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UKLPG Triumphs Over ADR

Lobbying from UKLPG and its members has seen the extension of EN 12493 (Annex C) of the Carriage of Dangerous Goods & Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 (CDG) until 2013.

Amendments to the European Agreement Concerning the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) could potentially have seen lpg road tankers designed to ADR requirements through CDG, making them heavier and reducing payloads, resulting in additional journeys. Jeff Watson, technical manager at UKLPG, said: “The change could have had a number of consequences that would go against government policy, particularly by increasing the environmental impact and road traffic.”

Roger Adams of Lakeland Tankers Ltd, a member of UKLPG’s technical management committee, which was tasked with achieving the extension, said: “The fact that the legislators have reconsidered their position on tanker design codes illustrates what can be achieved through the joint efforts of the UKLPG, lpg companies and tanker manufacturers in presenting a unified case and in maintaining our current standards. This is a situation of which we can feel justifiably proud.”

Rob Shuttleworth, chief executive of UKLPG, said: “This is good news for the environment and our industry, as millions of pounds of unnecessary costs will be avoided. This has involved a lot of hard work for the association, its members and officials. We would like to thank everyone for their active support on this matter and, in particular, Jeff Watson, John Williams and Paul Blacklock for their persistence in putting our case to civil servants and politicians.”

The amendments to ADR also include changes to the conditions under which lpg cylinders can be retested every 15 years. Currently, the Department for Transport (DfT) grants retest intervals at its discretion. The change will be deferred until 2015, when DfT will grant formal permission for 15 year retesting for each batch of lp gas cylinders.

Jeff Watson said: “In the current climate, DfT do not want extra work and we will seek to find a mechanism that fits both their duties and our industry’s needs.

“Looking further ahead, there will be a change in the 2013 ADR relating to the definition of lpg. UKLPG is already in dialogue with DfT on how this may be managed.”

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