ADR Driver Pro Quick Reference
ADR PPE and Crew Equipment Requirements
The equipment an ADR transport unit must carry under 8.1.5, what changes with the danger labels on the load, and the fire extinguisher capacities required by 8.1.4.
Overview
What an ADR transport unit must carry
ADR splits vehicle equipment into three questions. What must be on every transport unit carrying dangerous goods? What must there be one of for each member of the crew? And what extra equipment is triggered by the specific danger labels on the load being carried? Getting the third question wrong is the common failure, because the answer changes from journey to journey while the first two do not.
Fire extinguisher provision is set separately, under 8.1.4, and depends on the permissible maximum mass of the transport unit rather than on the load. A load carried within the 1.1.3.6 small-load exemption is treated differently again: the 8.1.5 equipment list falls away and a single 2 kg extinguisher is required.
01
Equipment On Every Transport Unit
Required on every transport unit carrying dangerous goods, regardless of which class is on board.
- Wheel chock
- At least one per vehicle, sized to the mass of the vehicle and the diameter of its wheels. An articulated or drawbar combination is more than one vehicle, so it needs more than one chock.
- Two self-standing warning signs
- Carried per transport unit, for placing at the front and rear in the event of a breakdown or incident.
- Eye-rinsing liquid
- Carried per transport unit. It is not required when the only danger labels on the load are 1, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2 or 2.3 — but it is required for 6.1, which is a common point of confusion.
Watch out: Eye-rinsing liquid carries an expiry date. An in-date bottle is part of the requirement, not an optional extra.
02
Equipment For Each Crew Member
One of each of these per member of the vehicle crew — not one per vehicle. A second crew member doubles the count.
- Warning vest
- High-visibility warning vest or warning clothing for each crew member.
- Portable lighting
- A pocket lamp for each crew member. Under 8.3.4 it must not have any metal surface liable to produce sparks, which is why an ordinary torch is not automatically acceptable on a flammable load.
- Protective gloves
- A pair for each crew member.
- Eye protection
- Protective goggles or equivalent for each crew member.
03
Additional Equipment By Danger Label
Selected according to the danger label numbers actually on the goods loaded. Check this against the transport document for the specific journey.
- Emergency escape mask — labels 2.3 or 6.1
- One per crew member when the load carries danger label 2.3 (toxic gases) or 6.1 (toxic substances). Mask filters have a shelf life and must be in date.
- Shovel, drain seal and collecting container — labels 3, 4.1, 4.3, 8 or 9
- One of each per transport unit for solids and liquids carrying these labels. Label 4.2 does not trigger this set.
Watch out: These are additions to the general and per-crew lists, never substitutes for them.
04
Standards Each Item Must Meet
Carrying the right item is only half of it. Equipment also has to be serviceable and appropriate to the load.
- Fire extinguishers (8.1.4)
- By permissible maximum mass of the transport unit: up to 3.5 t, 4 kg total; over 3.5 t and up to 7.5 t, 8 kg total; over 7.5 t, 12 kg total including at least one 6 kg extinguisher. In each case at least one extinguisher of at least 2 kg must be suitable for a fire in the engine or cab, and it counts toward the total. Capacities are dry powder or an equivalent suitable agent.
- Loads within the 1.1.3.6 exemption
- One portable extinguisher with a minimum capacity of 2 kg. The 8.1.5 miscellaneous equipment list does not apply.
- In-date and serviceable
- Eye-rinsing liquid and escape-mask filters both expire. Extinguishers need to be within their inspection interval and sealed.
- Matched to the actual load
- The label-triggered items follow the goods on board for that journey. Equipment that was correct for the last load is not evidence that it is correct for this one.
Common questions
PPE & Crew Equipment FAQs
How many fire extinguishers does an ADR vehicle need?
Provision is set by total capacity rather than a fixed count. Up to 3.5 tonnes permissible maximum mass requires 4 kg in total; over 3.5 and up to 7.5 tonnes requires 8 kg; over 7.5 tonnes requires 12 kg including at least one 6 kg extinguisher. In every case at least one extinguisher of at least 2 kg must be suitable for an engine or cab fire, and it counts toward the total.
Is eye-rinsing liquid always required?
No. It is not required when the only danger labels on the load are 1, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 2.1, 2.2 or 2.3. It is required for label 6.1, which drivers often expect to be exempt because 2.3 is.
Which equipment is per crew member rather than per vehicle?
The warning vest, portable lighting, protective gloves and eye protection are all per crew member, as is the emergency escape mask when labels 2.3 or 6.1 are carried. The wheel chock is per vehicle, and the warning signs, eye-rinsing liquid, shovel, drain seal and collecting container are per transport unit.
Does the small load exemption remove the equipment requirements?
A load carried within the 1.1.3.6 exemption needs one portable fire extinguisher of at least 2 kg, and the 8.1.5 miscellaneous equipment list does not apply. Whether a load actually falls within the exemption is a separate calculation.
Keep going
Related tools and guides
Check a specific transport unit
Enter the permissible maximum mass, exemption status and danger labels to see the extinguisher and 8.1.5 requirements for one journey.
ADR vehicle equipment checks explained
How mass, labels and exemptions interact in practice, with worked examples.
ADR Core module study guide
Equipment sits inside the wider Core syllabus alongside documents, security and emergency response.
Work out whether 1.1.3.6 applies
The small-load points calculation that decides whether the exemption is available at all.
Carry ADR Driver Pro with you
Revise by route, use the offline reference and keep practical driver tools close at hand.
