Vehicle equipment, vehicle marking and construction requirements
What this domain tests
Vehicle equipment, orange plates and placards, and the construction/approval rules that make a vehicle suitable for the load.
Core rules
- Fire extinguishers: at least one 2 kg dry powder (or equivalent) for engine/cab, and an additional 6 kg extinguisher for the load on vehicles carrying dangerous goods. They must be accessible and within test date.
- Other equipment: wheel chocks, warning triangle, high-visibility vest, torch, PPE, eye wash, and a spill kit appropriate to the load.
- Orange plates (30 × 40 cm) front and rear for vehicles carrying dangerous goods above the 1.1.3.6 thresholds and for tanks; placards/labels on both sides. Plates must be removed or covered when the vehicle is empty and clean.
- Vehicle categories: EX/II, EX/III for explosives; FL for flammable liquids; OX for oxidizers; AT for tanks. The ADR certificate must match the vehicle and be valid.
- Construction includes electrical protection, fire resistance, speed limitation and tank strength.
Worked example
A 12 t rigid truck carries 1,000 L of petrol in drums. That is above the PG II threshold, so it needs orange plates front and rear, Class 3 placards on both sides, a 2 kg cab extinguisher and a 6 kg load extinguisher. The driver checks the ADR certificate covers FL carriage and that the plates are clean and not obscured by the tail lift.
Traps
Using only a 2 kg extinguisher on a dangerous-goods vehicle. Leaving orange plates on an empty vehicle. Fitting placards only on one side. Assuming a standard vehicle is automatically ADR-approved. Forgetting that tank vehicles have additional construction and inspection rules.