Guidance on Environmentally Hazardous Substances & Limited Quantities (December 2010)

The Department for Transport has issued two guidance documents on the application of the environmentally hazardous substance (EHS) marking requirements and the requirement for placarding for vehicles carrying Limited Quantity shipments.  Both guidance documents are based on the new 2011/12 edition of ADR. These are major change to labelling and placarding requirements affecting the movement of dangerous goods by road.  For further information please contact the office.

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Air Cargo Security Accreditation

We are accredited by the Department for Transport to deliver the new courses - one of only a small number of companies currently accredited.  We are able to deliver Levels A, B and D and through our association with a specialised training consultancy can also deliver Levels E, F and G. 

As from 1 August 2009, Air Cargo Security Levels 4, 1, 2 and 3 training cannot be delivered anymore, the old syllabus being replaced by the training syllabus structured on the new levels from A to G.

There are some changes in the Levels that people require, and we are pleased to advise everyone on the appropriate level of training that they require.

One of the key changes is the requirement for Aircraft Operators and Regulated Agents to appoint a site security representative for each regulated site.  This person needs to be trained to Level 3/G.  The security manager still retains overall responsibility for security.

To ensure that you are able to take advantage of training under the new syllabus, the new Levels will now be delivered on all our open courses and we can also deliver courses in-house.

For full details of our open courses as well as an explanation of how the new levels work click here 

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Interactive Dangerous Goods Training Programme

CDMT Limited has launched an online training programme  "An Introduction to Dangerous Goods".  Lasting about 45 minutes to one hour,  the  programme introduces delegates to the background of dangerous goods, the hazard classes, classification, proper shipping names, packaging, marking and labeling.  The programme follows three dangerous goods shipments by air, road and sea and explains the dangerous goods issues encountered en route.  The course concludes with a multiple choice test., and candidates then print out their own certificate.

The programme is ideal for those new to dangerous goods and planning to continue onto one of our classroom based in-depth courses or for those who just need a basic knowledge.  There is a facility for bulk purchase of access codes, and companies can then monitor usage and pass rates for their employees.

Please access www.onlinedangerousgoodstraining.com where you will find a lot more information about this product or call the dangeous goods on-line sales line on + 44 (0)20 8327 0174.

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New Guidance on Lithium Batteries

On 1 January 2009, new regulations for the packaging and transport of lithium batteries (both metal and ion) came into force for the air mode.  New packing Instructions 965 to 970  have been introduced introduced into the ICAO Technical Instructions and the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.  Most lithium battery shipments including those in equipment or machinery are now regulated as either full dangerous goods or they require a new handling label and markings on the packages.

IATA have issued an amended Guidance Document in January 2011 which has updates on all the recent changes to the lithium batteries rules, including:

-    Questions related to Definitions.

-    Questions related to Packaging and Transport Provisions.

-    Questions related to Design Type Testing Provisions.

-    Questions related to State and Operator Variations.

Please call or e-mail info@petereast.com if you would like a copy of this document.  All the latest amendments will be covered in our lithium battery courses this year. Click click here to view our lithium batteries courses.

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General Security Awareness Training (GSAT)

The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced the introduction of mandatory training for all airport employees who work airside, often referred to as the Restricted Zone.  This new requirement took effect from 19 January 2009.

CD Media Training has introduced a further computer based product for General Security Awareness Training (GSAT).  This DfT approved, video based training programme is short and easy to use and features professional film sequences taken at a major UK airport.  It is not a series of slides transferred to the internet , but a programme designed with every airport worker in mind.  The course is divided into two modules and takes between 30-45 minutes to complete.  At the end there is a multiple choice test which has to be taken in order to receive your certificate, which is required as part of the application or re-application for an airport pass.

Full details of the course and how to register (either as an individual student or as a sponsor who purchases student access codes for others) can be found at www.gsattraining.net. 

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Dangerous Goods Compliance Check / DGSA Service

Peter East Associates offers a consultancy service as well as DGSA services and compliance checks.  Full details of these are available in the Services section of the website.  Please click here for more information.

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Frequently Asked Questions

There is a list below of the questions we cover in this section.  If you have any question you want answered, please call or e-mail us as we want to change, update and generally edit this section regularly to reflect our customers' interests.

