CDG Regs at Regulation 6 and schedule 1 requires that a telephone number where specialist advice concerning the dangerous goods in question can be obtained in English at any time during carriage should be displayed.
This is a GB domestic requirement and does not apply to vehicles properly displaying HIN plates, that is, on international journeys.
Arranging for specialist advice to be available out of normal working hours is difficult and carriers or consignors often retain external contractors to:
- Provide the specialist advice, or
- Act as an initial point of contact, with enquiries being referred to appointed 'duty officers' within the company.
Inspectors are advised that the above arrangements are acceptable provided the advice at the point of contact is appropriate, prompt and involves only one referral.
The initial call to the number should be answered in a reasonably timely manner. It should not be necessary to redial multiple times.
Companies should aim to provide:
- Product based information within 10 minutes of receipt of the initial request, and
- Any further technical information and advice, as necessary, within 30 minutes
Inspectors encountering vehicles carrying dangerous goods in tanks should consider enforcement action where there is:
- No telephone number displayed (but note alternative provision in Schedule 6 para 5(2)
- No response, or
- A seriously inadequate response (ie significantly worse than that indicated above)
When checking the availability of specialist advice as part of a roadside check, by telephoning the displayed number, inspectors should ask for information based on all available information relating to the load (eg the UN number(s) and Emergency Action Code which are displayed). Where UN numbers are generic ("NOS") it may be necessary to supply any other information that is available in the documentation to get more detailed advice.
Inspectors should make the purpose of the call clear. This will avoid any misunderstanding that the call could be related to an actual emergency and enable the person answering the call to do so in the correct context.