Lack of training in the handling of dangerous goods continues to plague the airfreight industry, and companies should take greater responsibility for ensuring that staff are adequately equipped, says David Alexander, general manager of Professional Aviation Services. Dangerous Goods Regulations training is a requirement for all personnel involved in the handling of airfreight, regardless of whether they work for a regulated agent or not. But staff working within the courier industry are often not sufficiently trained to identify cargo that is classified as dangerous. “And the problems are not with goods that are labelled as hazardous but rather the goods where staff are unaware of their potential dangers.” According to Alexander, companies often cut corners and do not take the appropriate measures – and this is where incidents occur. Every point in the supply chain needs to be secure. To this end Alexander made an appeal for enhanced safety by emphasising the need for training and education of companies, particularly at a senior level, on the hazards and risks to a company and its reputation. These include, said Alexander, the hazard to the travelling public of undeclared and mis declared dangerous goods. He furthermore reiterated the need to participate in industry forums to design solutions, as well as the need to collaborate on finding innovative solutions to the hazards and risks to safety presented by new products and services and the proliferation of lithium ion batteries in cargo shipments.
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The problems are not with goods that are labelled as hazardous but rather the goods where staff are unaware of their potential dangers. – David Alexander