• Can I use diagnostic specimens as a proper shipping name?
• Is there a legal requirement for a test at the end of each training course?
• Is refresher or revalidation training mandatory?
• What is the legal status of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations?
• Which Peter East courses are accredited?
  When do your courses start and finish?
• Do you provide lunch for delegates attending Peter East training courses?
• We only ship one product that is dangerous.  Can you design a course just to cover this one product?
• Will you train people at the weekend?
• Is it better to employ a consultant Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser (DGSA) or have your own DGSA as an employee of the company?
• Are my security or dangerous goods qualifications valid if I change my job?

Q: Can I still use diagnostic specimens as a proper shipping name?

A: There have been attempts for many years to end the confusion and plethora of proper shipping names for UN 3373 which have usually been referred to as diagnostic specimens or clinical specimens.  The proper shipping name, introduced from 1 January 2007, is Biological substance, Category B.  You must use this term for air shipments of these items, and your shipment might be stopped if you continue to use diagnostic or clinical specimens.

We cover these issues and the very important new classification criteria for Class 6.2 in our Carriage of  Infectious Substances by Air and our Carriage of Dry Ice by Air training courses.

Q: Is there a legal requirement for a test at the end of each training course?

A: The answer is yes and no!  By looking at section 1.5 of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, you can see that it states that 'a test must be taken to verify understanding of the regulations'.  So, at the end of each dangerous goods by air certification or revalidation course, there is a test which is set by the Civil Aviation Authority.  This, however, is an open-book test with questions based entirely on the material covered.  Candidates can use the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, course notes as well as their own notes.

For training courses in the transport of dangerous goods by road and sea,  we have more flexibility.  There is no requirement for a test, and we do not hold a formal exam.  Throughout the course, there are frequent exercises for delegates to become familiar with the ADR and IMDG manuals, and we also sometimes end the course with a quiz or even a case study.  However, we do not mark these papers, and maintain an informality throughout.  Our tutors also prefer to spend the time explaining the regulations rather than on a formal test.

Our Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser training courses prepare delegates for the DGSA exam which is an open exam administered by the Scottish Qualification Authority.  We therefore spend time going through exam technique, and do have mock exams for all the three subjects.  This means that when delegates come to the real exam, they have already had experience of the type of questions asked and are aware of the limited time available.

Our air cargo security courses end with an open book test.

Q: Is refresher or revalidation training mandatory?

A: The answer to this again depends on the method of transport and the type of training. We have divided the answer into four parts – air, road and sea, dangerous goods safety adviser and air cargo security.

Air

Under the ICAO regulations and therefore IATA, it is quite clear that 'recurrent or refresher training must take place within 24 months of the initial training'.

We offer both one and two day refresher training courses for the air mode – the choice depends on the familiarity of the delegate with the dangerous goods regulations as the test at the end of the course is the same for the one and two day course.

People who cannot manage to return within the 24 month period must then complete a certification course again – this lasts three days. In the USA, under 49 CFR, the renewal time for dangerous goods by air training is 36 months.

Peter East policy is to send a reminder to all candidates around two to three months before their air validation runs out.

Road & Sea

There is more room for manoeuvre for the road and sea modes. The regulations state that 'training shall be periodically supplemented with refresher training to take account of changes in regulations'. There is no indicated time limit for this, and so it really does depend on individual requirements. The new ADR and IMDG regulations appear every two years, and this might seem an appropriate moment to have some refresher training.

However, refresher training does not have to be a full course – it can also be attendance at one of the Peter East update seminars held every two years to coincide with the publication of the new regulations. Refresher training can also be by self-study or delivered by a colleague on site.

For these reasons, Peter East is unique and honest as we do not organise refresher training for either Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road or for Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Sea. We also do not send out reminders for refresher training as, according to the existing regulations, it is not mandatory.

Our recommendation is for those who want a full update is to attend one of the regular courses that will cover the current regulations.

No mandatory refresher training applies to office staff – drivers who fall into scope for the vocational training certificate have to attend another course within five years.

Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser

The DGSA qualification lasts five years after when it has to be renewed. In the UK, renewal involves re-sitting the DGSA exam, and, if successful, the candidate receives a certificate which lasts a further five years.

Air Cargo Security

Aviation Security training is mandatory for shippers, forwarders, drivers/couriers, packers, airline staff, handling agents and others.   The training concludes with an exam and successful candidates receive a certificate which is valid for two years.  Re-validation of the qualification every two years is mandatory for all levels.

Q: What is the legal status of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations?

A: For most countries in the world, the legal framework for the Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Air is the Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (TI) published by International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). This is a UN organisation with representatives of governments around the world.

So, any legal infringement of the dangerous goods regulations results in prosecution based on the ICAO TI rather than the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (IATA DGR).

