Companies or organisations in the transport business are supposed to appoint practised Dangerous Safety Goods Advisors (DGSA). This is applicable to carriers, fillers, un/loaders and packers in the road, rail, air and inland waterways sectors. These rules on the Carriage of Dangerous Goods were formulated in 2000 and stipulate that the person to be designated this assignment should have passed a written examination and awarded a certificate in this area. This is despite the requisite practical experience they need to posses in the carriage of hazardous goods.

Exemptions

Some exemptions do occur. These transport related activities for small goods are applicable to radioactive materials, and limited and exempted capacities. The other exemption is that the main activity of the dangerous goods’ adviser is not the transportation of dangerous goods. There are cases where road transport expertise does not tally with the different conditions of say, sea or Airfreight operations. The Airfreight segment for instance, requires much care while loading, unloading and boarding.

Safety Advisors

The schedule on the Carriage of Dangerous Goods (CDG) indicates that the roles of safety advisers will include but are not limited to observing conformity with the rules that govern the carriage of dangerous for those concerned. The CDG schedule also stipulates that dangerous goods’ advisers should advice the employer about the carriage of dangerous goods despite ensuring that annual reports to the employer consist of all the activities that are related to the carriage of dangerous goods. Moreover, the safety goods’ advisers are also required to monitor the legal applications and processes that concern the activities of the employer with regard to the transport of dangerous goods. This should include the training of concerned employees in the CDG segment on how to handle different transport conditions.

CDM Coordinators

Companies involved in the transport of dangerous goods may also hire the services of Construction Design Management (CDM) Co-coordinators to advise their employees and all those involved in Carriage of Dangerous Goods on the health and safety issues. Before hiring any CDM coordinator, the employer should ensure the person to be hired is a professional in the construction, health and safety dockets.

Health Safety Consultants

The health safety consultants for dangerous goods safety will advice those involved in the CDG to determine whether it is worth jeopardizing their goods or assets. These consultants will also help you to understand your company’s policy on health and safety issues at work. Besides, they will advice you on how to deal with a situation where you can sue your company in case of breach of the Health and Safety Law and Regulations.