Be honest: do you remember the formula for calculating the braking distance of your car? In commercial transport, however, you need to know the theory. For example, how to secure your load correctly. This is particularly important when transporting dangerous goods.
Under the terms of the Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR), anyone who handles dangerous goods must complete an ADR training once a year. However, anyone who does not deal with them on a daily basis would be well advised to refresh their knowledge more often.
Our Hazardous Goods Officer and Central Hub Operations Manager, Damian Voss, knows that there are three main aspects to consider:
- Correct documentation: Only if the transport papers are complete and correctly labelled can the right action be taken quickly in the event of an accident or damage. This is because salvage and securing require different procedures depending on the class of dangerous goods.
- Correct load securing: Only with trained personnel, defined procedures and sufficient equipment, such as tie-down lashings and lashing straps, can the dangerous cargo be secured in the cargo area in such a way that it remains undamaged even if the truck brakes suddenly or changes direction.
- Legal certainty: To ensure the safety of their employees, transport companies should comply with legal requirements such as ADR training, emergency drills, annual dangerous goods reports and safety plans. In this way, everyone involved in road transport is well protected.
Employees of our system partners can now deepen their knowledge of dangerous goods: at the one-day ‘Best Practice Dangerous Goods’ event in our training rooms, Damian Voß explains, among other things, the special features of handling lithium-ion batteries, the dangerous goods processes at the central hub, and how to behave in the event of an accident.
Photo: Damian Voß provides regular updates on the processes at the central hub, here at the freight management meeting in April.