DANGEROUS GOODS SAFETY ADVISER

Transport Management Consultants Ltd. can advise your company on all aspects of the carriage of dangerous goods.

The DGSA legislation was introduced to ensure that those involved in the transportation of dangerous goods, have a trained and appointed resource to advise on Health, Safety and the Environmental matters in connection with the transportation of those dangerous goods by the mode or modes of transport concerned.

A review of SI 1999 No 257 (The Transport of Dangerous Goods (Safety Advisers) Regulations 1999) referred to in the following text as the DGSA regs', allows the Employers responsibilities and DGSA functions to be summarised as follows.

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Employers Responsibilities

• Must appoint a DGSA, certified to advise on the classes of dangerous goods and the mode of transport used. (This was required by December 31st 1999.)
• Must ensure sufficient advisers are appointed to carry out duties effectively and that, where more than one is appointed, arrangements are made for adequate co-operation between them.
• Must agree the duties and functions of the safety adviser. These shall satisfy the requirements of the legislation.
• Must give the DGSA adequate time and resources to carry out the agreed functions.
• Must provide the DGSA with adequate information and facilities.
• Must keep any accident reports and the Annual report, prepared by the DGSA for 5 years.
• Must confirm the validity of the vocational training certificate of the DGSA.

Can your company fulfil the above obligations?

DGSA Functions

We can:

• Monitor compliance with the rules governing the transport of dangerous goods.
• Advising your company on the transport of dangerous goods.
• Ensuring that an annual report to your company is prepared on your activities concerning the transport of dangerous goods.

Monitor practices and procedures relating to the activities of your company that concern the transport of dangerous goods. (Including the investigation of and, where appropriate, preparation of reports on serious accidents, incidents or serious infringements recorded during the transport of dangerous goods).

The onus is on the employer to identify if he is obliged to appoint a DGSA (details of situations where these regulations do not apply are indicated in Schedule 1 of the DGSA regs.'). If the employer is obliged to appoint, he must agree the functions of the individual's involved and make the appointments. Call us on 0870 803 1335 or (mobile) 07931 370423 or email us for advise on your requirements under these regulations.

This assessment will consider the range of products to be carried, the quantity, the method of containment used, any mixed loads transported and the formal practices and procedures that exist to control the operation:

The procedures and practices needed are detailed in Schedule 2 (d) points 1 to 12 of 'the DGSA regs'. If these practices and procedures don't exist, they can be generated. If they do exist, they will be assessed for their relevance. The establishment of adequate procedures will allow your company to be very specific about what he wants the DGSA to functionally cover; this could be limited to:

• Writing the annual report. (There is no specified format for this report, so its. contents should be part of the agreed functions when appointing the DGSA).
• Reviewing accident / incident reports generated by the company (or writing them, as part of the agreed function).
• Auditing the practices and procedures of the operation to) an agreed schedule.

We can, for your company, develop our own method of monitoring any activities that concern the transport of dangerous goods, and help you comply with the rules governing the transport of those dangerous goods.

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