Transport of dangerous goods
Dangerous goods is a collective term for substances and objects that, due to their chemical or physical properties, may cause injury to life or health or damage to the environment or property when transported. Dangerous goods can possess explosive, combustible, toxic, radioactive or corrosive properties. Dangerous goods include petrol/gasoline, LPG, cigarette lighters, sulphuric acid, arsenic, radioactive substances, fireworks, and spray cans. In the legislation on transporting dangerous goods, the transporting concept does not only include the physical transfer of goods using transport. It also means loading and unloading, storage, and other handling that constitute elements of the transfer. However, the transporting concept does not include transferring dangerous goods that occur only within an area where the dangerous goods are manufactured, stored, or consumed. Therefore, the legislation on transporting dangerous goods by land does not apply in such situations.
Transport of dangerous goods by road and rail
The provisions of ADR-S and RID-S require, in certain situations, special approval or permit from the applicable authority before a transport may be carried out. MSB is Sweden’s regulatory authority for transporting dangerous goods by road and rail. Under normal circumstances, special approval from MSB is not needed when dangerous goods are transported according to ADR-S and RID-S, but certain cases require approval. These examples are:
Transport approval of samples (UN 0190), fireworks (UN 0333-0337) and N.O.S. substances/articles in class 1 (“Not Otherwise Specified”)
Class 1 explosive substances and articles of samples (UN 0190) or N.O.S. substances may only be transported to or from Sweden if MSB approves them before transport. For the transportation of fireworks (UN 03330337), an applicable authority in an ADR country must approve the classification before transport.
Approval of W packaging
Regarding scientific and technical progress packaging, IBCs and overpack may be designed and approved according to specifications other than those defined in Chapters 6.1, 6.3, 6.5 and 6.6 of Part 6 of ADR-S and RID-S. Such enclosures are referred to as W packaging. This applies only on condition that the specifications have an equivalent level of safety and that the enclosures pass the tests described in each chapter. The provisions of ADR-S and RID-S clearly indicate when the authority’s approval is required. The processing time for an authorisation is approximately six weeks. If the approval is also to cover sea and air transport, MSB coordinates this directly with the Swedish Transport Agency without the applicant contacting the Swedish Transport Agency. In addition to what is stated below, MSB may request additional information for each application.
Transport of dangerous goods by sea and air
Transporting products classified as dangerous goods requires following specific rules, such as the goods must be packaged in type-approved packaging. This means that packaging must meet specific design and testing requirements. The sender and those transporting dangerous goods must comply with the terms and conditions set out in the Swedish Act on Transport of Dangerous Goods (2006:263). The Transport of Dangerous Goods Transported by Air is regulated by the Act (2006:263) and Transport of Dangerous Goods Ordinance (SFS 2006:311), as well as the Swedish Transport Agency’s Regulations (TSFS 2021:30) on the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air. These incorporate the international Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (ICAO-TI), which contains detailed rules for transporting dangerous goods by air. There are dangerous goods that are not allowed to be transported by air due to various reasons that can affect safety in the air. The Swedish Transport Agency may issue exemptions from ICAO-TI in the following circumstances: in cases of extreme urgency, when other forms of transport are not suitable and if the requirements established are contrary to the public interest. In this case, a notification must be sent to the Swedish Transport Agency.
No permit is needed for the transport of dangerous goods by sea.