DGSA RID Rail flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

RID within COTIF

RID is Appendix C to the 1980 COTIF Convention on International Carriage by Rail, administered by OTIF and amended every two years in odd-numbered years, for example RID 2025 from 1 January 2025.

Directive 2008/68/EC Annex II

Annex II of EU Directive 2008/68/EC applies RID to rail carriage of dangerous goods within and between Member States, including domestic traffic, subject to derogations notified to the European Commission.

DGSA appointment

An undertaking whose activities include rail carriage of dangerous goods, or the packing, filling, loading or unloading connected with it, must appoint at least one dangerous goods safety adviser under RID 1.8.3.

DGSA annual report

The safety adviser prepares an annual report for the undertaking's management describing dangerous goods activities and compliance, keeps it for five years and makes it available to the competent authority on request.

Class 3 packing groups

Flammable liquids are placed in PG I when the initial boiling point is 35 degrees Celsius or less, PG II when the flash point is below 23 degrees, and PG III at flash points from 23 to 60.

Class 1 compatibility groups

Explosives are assigned to divisions 1.1 to 1.6 and to compatibility groups A to L and N, which indicate the kind of explosive and govern mixed loading in the same wagon.

Transport index

The transport index of a Class 7 package is the highest dose rate at one metre from its surface in millisieverts per hour multiplied by 100; it fixes the label category.

Class 8 corrosion criterion

Class 8 covers substances that cause full-thickness destruction of skin, or that corrode steel or aluminium at a rate exceeding 6.25 millimetres per year at 55 degrees Celsius.

Special provision 274

For generic not-otherwise-specified entries, special provision 274 requires the proper shipping name to be supplemented in the transport document by the technical name of the substance in brackets.

Excepted quantity E0

Code E0 in column 7b means no excepted quantity is allowed: the goods cannot be carried under Chapter 3.5 and must meet the full packing, marking and documentation requirements.

Limited quantity package limit

Under Chapter 3.4 the inner packaging limit is taken from column 7a and the completed package may not exceed 30 kilograms gross; the package bears the limited quantity mark.

RID Table A

Chapter 3.2 Table A lists dangerous goods by UN number and gives name, class, packing group, labels, special provisions, limited and excepted quantities, packing and tank instructions and carriage provisions.

Packaging code letter X

In the UN packaging code, X certifies a packaging for packing groups I, II and III, Y for packing groups II and III, and Z for packing group III only.

Tank code L4BH

In a tank code, L means a tank for liquids, the digit is the minimum calculation pressure in bar, the letter B describes the filling and discharge openings, and H means hermetically closed.

Tank wagon inspections

Tank wagons receive an intermediate inspection at least every three years and a periodic inspection with hydraulic test at least every six years; portable tanks follow 2.5-year and 5-year intervals.

Filling degree formula

The maximum degree of filling for a liquid is 98 divided by one plus the cubic expansion coefficient multiplied by 50 minus the filling temperature, expressed as a percentage.

Orange plate size

Orange plates measure 400 by 300 millimetres with a 15 millimetre black border and digits 100 millimetres high; the upper number is the hazard identification code and the lower the UN number.

Placard dimensions

Placards on wagons and containers are enlarged labels measuring 250 by 250 millimetres and are fixed to both long sides; labels on packages measure 100 by 100 millimetres.

Document language rule

Dangerous goods particulars are written in an official language of the country of dispatch; if that language is not German, English or French, one of these must also be used.

Transport document entries

The consignment note states the UN number preceded by UN, proper shipping name, class and classification code, packing group, number and kind of packages, and total quantity for each dangerous good.

Wagon suitability

Before loading, the wagon must be authorised for the goods, clean and free of damage, and the tank code of a tank wagon must match column 12 of Table A.

Loading check before departure

Before the wagon leaves, the loader confirms that closures are tight, no product remains on the tank top, the load is secured, and placards and orange plates match the consignment.

Class 1 mixed loading

RID 7.5.2 contains a table showing which compatibility groups of Class 1 may be loaded together in one wagon or container; a blank entry prohibits mixed loading.

Tunnel restriction code

Table A gives a tunnel restriction code for each entry where tunnel rules apply; national and network rules decide which tunnels a wagon carrying the goods may pass.

High consequence dangerous goods

Chapter 1.10 defines high consequence dangerous goods by class and threshold quantity; above the threshold a security plan, security training and additional protective measures are required.

Segregation from foodstuffs

Toxic and infectious substances of classes 6.1 and 6.2, and other goods so marked, must not be loaded in the same wagon or container as foodstuffs, or must be separated to prevent contamination.

Loader duties

Under RID 1.4.2 the loader ensures the goods are loaded correctly, packaging is undamaged, markings and placards are correct, and the wagon is suitable and the load secured.

Security plan

A security plan for high consequence dangerous goods sets out responsibilities, records, training, access control and measures against theft or sabotage, and is kept for the competent authority.

Emergency information

Written emergency response information must accompany the consignment and be immediately available to the train crew in a language they understand, describing the hazards and the actions to take.

Incident report contents

Accident and incident reports record the date and place, the dangerous goods and quantities involved, injuries, damage, apparent cause and measures taken, and are forwarded to the competent authority.

Tremcard

The transport emergency card summarises the hazards of the substance, personal protection, and the actions for fire, spillage and first aid for use by the crew before specialists arrive.

First actions at a leak

Stop the train clear of the hazard, warn and keep people away, eliminate ignition sources, notify the dispatcher and emergency services, and hand over the transport document and emergency information.