Missing DG declaration and placards for a mixed diesel and LPG load
A driver holds a Class 2 car licence with a D endorsement. At a Christchurch yard, dispatch asks them to collect six 200 L IBCs of UN 1202 diesel (Class 3, packing group III) and six 45 kg LPG cylinders (Class 2.1) on a flatbed truck. The truck has no placards fitted. The only paperwork is an invoice that says 'diesel and gas bottles'. The loader wants the driver to sign the invoice and leave immediately because the customer is waiting. The driver knows the combined load clearly exceeds the placard threshold. There is no DG declaration, no emergency response information, and the LPG cylinders are unrestrained. The driver has not been given the consignor's 24-hour phone number. The weather is fine and the route crosses the Port Hills.
1. What documentation must be in place before the vehicle moves, and why is the invoice not adequate?
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The invoice is a commercial document, not a DG declaration. Because the load is above the placard threshold, the consignor must provide a DG declaration for the diesel (UN 1202, Class 3, PG III) and the LPG (Class 2.1). The declaration must identify consignor and consignee, the date, the proper shipping name, UN number, class, packing group and quantity for each item, the total quantity, and a 24-hour emergency contact. The invoice does not contain these details, so the driver cannot verify what is being carried, the correct placards, or the emergency response information. Signing the invoice would not fix the missing declaration. The driver should not move until a complete DG declaration is supplied and checked against the load. Holding a D endorsement does not remove the consignor's documentation duty or the driver's duty to check.
2. What placarding and load restraint should the vehicle have, and what should the driver do about the deficiencies?
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The flatbed needs placards for Class 3 (UN 1202) and Class 2.1 for the LPG, displayed on both sides and the rear. The LPG cylinders must be restrained so they cannot move, fall or rub; the IBCs also need load restraint. A suitable fire extinguisher and emergency information should be carried. The driver should refuse to leave the yard until the placards, restraint and documentation are corrected, and should report the deficiencies to the supervisor and, if necessary, the consignor. Driving a placardable load without placards is a breach and also leaves emergency services without the information they need. The driver should record the refusal and the reason.