As a company that specialises in laboratory relocations, we have to fulfil a number of criteria in order to do a good job for our customers but also be legally compliant when it comes to transporting dangerous goods and chemicals.

DGSA stands for Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor and during a laboratory move or wider project, it is their responsibility to review and audit a customer’s supply of chemicals and how these will be treated throughout the life of the project, including the relocation, packing and final storage locations.

A DGSA’s main function is to advise all relevant parties on health, safety and environmental matters relating to the carriage of dangerous goods. This involves the handling of dangerous goods for carriage including packing, filling or loading the means of transport, the operators of vehicles used for the transportation of dangerous goods and loading, transit and unloading at the final destination.

As you might have guessed it’s not a simple case of packing them up into a box and loading onto the back of a van, there’s lots of factors to take into consideration.

Training

For a start a DGSA needs to obtain a vocational certificate after receiving appropriate training and pass a written examination to ensure they receive the DGSA qualification. The exams are regulated by the Department for Transport and the issued certificates are recognised in all European Union member states. Training courses for DGSAs are run by independent providers and by the trade associations for each mode of transport, so the transportation criteria change if the goods are due to be transported by road, sea or rail.

If you’re a regular reader of our blogs you might recall a post we did on ADR, the legislation on the transportation of dangerous goods and how that relates to our work. In summary, the ADR defines the parameters for the classification, packaging, labelling and certification of dangerous goods. It also specifies vehicle and other operational parameters to further guarantee the safe transportation of dangerous goods.

When planning to move dangerous goods the DGSA is required to prepare appropriate documentation declaring the type and nature of the goods in question and all documentation must be in accordance to the dangerous goods legislation, pertaining to the mode of transportation.

Packaging

Packaging of dangerous goods is another matter for the DGSA. When transporting dangerous goods and chemicals the relocation company must once again follow the regulations surrounding each particular component in order to ensure the safe handling of each chemical. These regulations are set by the UN which dictates the standard for the types of materials appropriate for each chemical so that packaging is able to withstand drop tests, stacking and pressure demands safely. Only packaging and containers that have been certified by an appropriate authority may be used, which ensures that in the event or accident, collision or human error, the materials within don’t leak and cause damage, loss of life or environmental disasters.

All authorised packaging bears a “UN” prefix before the legally required codes that relate to UK or International carriage. In the UK, the Vehicle Certification authority is responsible for the certification of packaging for dangerous goods and it’s an invaluable resource for a DGSA planning a move. Packaging must also be correctly labelled in order to indicate the substance and package. For example, there is a set amount of information that needs to go onto a crate of chemicals to ensure compliance with the law. The vehicle carrying them also has to be correctly marked, as each class of chemicals has a corresponding label number. When the DGSA classifies a chemical, they have to note the label number on the paperwork and ensure each package as well as the vehicles bear the correct one.

If you’d like to know more about our laboratory relocation service get in touch with us today.