Cargo Acceptance - Training Requirements

Training is a key component of the philosophy and requirements of the Technical Instructions and DGR. All individuals involved in the chain of transport must understand the risks associated with dangerous goods. Proper and recurrent training is critical to the safe and successful air transport of dangerous goods. Even operators who do not carry dangerous goods as cargo or post must ensure that their personnel receive training to provide general familiarization with dangerous goods in the case of an undeclared consignment.

Testing

Following dangerous goods training, the student must pass a test to verify understanding of the regulations. The student must be provided with confirmation of successful test completion. After successful completion of the training, recurrent training must be taken every 24 months.

Training Records

The employer must keep training records for a minimum of three years (36 months) from the most recent training completion date. These records must be made available to the employee and the appropriate national authority upon request. The records should include the individual's name, the most recent training completion date, a description or reference to the training materials used, the name and address of the training organization, and confirmation of successful completion of the test following training.

Topics

The training provided must match the requirements of the employees' responsibilities. Training topics must include:

• General familiarization with the provisions of the DGR
• Function-specific training
• Safety training covering dangerous goods hazards, safe handling, and emergency response procedures

The DGR specifies 12 categories of personnel. General cargo acceptance personnel are assigned to Category 4 and 7 in DGR Tables 1.5A and 1.5B. The required training topics for Category 4 and 7 personnel of operators that carry dangerous goods as cargo or post include the following:

• General philosophy
• Limitations
• Marking and labeling
• Shipper's Declaration and other relevant documentation
• Recognition of undeclared dangerous goods
• Provisions for passengers and crew
• Emergency procedures

To learn more about Cargo Acceptance visit our IATA DGR Cargo Acceptance Online Training web page.