By Mark Published

Carrying out an ADR check: what your team verifies on a dangerous goods transport

An ADR check verifies whether a road transport of dangerous goods complies with the ADR agreement: is the dangerous goods equipment complete and within its test dates, do the driver's paperwork and the transport documents check out, is the vehicle itself certified and tested (MOT and ADR test through DVSA), and — for tanker transport — are the tank fittings in order, such as the bursting disc at the pressure gauge on an L4BH tank. As with a workplace inspection, the walk-round itself is just the starting point; what matters is following up every finding through to closure.

What an ADR check covers

An ADR check focuses on four areas that together determine whether a dangerous goods transport is legal and safe on the road: the driver (training and paperwork), the dangerous goods equipment carried on board, the vehicle itself (testing and marking) and — for tanker transport — the tank and its fittings. Where a workplace inspection verifies execution on the shop floor, an ADR check verifies whether a moving, potentially hazardous load can demonstrably show it meets the regulations. That matters for auditing your own fleet, for checking hauliers and subcontractors, and as preparation for a roadside stop by DVSA (the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) or the police. Typical areas of focus:

  • Dangerous goods equipment — presence, shelf life/test date and condition of the mandatory and substance-specific equipment.
  • Driver training and documents — ADR training certificate (vocational competence), transport document, written instructions.
  • Vehicle and marking — MOT and ADR test, orange plates, hazard warning labels, electrical installation.
  • Tank and tank fittings — tank code and tank plate, pressure relief valves and bursting discs, bottom-discharge closures.
  • Load and accompanying documentation — consistency between the transport document and the actual load, packing group, UN number.
  • Load securing and segregation — correct restraint, separation of incompatible substances per ADR.

Setting up the checklist

The same principles apply here: risk-based, worded so it can be concretely verified, and with guidance attached to each question so every checker applies the same standard.

Risk-based by transport type. A tanker carrying a flammable liquid (Class 3) warrants a more thorough check than a package load carried under the limited-quantity exemption in 1.1.3.6. Split your checklist by vehicle type and hazard class accordingly.

Concrete and verifiable. "Is the dangerous goods equipment present?" invites a reflexive "OK". "Are two self-standing warning triangles present and undamaged?" forces an actual count and inspection.

With guidance and a reference image. Where there's room for doubt, explain where to find the test date on a fire extinguisher, or what a correctly marked bursting disc should look like. In Easy to Inspect's checklist editor, you attach that guidance directly to the question.

Dangerous goods equipment: what needs to be on board

The general equipment required on almost every ADR transport:

  • Fire extinguishers — number and capacity depend on the vehicle's permissible maximum mass; check the test date/seal, not just presence.
  • Wheel chocks — at least one, suitably sized for the vehicle's mass and wheel diameter.
  • Warning triangles or other self-standing warning signals — at least two.
  • High-visibility clothing for each crew member.
  • Portable lighting that poses no ignition risk for the load carried.
  • Protective gloves and eye protection for each crew member.

Depending on hazard class or UN number, ADR requires additional equipment, listed in the written instructions carried with the load:

  • Escape mask for certain toxic or inhalation-hazard substances.
  • Drip tray for containing leaks.
  • Drain seal to stop a spill entering the drainage system.
  • Collecting container/absorbent material, suitable for the substance concerned.
  • Shovel, for covering or clearing up spilled material.

For this section, check not only whether equipment is present, but also whether it's appropriate for the load actually being carried and still within its test date — an expired fire extinguisher counts, in practice, as missing.

Driver training and documents

  • Driver's ADR vocational training certificate — valid, with the correct endorsement (core course and, where applicable, tanks and/or class 1 or class 7).
  • Photo ID matching the certificate.
  • Transport document — showing UN number, proper shipping name, class, packing group and quantity; check against the actual load.
  • Written instructions — present, legible, and matching the substance being carried, not a previous load.
  • Vehicle's ADR test certificate — for tankers and certain other vehicles, with a valid test date, issued through DVSA (or, in Northern Ireland, the Driver & Vehicle Agency, DVA).
  • Any special authorisations, such as tunnel restriction category compliance or country-specific route restrictions abroad.

Vehicle and testing

  • MOT and ADR test — validity date on the test certificate; the ADR test is carried out by DVSA (or DVA in Northern Ireland), typically alongside the annual roadworthiness test, and is an addition to, not a replacement for, the standard MOT.
  • Orange plates — fitted front and rear, clean and legible; on tankers, showing the correct hazard identification number and UN number matching the actual load.
  • Hazard warning labels on the vehicle, matching the class(es) carried.
  • Electrical installation and earthing/bonding equipment, particularly when carrying flammable substances.
  • Fire prevention — engine shielding, exhaust position, no unprotected lighting in the load area where not permitted.
  • Speed limiter and tachograph, functional and calibrated/tested.

Tank fittings: from tank code to bursting disc

Tanker transport adds a technical layer that goes beyond "is the equipment present." The tank itself carries a tank code that determines which substances it may carry and which fittings are required. That code has four parts, for example L4BH:

  • L — for liquids.
  • 4 — the minimum test pressure the tank has been tested to.
  • B — the type of bottom discharge: where this part of the code is "B", bottom filling or discharge openings must be fitted with at least three independent closures in series.
  • H — an additional requirement, among other things covering the design of the overpressure protection.

