RID (Carriage of Dangerous Goods)

• ensures the performance of the activities of the 'competent authority' competent under the national rules for the application of RID;
• approves types of tanks pursuant to RID.

The Regulation concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID) forms Appendix C to the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail. This Regulation applies to the international carriage of dangerous goods by rail on the territory of the RID Contracting States. It also sets out in an annex the dangerous goods which are exempted from international carriage. The latest amendments entered into force on the basis of Article 35 § 3 of the Convention on 1 January 2023 and on this date they also entered into force for the Czech Republic (announced by the Communication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs No. 14/2023 of the Collection of international conventions).

The RID scope of application: The Regulation for the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail specifies:

1. dangerous goods which are banned from international carriage;
2. dangerous goods which are authorized for international carriage and the conditions attaching to them, particularly with regard to:

• classification of goods, including classification criteria and relevant test methods;
• use of packaging (including mixed packing);
• use of non-demountable tanks (tank-wagons), demountable tanks, tank-containers and tank swap bodies with shells made of metallic materials, portable tanks,  battery-wagons and multiple-element gas containers (MEGCs)
• consignment procedures (including marking and labelling of packages and means of transport as well as documentation and information required);
• requirements concerning the construction, testing and approval of packaging and tanks;
• use of means of transport (including loading, mixed loading and unloading).

• Class 1            Explosive substances and articles
• Class 2            Gases
• Class 3            Flammable liquids
• Class 4.1         Flammable solids, self-reactive substances, polymerizing substances and solid desensitized explosives
• Class 4.2         Substances liable to spontaneous combustion
• Class 4.3         Substances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases
• Class 5.1         Oxidizing substances
• Class 5.2         Organic peroxides
• Class 6.1         Toxic substances
• Class 6.2         Infectious substances
• Class 7            Radioactive material
• Class 8            Corrosive substances
• Class 9            Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles

All means of transport carrying dangerous substances are marked according to the UN system. The marking is done using a special orange-30 colour warning plate with the dimensions of 40 x 30 cm. The plate shall have a black 1.5 cm wide edge and shall be divided by a black line into two separate fields. The upper field of the table contains the hazard identification number of the substance, known as the Kemler code, and the lower field contains the identification number of the substance, known as the UN code. The plate must be made of weatherproof material and guarantee a durable indelible marking. The plate must not detach after 15 minutes of direct exposure to fire and must remain legible.

The UN code is characterised by a four-digit number serving as a unique identifier of the substance in transit. The UN code is made up of black digits 10 cm high and 1.5 cm thick. Currently, it is assigned to more than 3,000 substances and mixtures of substances. The UN code, together with the Kemler code, shall be displayed on every vehicle used for the transport of dangerous substances.

The hazard identification number indicates the hazard rating of the substances. The first digit indicates the primary hazard, the second and third digits indicate the subsidiary hazards of the substance, i.e. the secondary hazards that must be known when handling the substance if there is an accident. If a hazard identification number is prefixed by the letter X, this indicates that the substance will react dangerously with water. For explosive substances and articles of hazard number 1, a classification code consisting of the subclass number and the letter of the tolerance group is used instead of the Kemler code.*

Primary hazard identification number

• 2 Gas
• 3 Flammable liquid (readily combustible liquid)
• 4 Flammable solid (readily combustible substance)
• 5 Flammable oxidizing substance
• 6 Toxic or infectious substance
• 7 Radioactive substance
• 8 Corrosive substance
• 9 Other dangerous substances

Subsidiary hazard identification number

• 2 Emission of gas due to pressure or to chemical reaction
• 3 Flammability of vapours and gases
• 4 Not used as the second or third digit
• 5 Flammability, oxidizing (fire-intensifying) and self-igniting properties
• 6 Toxicity or risk of infection
• 7 Radioactivity
• 8 Corrosivity (etching effects)
• 9 Risk of violent reaction with spontaneous decomposition or polymerisation

Marking and labelling and marking and placarding are specified in chapters 5.2 and 5.3 of RID.

Placards shall be affixed to both sides of containers, MEGCs, tank containers and portable tanks and at the end of each of the aforementioned means of transport.

If the placards are not visibly affixed to the transport unit, the same placards shall also be affixed to both sides of the wagon (see Figure 16). If the placard is visible, no placard needs to be affixed to the carrying wagons.

Danger labels

The following are used as safety labels on wagons or transport units:

• A placard which shall be in the form of a square set at an angle of 45° (diamond-shaped). The minimum dimensions shall be 250 mm × 250 mm (to the edge of the placard). The line inside the edge shall be parallel and 12.5 mm from the outside of that line to the edge of the placard. The symbol and line inside the edge shall correspond in colour to the label for the class or division of the dangerous goods in question. The font size must not be smaller than 2.5 cm. Where dimensions are not specified, all features shall be in approximate proportion to those stated. Placards shall be affixed to the exterior surface of wagons on a background of contrasting colour, or shall have either a dotted or solid outerboundary line.

• Orange plates with a hazard identification number and a UN code.
• Special elevated temperature substance marks which shall be affixed to a means of transport containing a substance that is carried in a liquid state at or above 100 °C or in a solid state at or above 240 °C. The marks shall be affixed to both sides and at the end of wagons, and on both sides and at each end of transport units. The mark shall be an equilateral triangle with a red border. The minimum dimension of the sides shall be 250 mm.
• A 30 cm wide orange band which shall be used to mark tank wagons intended for the carriage of liquefied, refrigerated liquefied or dissolved gases. This band must not reflect light.

Safety adviser

Each undertaking, the activities of which include the consigning or the carriage of dangerous goods by rail, or the related packing, loading, filling or unloading shall appoint one or more safety advisers for the carriage of dangerous goods, responsible for helping to prevent the risks inherent in such activities with regard to persons, property and the environment.

An adviser shall hold a vocational training certificate, valid for transport of dangerous goods by rail. That certificate shall be issued by the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic.

Documents to download

Recognition of certification bodies for certification of railway rolling stock manufacturers

List of certification bodies for manufacturers

List of certificates - tanks

Recognition of inspection organisations

Marking wagons

Plates on the shells of tank wagons intended for the carriage of dangerous goods

Consistency between the information on the tank plate and on the folding plates of tank wagons intended for the carriage of gases with multiple uses