6. How are regulations governing the transport of dangerous goods changing?

As we have seen, regulations governing the transport of dangerous goods have been in place for some sixty years. These regulations are highly "dynamic", taking into account technical developments as well as feedback from accidents (such as the fire in the Mont Blanc Tunnel) and malicious or terrorist acts (such as the attacks of September 11, 2001). The ADR is updated every two years. The new version is applicable from January 1 of odd-numbered years, and mandatory from July 1 of the same year. The transition period is only six months, and is repeated every two years. This is therefore an area where companies need to keep a very close watch on regulations, and update their procedures and staff training on a regular basis.