Dangerous goods

Using the intermodal system and the services of CEMAT it is possible to transport dangerous goods in conditions which are extremely safe not only for people but also for the environment, the means of transport and the equipment. Indeed, the system of numerous and repeated checks during the various phases which constitute intermodal transportation guarantees conformity to the very highest standards laid down at European level.
Moreover, use of the railway system for part of the transportation allows for important savings in terms of cost, of time and often also in bureaucratic formalities.

In the area of intermodal transportation overland, the movement of dangerous goods is regulated by the RID and ADR directives. All the goods which are allowed to be transported under these directives can be sent within the system of the CEMAT organization, with a few exceptions.

• Goods of Class 1 and Class 7 RID/ADR
The transportation of Class 7 products (radioactive materials) is not permitted, while Class 1 products (explosive materials) are subject to some restrictions (with regard to routes, quantities, specific products, etc.) and so the feasibility of their transportation must be assessed beforehand in conjunction with CEMAT.

• Transportation by particular routes
- The terminal of Lamezia Terme and Palermo Brancaccio currently cannot accept shipments of dangerous goods,  in arrival and in departure, because they have not been inserted in the list of ports authorized to the dangerous goods by the railroads.

- Brindisi to Patrasso and back: dangerous goods are not permitted as the ferries operating on this route do not have the necessary authorization.

- Italian mainland to Sicily and back: the maritime directives are not applicable on this route, instead the RID/ADR regulations apply. Therefore, there are not limitations on dangerous goods already permitted by RID/ADR, apart from the limitations already mentioned for Classes 1 and 7.

• Waste products
As regards the transport of dangerous goods also classified as ‘waste’, see the section specific to this.

What is required for the intermodal transportation of dangerous goods?

Means of transport

Within the intermodal system, dangerous goods can be transported either in containers or loose, using the appropriate means of transport, known as Intermodal Transport (ITU) Units. These can be either tankers, silos, swap bodies, load bodies, tarpaulin-covered containers or container wagons.
ITUs which contain or have contained dangerous goods must conform to the ADR requirements in the case of overland transportation, and to those of the IMO if the goods are destined to be carried by sea. Approval must be sought for all methods of transport by rail. The ITUs must, of course, be in conformity with all the regulations and subject to the period checks as cited above.
The ITUs must be able to be moved by lifting gear.

Warnings of danger applicable to the means of transport

All ITUs containing dangerous goods and all un-reclaimed ITUs which have contained dangerous goods must carry certain danger alerts:
• For the transportation of goods in cases, all four sides of the ITU must carry the rhomboid-shaped stickers corresponding to the appropriate class of dangerous goods carried aboard.
• For the transportation of goods in tankers or loosely-stacked loads, all four sides of the IVUs must carry the rhomboid-shaped warning stickers, and on at least two sides there must be orange panels bearing the ONU number (at the bottom) and the risk number (Kemler) of the product carried (at the top).

Documentation to accompany transportation

The client intending to dispatch ITUs with dangerous goods aboard must give official advance warning, specifying the ONU number of the goods.
On delivering the ITU to the terminal, the driver must give a report of the goods, specifying: the ONU number, the risk number, the class of goods, the type of packaging and official denomination of the products (trade names are not admissible). In the case of solutions or mixtures classified as n.o.s. in the index (not otherwise specified), the driver must also give the technical name of the product which contributes risk to the solution or mixture.

Example of a product which is well defined:
33/1156 Diethyl Ketone Class 3, II RID/ADR

Example of a solution or mixture (goods not otherwise specified)
33/1993 Inflammable liquid n.o.s. Class 3, II RID/ADR (contains Diethyl Ketone)

The driver must produce the safety instructions for the transportation (the Trem-card) corresponding to the product or products he wishes to deliver. In the case of international transportation, the instructions must be translated into the languages of the countries of origin, of transit and of destination.