Consultancy - DGSA Services

Advice on and assistance with all aspects of legislative compliance

Transporting goods by road or rail involves the risk of traffic accidents. If the goods carried are dangerous, there is also the risk of an incident, such as spillage of the goods, leading to hazards such as fire, explosion, chemical burn or environmental damage.

Anyone involved in the loading, unloading or transportation of dangerous goods is legally required to appoint a Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor (DGSA).

Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor (DGSA) Services

Consequences

The legal consequence of failing to adhere to the transport of dangerous goods regulations can be two-fold: firstly, you run the risk of being prosecuted for failing to adhere to the law; secondly, you increase the risk to your business by increasing the likelihood that your products will be involved in an incident. Transport incident clean-up can be costly and failure to follow the regulations can lead to huge fines on top of the clean-up fees.

Legal requirement

ADR at 1.8.3 requires those involved in the carriage of dangerous goods to appoint a Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor (DGSA). In Great Britain, the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and the Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 set out the legal framework, which extensively follows ADR. However, there are a few exemptions. One of these is that under DfT guidance, ‘final unloader’ need not appoint a DGSA.

Dangerous Goods Safety Advisors must obtain a vocational certificate by undergoing a training course and successfully completing a written examination approved by the DfT.

How we can help

We can act as your DGSA and take all the problems away! Alternatively, we can help DGSAs monitor compliance with the complex and often confusing rules governing the transport of dangerous goods, and we can act as a ‘second opinion’ for any ideas or problems you may encounter with any aspect of the DGSA’s role.

Audit your compliance with the transport regulations, recommending remedial actions where necessary.
Provide advice on the regulations and how they apply to your operation.
Compile your annual report.