UNITED

NATIONS	ST

Secretariat	Distr.

GENERAL

ST/SG/AC.10/1998/55

29 September 1998

Original: ENGLISH
COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON THE

TRANSPORT OF DANGEROUS GOODS

(Twentieth session,

Geneva, 7-16 December l998,

agenda item 5 (b))

PROGRAMME OF WORK

Programme of work for the 1999/2000 biennium and related proposals

Rationalised Development of the Model Regulations

Transmitted by the Expert from Germany

Introduction

In the past, the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods have mainly been developed by adding or amending parts of the existing structure and provisions based on proposals on a case by case basis. However, these proposals were not generally presented on risk- based methods.

The revised parts reflected the technical development and empirical knowledge at the time of decision on a proposal. This led to growing inconsistencies in the recommendations and more and more questions of interpretation and practical application had to be dealt with.

The Reformatting of the Recommendation and it's development into a multimodal Model Regulations were an important step forward for better world-wide acceptance and direct implementation into international, regional and national agreements, regulations or codes. This allows concentration of the modal provisions on specific modal issues.

GE.98-

To justify these high demands also in the future, it will more and more important and necessary, to revise the Model Regulations for more precision, clarity and to base the provisions on clear and comprehensive safety objectives, risk analysis and risk assessment methods.

Working Principles have been developed for WP.15, the RID Safety Committee and the Joint Meeting ADR/RID. They should be checked for the future work of the Committee and the Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods.

Proposal

The work program for the next biennium should include the following tasks:

(a)	Development of clearly defined and comprehensive safety objectives for the provisions in the Model Regulations including the related performance level.

(b)	Clear and practical definitions of the scope of the Model Regulations, in
particular definitions for transport, including loading and unloading as well as intermediate storage, and for normal conditions of transport.

(c)	Consideration of risk analysis and risk assessment methods adapted for transport as appropriate as a tool for regulatory changes.

(d)	Consideration of suitable working principles of the Committee and the Sub-Committee.

The development and amendment of the Model Regulations in future should consider the safety objectives, the methods to derive and justify provisions based on risks during transport, including loading and unloading as well as intermediate storage, considering the hazard potential, the capability of the containment system to be qualified by related performance tests, and the criteria for required safety margins. The justification of safety margins above the level of normal conditions of transport should be based on qualitative risk assessment methods.

Proposals for amendments of the Model Regulations should include a justification based on these methods and on the working principles to be developed.

____________