Under the decree of June 1, 2001 as amended and Section 1.8.3 of the ADR European Agreement concerning the transport of dangerous goods, each company whose activities include the transport of dangerous goods, or packaging operations, loading, filling or unloading associated with the transport, must appoint a safety consultant for the transport of dangerous goods.

Since January 3, 2002 and 2002-03 under the law (Article 12) on the security of infrastructures and transport systems in Europe, a business lacking a security consultant is committing a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of € 30,000 and a prison sentence ranging from one month to one year.

The security adviser must hold a professional qualification certificate, obtained after passing a state examination. This qualification, developed under sponsorship by the United Nations Economic Commission, is recognized in 48 countries, the vast majority are from Europe (including France). The consultants’ qualification must meet the activity (s) described in the company (the certificate can be either global or limited to certain classes of hazardous materials or certain modes of transport). The consultants’ certification is valid for 5 years and must be renewed by testing one year before the deadline.