Truck and Track Autumn 2023 www.truckandtrack.com 68 DANGEROUS GOODS The risks to the public and the environment of an incident on the road can be substantially increased when Dangerous Goods (DG) are involved. It also changes the scale of response from the emergency services and how it impacts on the local area. Consequently, there are strict regulations covering DG shipments by all modes of transport. For road shipments, ADR is adopted into UK law (with some derogations and variations) under the Carriage of Dangerous Regulations (CDG). For Rail our national regulations align with RID. CDG Vehicle Check* To help ensure that enforcement is consistent across the UK’s roads, the CDG Practitioners Forum (CDGPF) was established in 2000. Meetings are held twice a year and the forum members consist of Police Officers, other emergency services, regulators, Government agencies, specialist emergency responders and industry professionals. I was delighted when PC Terry Harvey (Chair, CDGPF) and Sgt Jason Dearsley (Vice Chair) agreed to share their knowledge and experience for this article. Terry has served as a Police officer with Suffolk Constabulary for 20 years, 13 of which as a roads policing officer. Terry is part of the specialist operations department as a commercial vehicle specialist working on tachograph/ drivers’ hours analysis, Dangerous Goods, overweight vehicles, load security, vehicle examination, plant and agricultural vehicle identification, collision scene management. Terry is also a CBRN officer, advanced search officer. Jason is a Roads Policing Sergeant having worked for 23 years as a police officer. He has spent 17 years on roads policing - 16 of which as a sergeant. As well as being responsible for supporting the day to day running of the North Essex Roads Policing Unit, Jason also provides a supportive capability to the command team as the force lead for pursuits as a tactical adviser. He also delivers CDG awareness training to officers in Kent and Essex. As a DGSA, Jason is the force lead for the Carriage of Dangerous Goods and became the Secretary of the National CDG Practitioners Forum in 2018. To begin the conversation, I asked “What are the current primary objectives of the CDGPF?” TH: Ultimately, it’s to ensure the safety of everyone on the roads where Dangerous Goods are being transported. The objectives of the CDGPF are to: ■ advise UK Government. ■ assist with international initiatives or proposals. ■ provide updates to any legislation relating to Dangerous Goods. ■ escalate issues from members reporting any concerns relating to enforcement. ■ act on changes to threat levels. ■ where appropriate, assign specific issues to smaller specialist working groups for consideration. ■ provide up to date training packages relating to CDG enforcement. ■ provide information and awareness of specific or emerging trends around Dangerous Goods and their transport and to increase the knowledge of practising enforcement officers. JD: To continue to support all enforcement agencies in advancement of training and an uplifting of officers' knowledge around DG. To continue to support all forces in the adoption of training and powers to assist roadside checks involving Class 7 movements. Finally, to continue to offer support and guidance to industry and police forces and be the link so that we can all work together to prevent unnecessary death and injury in this important industry. RS: I understand that one of the aims of the CDGPF is to have a qualified Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser in every force. In practice, how does this help with enforcement? TH: By having Police officers qualified to the same level as those working within the industry then everyone has a better understanding of regulations on breaches should they be found. JD: It allows for a parity of understanding around the complex regulations from a qualified perspective. This provides reassurance to forces that any checks are subject to scrutiny by a DGSA before being placed on to a public register. RS: What are the tell-tale signs that you look for before pulling a vehicle over for a DG inspection? TH: Often it’s markings that are in a poor condition or not correctly fixed as this can lead on to other issues. Other times it may be because the driver is not wearing a seatbelt or doing something they shouldn’t – we then conduct a DG inspection. JD: Damaged or missing placards. General cleanliness and poor vehicle maintenance may well be indicative of a lack of professionalism around the additional ADR requirements and would lead to an officer using their HSE Inspector powers to conduct a check. RS: When carrying out a vehicle inspection, what do you look for first? TH: I always start with documentation, so I know what should Enforcement! Labeline’s Compliance Manager Richard Shreeve Richard Shreeve, Labeline’s Compliance Manager, discusses the enforcement of the Dangerous Goods Regulations with those who police UK’s roads PC Terry Harvey Sgt Jason Dearsley
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