maintained dangerous goods course and the other small modules in the afternoon. Lithium-ion batteries, which can burn violently due to the flammable electrolyte they contain, are a perennial hot topic in dangerous goods law. On the Dangerous Goods Day, the participants were able to see for themselves the potential danger of these batteries. At another station, the most important knowledge about valves, couplings, filling openings and possible leakage points in batteries was imparted. In addition, the participants were able to deepen their knowledge of the agents used to contain chemicals and oil or how to deal with leaking packaging. Finally, they had to assess a situation involving a hazardous spill. All the knowledge from all chapters of the ADR as well as knowledge of safety-related behaviour were required here.

The conference organizers succeeded in approaching the 19th Dangerous Goods Day Switzerland in a topical and innovative manner, and in doing so, also directed the view of dangerous goods law from a new angle.

The 20th Dangerous Goods Day Switzerland will take place on 13 June 2018.