The rules for the transport of dangerous goods in the Netherlands are set out in 2 Acts: the Wet vervoer gevaarlijke stiffen, WVGS (Carriage of Dangerous Substances Act, WVGS) for all transport by land and water, and the Wet luchtvaart (Aviation Act). Consignors and loaders of dangerous goods in packaged form must comply with the rules for packaging, labelling and marking dangerous goods.
The Besluit vervoer gevaarlijke stoffen, BVGS (Decree on the Transport of Dangerous Goods, BVGS) sets out the rules in the Carriage of Dangerous Substances Act in more detail. Regulations based on these Acts contain specific technical requirements for each type of transport. These regulations include the international regulations that therefore apply in the Netherlands. The following regulations apply to the transport of dangerous goods:
The Regeling vervoer over land van gevaarlijke stoffen, VLG (Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Land, VLG) contains specific requirements for the transport of dangerous goods by road. Annex 1 to these Regulations contains the international rules for the transport of dangerous goods from the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods Act, ADR.
The Regeling vervoer over de spoorweg van gevaarlijke stoffen, VSG (Regulation on the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Rail, VSG) contains specific requirements for the transport of dangerous goods by rail. Annex 1 to this Regulation contains the international rules for the transport of dangerous goods from the RID Agreement.
The Regeling vervoer over de binnenwateren van gevaarlijke stoffen, VBG (Regulations on the Carriage of Dangerous Goods on Inland Waterways, VBG) contains specific requirements for the transport of dangerous goods by ship. Since 2009, the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland Waterways, ADN, has been in force. This agreement applies throughout Europe.
The transport of dangerous goods by sea is governed by international legislation, known as codes, adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Articles 55 to 57 of the Schepenbesluit 2004 (Ships Decree 2004) implement these international codes in the legislation of the Netherlands.
- IMDG Code for the sea transport of dangerous goods in packaged form
- IBC Code for the sea transport of liquid chemicals in bulk
- IMSBC Code for the sea transport of solid bulk cargoes
- IGC Code for the sea transport of liquefied gases
- Reglement voor het Vervoer van Gevaarlijke Stoffen met zeeschepen, Rvgz (Regulations for the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Seagoing Vessels, Rvgz): specific provisions for the Netherlands
The rules for the transport of dangerous goods by air are set out in Title 6.5 of the Wet luchtvaart (Aviation Act). The Act is further detailed in the Besluit vervoer gevaarlijke stoffen door de lucht (Decree on the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air). This Decree makes the Technical Instructions and Annex 18 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation applicable in the Netherlands.
See also Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air on the website of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Packing, labelling and marking dangerous goods
Consignors and loaders of dangerous goods in packaged form must pack, label and mark these goods safely for transport.
If you transport dangerous goods in packaged form in a freight container (in Dutch), ensure safe stowage and clear labelling.
Read more about the transport of dangerous goods, UN numbers, packaging, segregation and stowage (in Dutch).
Transportable pressure equipment
The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) oversees transportable pressure equipment, TPED (in Dutch). The ILT checks whether economic operators and bodies comply with the rules.
Incident investigation
Companies in the dangerous goods transport chain must notify the ILT of occurrences and accidents. The ILT will sometimes carry out an incident investigation (in Dutch) at a later stage. The purpose of this investigation is to learn from it and prevent recurrence.