Transporting hazardous chemicals by road in Great Britain is governed by ADR - the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road - implemented domestically through the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009. Correct classification determines everything from vehicle requirements to documentation and emergency procedures.
Key points
- ADR divides hazardous goods into nine classes based on the type of risk, including explosives, gases, flammable liquids, and corrosive and toxic substances.
- Correct classification determines vehicle requirements, driver certification, safety equipment, documentation and emergency response procedures.
- The regulations are updated on a biennial cycle - the 2025 edition introduced revised classification criteria, packing instructions and equipment requirements.
- Dangerous Goods Safety Advisers (DGSAs) are typically required to help ensure compliance for businesses regularly transporting hazardous goods.
What This Regulation Requires
ADR requires hazardous chemical products to be correctly classified into one of nine hazard classes, packaged and labelled to the relevant standard, and transported using appropriately certified vehicles and drivers, with documentation and emergency procedures matched to the specific goods being carried.
Who It Applies To
ADR duties are shared across the supply chain - the consignor (often the manufacturer) is responsible for correct classification and packaging, while the carrier is responsible for compliant transport. In contract manufacturing, clarify who arranges and is responsible for compliant transport of your finished product.
What This Means for Contract Manufacturing
Confirm with a prospective manufacturer how they classify your product for transport purposes, whether they arrange compliant carriage themselves or use a specialist logistics partner, and how this affects delivery lead times - see warehousing and distribution for the related manufacturing capability.
How Transport Classification Works
Dangerous goods transport operates under its own classification system, distinct from the hazard classification used for supply. A product is assigned to a class based on its primary transport hazard, given a UN number and proper shipping name, and usually a packing group reflecting the degree of danger. Those determine what packaging may be used, how it must be marked and labelled, what documentation accompanies the consignment, and what quantity limits apply.
The distinction between supply classification and transport classification catches people out. A product can be classified as hazardous for supply and not be regulated for transport, or the reverse, because the two systems assess different things. Do not assume the CLP position answers the transport question - see classification, labelling and packaging.
Packaging Is Part of the Compliance
Dangerous goods generally require packaging that has been tested and certified to the appropriate standard, and the certification applies to the complete package as tested - container, closure and any inner packaging together. Substituting a different closure or a visually similar drum from another supplier can invalidate it. This makes packaging a genuine lead-time and specification item rather than a detail settled late.
Quantity thresholds also matter commercially. Some requirements ease below defined limits, which can make smaller pack sizes or particular consignment arrangements considerably simpler to move. Where transport cost or complexity is significant, it is worth checking whether pack size affects the position before the format is fixed.
Roles and Responsibilities
Dangerous goods duties fall across several roles - consignor, packer, loader, carrier - and businesses involved in transporting them may need access to a qualified safety adviser. In a contract manufacturing arrangement, establish who acts as consignor and who prepares transport documentation, since it does not follow automatically from who manufactured the goods. See warehousing and distribution and flash point.
Storage as Well as Movement
Dangerous goods rules govern transport, but the same materials are subject to separate requirements while stored - segregation of incompatible substances, quantity limits, bunding and fire protection. A manufacturer offering warehousing for your finished product needs to be able to store it compliantly as well as ship it, and the two are worth confirming together rather than assuming one implies the other.
Related Pages
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the manufacturer always responsible for arranging compliant transport?
Not necessarily - this depends on your specific agreement and whether you or the manufacturer arranges the carrier, so confirm this explicitly rather than assuming it's automatically covered.
Does ADR classification affect how quickly our product can be delivered?
It can - hazardous goods classification may require specific vehicle types, certified drivers, or additional documentation, which can affect available transport options and lead times compared with non-hazardous goods.
Find a Manufacturer
Find a UK Contract Chemical Manufacturer
Search the directory of UK contract and toll manufacturers by process, industry and capability.
Search the DirectoryLast reviewed: August 2026. Regulation and guidance change — verify anything you rely on against the primary source. Tell us if something here is out of date.