Carriage of Dangerous Goods (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2002

18.  After Schedule 3, there shall be inserted the following Schedule—

Regulation 8(9)

“SCHEDULE 3A Suitability of Large Containers

1.   Large containers used for the carriage of dangerous goods shall be structurally serviceable and free from unacceptable deterioration in any component.

2.   In this Schedule—

• “major defects” means—

  (a)

  dents or bends, greater than 19mm in depth but regardless of length, in structural members;

  (b)

  cracks or breaks in structural members;

  (c)

  more than one splice or an improper splice, such as a lapped splice, in top or bottom end rails or door headers;

  (d)

  more than two splices in any one top or bottom side rail;

  (e)

  any splice in a door sill or corner post;

  (f)

  door hinges and hardware that are seized, twisted, broken, missing or otherwise inoperative;

  (g)

  non-closing gaskets and seals;

  (h)

  any distortion of the overall configuration sufficient to prevent proper alignment of handling equipment, mounting and securing on a chassis or wagon;

• “structurally serviceable” means free from major defects in its structural components including top and bottom side rails, top and bottom end rails, door sill and header, floor cross members, corner posts and corner fittings; and

• “unacceptable deterioration in any component” includes rusted metal in sidewalls or disintegrated fibreglass, regardless of the material of construction, but does not include normal wear (including oxidisation (rust), slight dents, scratches, and other damage that does not affect serviceability or weather-tightness).”.