What Is A Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser - DGSA?

A Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser, DGSA, is a properly qualified individual who is able to provide advice on the management of dangerous goods to enable companies to achieve compliance with the various regulations governing their safe transportation; thereby protecting employees, the public, the environment and physical infrastructure from the hazards posed by the goods.

A DGSA can be an employee of a company, or an external consultant.

Legal Requirement
The legal requirements for DGSAs are defined in ADR and domestic legislation. In the UK, DGSA requirements are stipulated in the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 (CDG Road). Read more about DGSA Legislation.

Qualifications
DGSAs can only be appointed when they are qualified. The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) set and administer the examinations in the UK, as the agent for the Department for Transport (DfT). A DGSA must pass written examinations and the hold the certificate issued by SQA to become a qualified DGSA. DGSA’s need to re-take the examinations every 5 years to demonstrate their knowledge of the regulations is adequate. See our Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser Qualifications web page. 

DGSA Responsibilities
A DGSA’s responsibilities are laid out In the Road and Rail regulations, chapter 1.8.3. The main duties are:

• monitoring compliance with the requirements governing the carriage of dangerous goods
• advising the undertaking on the carriage of dangerous goods
• preparing an annual report to the management of the undertaking or a local public authority, as appropriate, on the undertaking's activities in the carriage of dangerous goods. Such annual reports shall be preserved for five years and made available to the national authorities at their request.

You can read more about a DGSA's responsibilities on our DGSA Responsibilities page.

Helpful Link
The UK’s Department for Transport have a useful web page titled “Guidance: Employing a dangerous goods safety adviser”