Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor (DGSA)

The Dangerous Goods Safety Regulations state that companies which transport dangerous goods by road, rail and inland waterway are required to appoint a DGSA to carry out specific duties and functions.

The regulations require DGSAs to be suitably qualified and to hold a valid VTC training certificate before carrying out these required duties and functions. The purpose of the regulations is to minimise the risk of accidents occurring during the loading and unloading of dangerous goods.

Candidates for the DGSA qualification should have a previous knowledge of dangerous goods and ideally a high level of numeracy and literacy skills, with a keen eye for detail. A high level of application to study will be required.

Course topics

Core module: Classification and identification of dangerous goods, containment systems, marking, labelling and placarding, documentation requirements.

Road module: Transport units, marking, labelling and placarding documentation, compliance thresholds, filling, stowing, loading and segregating, cleaning and/or decontamination.

All classes module: UN classes 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9 - classification, containment systems, marking, labelling and placarding documentation, compliance thresholds, filling, stowing, loading and segregating, operational requirements, emergency response, training, legal framework.

All units are based on an open book exam basis. There are a number of official texts which delegates will require for training, examinations and also for use in their daily work as DGSAs.

Course duration: usually a five-day course with examinations held at SQA approved centres.