AMENDING REGULATIONS FOR TANKS AND PRESSURE RECEPTACLES COME INTO FORCE

HSC press release: C027:03 - 30 June 2003

New amending regulations on the construction and use of tanks and pressure receptacles used in the carriage of dangerous goods come into force today.

The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Transportable Pressure Vessels (Amendment) Regulations 2003 were recommended to Ministers by the Health and Safety Commission (HSC) in May 2003.

The Regulations extend certain existing requirements to close a gap in regulatory provisions before the consolidated carriage of dangerous goods regulations (which HSC is currently consulting on) come into force in 2004.

They will also implement EC Directive 2002/50/EC, which corrects a minor error in the original Transportable Pressure Equipment Directive (TPED) by inserting references to EC design-examination certificates that had originally been omitted. These Regulations amend the Transportable Pressure Vessels Regulations 2001 accordingly.

HSC invited relevant organisations and individuals to comment on the implementation of the amending regulations earlier this year.

Notes to editors

1. The carriage of dangerous goods in Great Britain is governed by a complex legislative framework of regulations and approved documents made under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974.

2. A Consultative Document on proposals for the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations which consolidates the existing framework of legislation was published on 3 June 2003 and is available at http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/condocs/cd188.htm

3. The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Transportable Pressure Vessels (Amendment) Regulations 2003 were signed by Ministers on 3 June 2003 and laid before parliament on 4 June 2003 (SI 2003/1431). The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Transportable Pressure Vessels (Amendment) Regulations 2003 are available online at http://www.tsoshop.co.uk/

4. The decision to consolidate existing domestic regulations into a new set of carriage regulations that would also directly reference international agreements was taken by the Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) with a view to implementing the regulations by 1 July 2003. However, the sheer complexity of the task and the legal issues that still need to be resolved, mean that the consolidated regulations will not come into force by that date. In consequence, there is a need to ensure that existing requirements continue to apply until the consolidated regulations are in place in 2004.

5. The development of these regulations is mainly driven by the implementation of European Directives, which require Member States to align their domestic legislation with international agreements on the carriage of dangerous goods. The international agreements which govern transport by rail and road, RID (Reglements Internationales Relatif au Transport des Marchandises Dangereuses par Chemin de Fer) and ADR (Accord Européen Relatif au Transport International des Marchandises Dangereuses par Route) respectively are updated.

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