A decision by the United Nations means that ping pong balls are no longer to be classified as dangerous goods reports the UK-based Freight Transport Association (FTA).
Ping pong balls are made of celluloid or similar flammable plastics, and were on the list of products included in ADR regulations for the international carriage of dangerous goods by road because of the deadly fumes produced if they catch light.
Amendments came into force on January 1 saw them removed as a hazardous item.
The new rule SP 383 says table tennis balls are not subject to ADR if they do not exceed 3g net and have a total net mass of 500g per package.
According to the FTA, the International Table Tennis Federation luckily requires all balls used in official matches to be 2.7g.
“To hauliers moving petroleum or explosives it is pretty clear to them that they fall within the ADR requirements, but this change demonstrates that there are many seemingly innocuous cargoes which could be subject to the rules, says the FTA head of dangerous goods information Nigel Pope.
FTA helps its members to make sure they operate according to the dangerous goods rules as well as the range of other safety regulations which apply to all operators of commercial vehicles.”
Its member advice centre answers more than 20,000 calls from its members each year helping them to make sense of the variety of rules and safety regulations under which the road freight sector operates, ranging from driving time limits and vehicle lighting requirements, to the movement of livestock and working internationally.
