Australia Updates Dangerous Good Code to Edition 7.7

In July of this year, the National Transport Commission (NTC) released an updated version of the Australian Dangerous Goods Code (ADG), for transport of Dangerous Goods in Australia by road and rail. The newest Edition, 7.7 can be used from the 1^st of October 2020, and it becomes mandatory from the 1^st of October 2021. Whilst the NTC maintains and updates the codes, each state and territory in Australia has to adopt it into their own dangerous goods legislation. The latest edition of the ADG is aligned with the 21^st revised edition of the United Nations (UN) recommendation on the Transport of Dangerous Goods Model Regulations, whilst still maintaining some unique Australian provisions.

The NTC produced two documents to go alongside the new ADG – the Table of Amendments and the Key Changes. Some of the main changes are:

• Simplification of dangerous goods packed in Limited Quantities, with the transport documentation no longer required and the removal of all Limited quantity sub categories. This brings the requirements more in line with Australia’s major trading partners, especially those utilising the International Agreement for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR).
• The removal of additional requirements for inner packaging which have been filled in Australia. Packages are still required to meet the UN performance testing and approvals for packaging.
• Transport of empty packages and containers – this section in chapter 7 has been removed as it is covered elsewhere in the code. It should be noted that if an empty package is contaminated with a Dangerous Good then it is still required to be transported as a Dangerous Good unless the hazard has been nullified.
• There have also been numerous general updates such as updating references, minor corrections, the addition of some new UN numbers, as well as deletion of others, and updates to some of the special provisions.

Recommended Action Items:

• If you transport Dangerous Goods within Australia by road or rail, check and see if any of the key changes affect your products.
• Download the latest edition of the Dangerous Goods Code from the NTC website at https://www.ntc.gov.au/codes-and-guidelines/australian-dangerous-goods-code.

References:

• National Transport Commission, Australian Dangerous Goods Code – https://www.ntc.gov.au/codes-and-guidelines/australian-dangerous-goods-code

• National Transport Commission, Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail Edition 7.7 – https://www.ntc.gov.au/sites/default/files/assets/files/ADGC-7.7.pdf

• National Transport Commission, Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail: differences between edition 7.6 and edition 7.7 – https://www.ntc.gov.au/sites/default/files/assets/files/ADGC-7.7-Table-of-amendments.pdf

• National Transport Commission, Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail: key changes between edition 7.6 and edition 7.7 – https://www.ntc.gov.au/sites/default/files/assets/files/ADGC-key-changes-7.7.pdf