What are hazardous materials?

Hazardous materials are substances that may pose a risk to health, safety, property, or the environment. They are classified based on their physical, chemical, and biological properties. The following classes of hazardous materials are distinguished according to the ADR convention:

Explosive substances and articles containing explosive substances (Class 1)

Gases (Class 2) – e.g., propane, butane, acetylene

Flammable liquids (Class 3) – e.g., paints, varnishes, perfumery products, alcoholic products, petroleum-based products

Flammable solids, self-reactive substances, polymerizing substances, and solid desensitized explosives (Class 4.1)

Substances liable to spontaneous combustion (Class 4.2) – e.g., white phosphorus, yellow phosphorus, charcoal

Substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases (Class 4.3) – e.g., carbide (calcium carbide)

Oxidizing substances (Class 5.1) – e.g., ammonium nitrate

Organic peroxides (Class 5.2)

Toxic substances (Class 6.1) – e.g., arsenic, chloroform, cyanide, lead, pesticides

Infectious substances (Class 6.2) – e.g., biological products, medical waste, samples containing pathogens (bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi)

Radioactive materials (Class 7)

Corrosive substances (Class 8) – e.g., battery fluids, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid

Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles (Class 9) – e.g., asbestos, electrical capacitors.

How should hazardous materials be stored?

Storing hazardous materials requires strict adherence to safety regulations to minimize the risk of accidents, contamination, and threats to health and the environment.

How and where should hazardous materials be warehoused?

Warehousing hazardous materials requires specialized warehouse infrastructure, appropriate safety measures, and strict compliance with safety regulations to minimize the risk of accidents, contamination, and hazards to health and the environment. At 3CARGO warehouses, we do not store hazardous materials from Classes 1 and 7. Please contact us for detailed information on which hazardous materials can be warehoused with us.

What is the ADR convention?

The ADR convention is a European agreement concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods by road, from the French L’Accord européen relatif au transport international des marchandises dangereuses par route – ADR. It describes in great detail the conditions for the safe transport of dangerous goods on roads. The ADR convention was drafted in Geneva on September 30, 1957, and ratified by Poland in 1975. It consists of the main agreement, which defines the legal relationships between countries, and Annexes A and B to the agreement. Annex A contains general provisions and regulations concerning dangerous materials and articles, while Annex B includes provisions related to the vehicles and transport operations. The provisions of the agreement are updated every two years, and the updated official version of the agreement in Polish is published in the Journal of Laws.