2026 has been a busy year in the world of dangerous goods training. Alongside our regular training courses, we have continued to observe markets full of both challenges and opportunities.

Recent incidents and growing volumes of dangerous goods moving around the world are understandably leading to more regulatory scrutiny, particularly around items viewed as higher risk such as lithium batteries. Technology is continuing to evolve, particularly in batteries. For example, we have recently seen the emergence of sodium ion batteries, and there is hope that new solid state lithium battery technology will help to further improve safety in the near future. It will be particularly interesting to see how regulators respond to the emergence of solid state batteries – which it has been suggested will be more stable and safer than existing lithium ion batteries.

As 2025 comes to a close, we have spent some time reflecting on trends and opportunities for 2026 and beyond. In this article, we explore the key trends shaping the future of dangerous goods training, new technologies, shifting regulations, and the expanding role of online training.

1. Technology Will Reshape Training Delivery

Immersive Training

New technologies will enable us to create more immersive learning experiences online and in the classroom. Looking to the future, new technologies will allow us to:

Create real-world scenarios without the risks
Practice packing, marking and labelling dangerous goods in a virtual controlled environment
Improve retention through simulation-based learning

AI-Powered Personalised Learning

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an area as dangerous goods professionals we must approach with caution. At the time of writing AI cannot be relied upon to interpret regulations. It doesn’t always use the most up to date information and can get several things wrong that could if followed lead to non-compliance.

That said, AI does have the potential to begin playing a role in dangerous goods training, helping to analyse learner performance or invigilate tests.

2. Classroom Training is here to Stay

While remote and hybrid work environments continue to grow, we’re continuing to see customers requesting more traditional classroom training. Particularly for in-house courses – bringing staff out of the warehouse or office and into a training room can help to improve learning outcomes. As a result, in 2025 we saw demand for in-house classroom training grow – a trend we expect to continue into 2026.

3. Lithium Battery Changes are Coming

At several events in 2025 we heard about changes which could begin to take effect within the next ten years. It was suggested that class 9 dangerous goods are to be subdivided into three sections, one of which would be energy storage devices – with up to 60 new UN numbers designed to map to the hazards of specific battery types. Whether it is this change or another, one thing is for certain, regulators are concerned about the risks posed by batteries in transport and are looking at how to improve safety. You can read more about this in our blog from earlier this year.

4. Increased Emphasis on Competency, Not Just Certification

Regulators and industry bodies are shifting from a certificate-based mindset to a competency-based one. In the UK, the Civil Aviation Authority is in the process of rewriting CAP 483, the legislation underpinning the training approval system for dangerous goods by air trainers and training providers. This is the approval our dangerous goods by air courses all hold.

The work at the moment seeks to improve how the regulator works with training providers and also improve safety by ensuring all involved in dangerous goods transport are acting appropriately and are aware of their responsibilities.

Similarly, there are talks amongst regulators of a shakeup of the Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser (DGSA) exam for road transport. Currently one can qualify as a DGSA without successfully answering a question on radioactive material in the exam. Whilst any competent DGSA would not take on responsibility for radioactive material without seeking additional training and knowledge, currently there is nothing stopping someone acting as a DGSA for these dangerous substances. As a result, there is speculation and discussion that the DVSA may launch a specific class seven certification in order to better ensure competent DGSA’s are advising those moving class seven substances.

We are seeing increasing demand for radioactive material training, and for the first time have launched a carriage of radioactive by road & sea open course for 2026.

Conclusion

As 2026 approaches we are busy preparing new training courses and finalising our schedule for the year ahead.

The future of dangerous goods training in the UK is shaped by innovation, regulation, and the growing demand for accessible learning.

At Peter East Associates, we remain committed to leading this evolution—offering cutting-edge dangerous goods training in the UK, including a comprehensive suite of classroom and online training solutions designed to bridge the gap between learning, legislative responsibilities and business operations.

If you’re interested in discussing how we can help your organisation in 2026, please do get in touch.