6.5.1 General requirements - ADR 2017

The requirements of this Chapter apply to intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) the use of which is

expressly authorized for the carriage of certain dangerous goods according to the packing instructions

indicated in Column (8) of Table A in Chapter 3.2. Portable tanks and tank-containers which meet the

requirements of Chapter 6.7 or 6.8 respectively are not considered to be IBCs. IBCs which meet the

requirements of this Chapter are not considered to be containers for the purposes of ADR. The letters

IBC only will be used in the rest of the text to refer to intermediate bulk containers.

Exceptionally, IBCs and their service equipment not conforming strictly to the requirements herein,

but having acceptable alternatives, may be considered by the competent authority for approval. In

addition, in order to take into account progress in science and technology, the use of alternative

arrangements which offer at least equivalent safety in use in respect of compatibility with the

properties of the substances carried and equivalent or superior resistance to impact, loading and fire,

may be considered by the competent authority.

The construction, equipment, testing, marking and operation of IBCs shall be subject to acceptance by

the competent authority of the country in which the IBCs are approved.

NOTE: Parties performing inspections and tests in other countries, after the IBC has been put into

service, need not be accepted by the competent authority of the country in which the IBC has been

approved, but the inspections and tests have to be performed according to the rules specified in the

IBC’s approval.

Manufacturers and subsequent distributors of IBCs shall provide information regarding procedures to

be followed and a description of the types and dimensions of closures (including required gaskets) and

any other components needed to ensure that IBCs as presented for carriage are capable of passing the

applicable performance tests of this Chapter.

(Reserved)

The code shall consist of two Arabic numerals as specified in (a), followed by a capital letter(s)

specified in (b), followed, when specified in an individual section, by an Arabic numeral indicating

the category of IBC.

(a)

Type	For solids, filled or discharged
		under press than 10 kPa (0.1 bar)	r liquids
Rigid	11	21	31
Flexible	13	-	-

(b) Materials

A. Steel (all types and surface treatments)

B. Aluminium

C. Natural wood

D. Plywood

F. Reconstituted wood

G. Fibreboard

H. Plastics material

L. Textile

M. Paper, multiwall

N. Metal (other than steel or aluminium).

For composite IBCs, two capital letters in Latin characters shall be used in sequence in the second

position of the code. The first shall indicate the material of the inner receptacle of the IBC and the

second that of the outer packaging of the IBC.

The following types and codes of IBC are assigned:

Material	Category	Code	Sub- section
Metal
		11A
	for solids, filled or discharged under pressure	21A
	for liquids	31A
B. Aluminium	for solids, filled or discharged by gravity	11B
	for solids, filled or discharged under pressure	21B	6.5.5.1
	for liquids	31B
N. Other than steel or aluminium	for solids, filled or discharged by gravity	11N
N. Other than steel or aluminium	for solids, filled or discharged under pressure	21N
	for liquids	31N
Flexible
H. Plastics	woven plastics without coating or liner	13H1
	woven plastics, coated	13H2
	woven plastics with liner	13H3
	woven plastics, coated and with liner	13H4
	plastics film	13H5
L. Textile	without coating or liner	13L1	6.5.5.2
	coated	13L2
	with liner	13L3
	coated and with liner	13L4
M. Paper	multiwall	13M1
	multiwall, water resistant	13M2
H. Rigid plastics	for solids, filled or discharged by gravity, fitted with	11H1
	s, filled or discharged by gravity, freestanding	11H2
	for solids, filled or discharged under pressure, fitted with structural equipment	21H1	6.5.5.3
	for solids, filled or discharged under pressure, freestanding	21H2
	for liquids, fitted with structural equipment	31H1
	for liquids, freestanding	31H2

Material	Category	Code	Sub- section
HZ. Composite tics inner	for solids, filled or discharged by gravity, with rigid plastics inner receptacle	11HZ1	6.5.5.4
	with flexible	11HZ2
	for solids, filled or discharged under pressure, with rigid plastics inner receptacle	21HZ1
	for solids, filled or discharged under pressure, with flexible plastics inner receptacle	21HZ2
	for liquids, with rigid plastics inner receptacle	31HZ1
	for liquids, with flexible plastics inner receptacle	31HZ2
G. Fibreboard	for solids, filled or discharged by gravity	11G	6.5.5.5
Wooden
C. Natural wood	for solids, filled or discharged by gravity with inner liner	11C	6.5.5.6
D. Plywood	for solids, filled or discharged by gravity, with inner liner	11D
F. Reconstituted wood	for solids, filled or discharged by gravity, with inner liner	11F

a The code shall be completed by replacing the letter Z by a capital letter in accordance with

6.5.1.4.1 (b) to indicate the nature of the material used for the outer casing.

The letter "W" may follow the IBC code. The letter "W" signifies that the IBC, although of the same

type indicated by the code, is manufactured to a specification different from those in 6.5.5 and is

considered equivalent in accordance with the requirements in 6.5.1.1.2.

6.5.1

General requirements

6.5.1.1

Scope

6.5.1.1.1

6.5.1.1.2

6.5.1.1.3

6.5.1.1.4

6.5.1.2

6.5.1.3

6.5.1.4

Designatory code system for IBCs

6.5.1.4.1

6.5.1.4.2

6.5.1.4.3

6.5.1.4.4

6.5.2

Marking

6.5.2.1

Primary marking