When checking a tank, you're verifying both that the tank carries the correct code for the substance being transported (via the tank plate and test certificate), and that the corresponding fittings are physically present and intact:

  • Tank plate — legible, showing tank code, test pressure, test date and identification number; matching the ADR test certificate.
  • Bottom discharge with three closures in series — on a "B" tank: a valve fitted directly on the tank, a second independent closure, and a third closure at the end of the pipe (a screw cap, blank flange or equivalent).
  • Bursting disc at the pressure gauge — on tanks like an L4BH, overpressure protection is often a spring-loaded safety valve fitted with a bursting disc upstream of it. The bursting disc protects the valve from corrosion and seepage under normal pressure, and ruptures if the design pressure is exceeded, allowing the valve to open. Check that the bursting disc is present, undamaged and of the correct, certified type — a missing or incorrectly fitted bursting disc makes the overpressure protection unreliable.
  • Periodic tank testing — visual inspection, leak-proofness test and testing per the test schedule; check that the next test due date has not passed.
  • Tank-to-substance compatibility — the substance carried must match the tank code according to the hierarchy set out in ADR; a tank with a "lighter" code must not be used for a substance requiring a stricter one.

Carrying out the check on the road or on site

  1. Preparation. Review the transport document and ADR test certificate before the physical check, so you know which substance, tank code and equipment to expect.
  2. Paperwork first, then the vehicle. Cross-check the certificate, transport document and written instructions against each other before inspecting the physical equipment — inconsistencies here often point to a deeper problem.
  3. Record evidence on the spot. Photograph test dates, the tank plate, plates/labels and any defects at the time you find them.
  4. Classify immediately. OK / Not OK / N/A. Where a defect directly affects road safety or the integrity of the tank — a missing bursting disc, or an overdue tank test, for example — reporting alone is never enough: the vehicle should not continue.
  5. Assign the action on the spot. Record what action is needed and assign an owner (driver, transport planning, workshop).
  6. Close out with the person responsible. Talk through the findings with the driver or haulier there and then.
  7. Generate the report immediately. With the app, the report is ready as soon as the check is complete: sent as a PDF or available in the database.

From finding to action

An ADR check is no different: a finding with no owner, no deadline and no verification point stays a mere observation. Manage follow-up in the inspection tool so a defect — an expired fire extinguisher, or a missing bursting disc — stays visible until it's demonstrably closed out. Recurring findings on the same haulier or vehicle type are a signal to analyse the root cause instead of fixing the same thing over and over.

From practice

At a chemical company having its own tankers checked, the checklist scored "OK" for months on "overpressure protection present and intact" on an L4BH tank. A spot check with mandatory photo evidence revealed that the bursting disc had been replaced with an uncertified part during earlier maintenance, without this being recorded in the test certificate. The question was then split — separate checks on the type, certification and fitting date of the bursting disc, with a mandatory photo of the nameplate — after which similar defects came to light on two other vehicles.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I carry out an ADR check?

Tie the frequency to risk and to statutory test intervals: check dangerous goods equipment and paperwork ideally on every journey or regularly through spot checks, and check tank fittings according to the tank's own test schedule. Make sure you can justify that choice to an auditor or during a roadside stop.

Who carries out the ADR check?

Often a combination: the driver carries out a daily self-check of the dangerous goods equipment, transport planning or the safety adviser periodically checks documents and the vehicle, and an independent checker (internal or external, such as a DGSA) spot-checks the full set, including tank fittings.

What's the difference between the MOT/ADR test and the tank test?

The ADR test, carried out by DVSA (or DVA in Northern Ireland), covers the vehicle as a whole (chassis, equipment, safety fittings) and results in an ADR test certificate; it runs alongside, but doesn't replace, the standard MOT. The tank test is a separate, periodic test of the tank itself (leak-proofness, wall thickness, safety fittings such as valves and bursting discs), carried out by an approved test and inspection body, and results in a test certificate and the details recorded on the tank plate. Both need to be in date.

Can I carry out an ADR check with Easy to Inspect without an internet connection?

Yes. The Easy to Inspect app works offline as long as the checklist has been downloaded from the library and stored on the device in advance; results upload as soon as a connection is available again. That's useful on routes or sites without signal.

How do I show at an audit or roadside stop that ADR checks have actually been carried out?

Through the report, showing date, checker/driver, photos of test dates and nameplates, and the status of any follow-up actions. Clear PDF reports and a populated actions module demonstrate to an auditor, client or enforcement body that oversight of ADR transport is structurally in place.

About the author

Mark Gijtenbeek — ISO Lead Auditor 9001 / 14001 / 45001, SCC, SQAS/ESAD assessor, DGSA. LinkedIn

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In this series

  • ADR check: dangerous goods kit, papers and vehicle

    How to carry out an ADR check: dangerous goods equipment, driver training papers, vehicle and tank inspections, and tank fittings for tank transport.

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