Responsibilities of the hazardous goods officer
- Ensuring compliance with the regulations for transporting hazardous goods
- Instructing staff members and employees
- Providing instruction sheets and directives for employees (identification of the material, provision of the relevant labels and codes, provision of the relevant documentation)
What do we mean by hazardous goods?
Hazardous goods are substances and objects that pose a risk in case of accident or improper handling during transport/shipping.
Categories of hazardous goods
Hazardous goods are classified as follows:
Category 1 Explosives and objects containing explosive substances
Category 2 Gases
Category 3 Flammable liquids
Category 4.1 Flammable solids
Category 4.2 Self-igniting substances
Category 4.3 Substances that develop flammable gases when coming into contact with water
Category 5.1 Igniting (oxidising) agents
Category 5.2 Organic peroxides
Category 6.1 Poisonous substances
Category 6.2 Contagious substances
Category 7 Radioactive substances
Category 8 Corrosive substances
Category 9 Various hazardous substances and objects (e.g. lithium batteries, dry ice, genetically modified organisms)
The difference between hazardous goods and hazardous materials (Gefahrgut/Gefahrstoff)
- For the purposes of transport and shipping, the above-mentioned substances and objects are called hazardous goods (“Gefahrgut”).
- They’re called hazardous materials (“Gefahrstoffe”) when they’re in storage or use.
Regulations
- GGBefG
(Gesetz über die Beförderung gefährlicher Güter) (law on the transport of hazardous goods) - ADR
(Europäisches Übereinkommen über die Beförderung gefährlicher Güter auf der Straße) (European agreement on the transport of hazardous goods by road) - IATA
(Internationales Übereinkommen über die Beförderung gefährlicher Güter im Luftverkehr) (international agreement on the transport of hazardous goods by air)
You can find comprehensive rules and regulations on the topics of environmental protection, hazardous materials, occupational safety etc. in the umwelt-online database.