The IATA DGR have no legal status. The annual publication is published by the International Air Transport Association which is a trade association that represents airlines. It is widely used as the objective for everyone is to move freight by air, and there are some additional regulations that appear in the IATA DGR which do not appear in the ICAO TI.  Although non-compliance with some of these extra restrictions is not a legal offence, it is likely to result in rejection of the consignment, additional costs and delay.  This is why we use the IATA DGR for our training courses rather than the ICAO TI.

Q: Which Peter East courses are accredited?

A: Many of our courses are accredited. This means that we have submitted our course material to an external accreditation body (usually a government or a trade association) and are allowed to issue certificates to those who successfully complete a course.  In many cases, our tutors have to be accredited by taking an exam and by demonstrating their professionalism as trainers.

The accredited courses we offer are as follows:

United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority approved

Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Air
Carriage of Radioactive Material by Air

Irish Aviation Authority

Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Air

UK Department for Transport

Air Cargo Security - Level A and B Awareness
Air Cargo Security - Level D Basic and Hand Search (excl X-Ray)
Air Cargo Security - Level F and G Supervising Security


None of our Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road or Sea or Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser courses are accredited. This is because no central accreditation exists.

Q: When do your courses start and finish?

A: Most of our courses start at 09.00 and end sometime between 4pm and 5pm each day. Half-day courses or seminars usually end by 12.30pm. Please do look at the joining instructions that we send to the course sponsor or you between two and four weeks before the course.

This has all the details of the course venue including a map as well as the start time for the course. Please allow time for traffic delays and try to be on time as a courtesy to the other delegates who have made the effort to get there on time.

Q: Do you provide lunch for delegates attending Peter East training courses?

A: We provide a light sandwich lunch or buffet selection for all our open courses that last for one day or more. The lunch usually includes vegetarian options. We do not provide lunch for half-day courses or seminars.

For in-house training courses, all catering arrangements are the responsibility of the organising company.

Q: We only ship one product that is dangerous.  Can you design a course just to cover this one product?

A: Yes - it is something we do all the time. We need to have a longer discussion to see the methods of transport that you use (road, sea and/or air), the class or products that you ship and the number of people who need training.  In recent months, we have delivered this tailored training on-site relating to perfumery products, air bags, lithium batteries, dry ice and life-saving appliances. 

The advantage of this training is that you can save time. Instead of having to cover nine classes of dangerous goods, we can concentrate on one.  However, do remember that the certificates we issue at the end of the training will only over you for this one class or UN number, so if you then begin to ship other products, you will need further training.

If we are only covering one class of dangerous goods, we usually find two days for the air course is sufficient with a further one or two days to cover road and sea.  If the courses follow on, much of the information, such as identification, classification and specification packing, are the same for all modes and this also saves time.

Q: Will you train people at the weekend?

A: Yes - in fact Saturday is often a busier day for us than Friday. We understand that for many companies, Saturday is the most convenient day to release staff, so are quite happy to fit in with your requirements.  Please, however, book Saturday training as far in advance as possible as we do get very busy some weeks.

Q: Is it better to employ a consultant Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser (DGSA) or have your own DGSA as an employee of the company?

A: There is no simple answer to this question.  There are several factors to consider - such as the size and scope of your operation, the number of employees and sites as well as the involvement with dangerous goods.  Some companies have only one substance to be concerned about - others have many more.

On balance,  it might be easier for a small company to have an external consultant, but one can also argue that a larger company might benefit from external support.

One also has to add that although every qualified DGSA has passed the exams, this does not mean that he / she knows how to be an effective DGSA.  Some consultants might tend to hide in the background to an extent that they do not perform well while some employees have so many other responsibilities that they are also of no help.

However, when deciding, do remember the decision can be changed.  Interview three or four DGSAs, and engage him or her for a trial period.  Then maybe continue if it works or get someone qualified - flexibility is another option which should not be forgotten.

Peter East Associates offers a DGSA consultancy service.  Full details are available in the Services section.

Q: Are my security or dangerous goods qualifications valid if I change my job?

A: Yes - the certificates that we send you after both our dangerous goods by air courses (CAA certificated) or air cargo security (Department for Transport endorsed) courses are personal to you.  So, if you change jobs, we suggest you ask your previous employer for your certificate, and show it to your new employer.  The qualification is personal in the same way as a driving licence.  Should you be unable to obtain the original certificate, please contact this office, and we will see what we can do to assist.

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