Simpex Express upholds new DGSA legalisation

With the Dangerous Goods regulations changing 1 January 2023, it is important that your transport provider has the necessary DGSA (Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser) in place.

Under due diligence obligations, any company consigning dangerous goods on its own behalf, or on behalf of another party, involved in any intermediate transport operations involving dangerous goods, now has the responsibility to appoint a DGSA, or confirm that a DGSA can be accessed to ensure these activities are carried out in compliance with the requirements of ADR.

Manufacturers or traders who sell ex-works will also have their own ADR responsibilities to appoint or have access to a DGSA, now the exemption (section 1.6.1.44 of ADR 2021) has ceased.

Equally, manufacturers or traders that sell ex-works may not be responsible after the goods have left site but if they offer dangerous goods for transport, they cannot avoid their ADR responsibilities to pack, mark and label goods correctly, for which a DGSA is required.

Simon Beechener, managing director at Simpex Express, said: “It 's important that companies outsourcing transport establish whether their provider has a DGSA in place, to ensure their own compliance with ADR as the consignor.

“Simpex has always invested heavily in staff training, but this is now especially important with the new rule change. Our onsite DGSA, Tomasz (pictured), has been advising at our Birmingham depot since 2017, and with us moving ADR goods daily, is an invaluable resource for keeping us compliant but also from a practical point of view for scenarios like judging the best shipping routes into Europe, or identifying errors on Dangerous Goods Notes from the shipper in good time.

The national legislation states that any company that consigns, transports, packs, fills, loads or unloads dangerous goods on a regular basis - by road, rail or inland waterway must appoint a DGSA.

For more information take a look at Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations as amended.