Looking ahead to Leipzig

FAIR ENOUGH

PREVIEW • KEEPING UP WITH REGULATORY CHANGE IS A CONSTANT BATTLE. THOSE WHO NEED TO KNOW HAVE ANOTHER OPTION IN THE SHAPE OF THE UPCOMING GGS FAIR IN LEIPZIG

AFTER A SUCCESSFUL inaugural event in 2017, the Dangerous Goods and Dangerous Materials (Gefahrgut & Gefahrstoff - GGS) trade fair and conference will open its doors again at the Leipziger Messe, Germany from 9 to 11 April 2019. The event also includes the European Dangerous Goods Days on 10 and 11 April, organised in collaboration with the European Association of Dangerous Goods Safety Advisers (EASA).

“The events will provide dangerous goods officers from all over Europe the opportunity to further educate themselves and establish an international network, while also providing an impetus for additional developments in regulation,” says Dr Norbert Müller, global dangerous goods coordinator at Schenker AG and former president of EASA, who is in charge of the content of the European Dangerous Goods Days. “It’s undeniable,” he adds: “dangerous goods officers guarantee safety in the transportation of dangerous goods. This is particularly true when dangerous goods are moved internationally. Nothing works without cooperation.”

As such, the event is designed to offer visitors more than just a wide range of solutions, products and services for the transport of hazardous goods, internal logistics for hazardous substances and maximum safety when handling highly sensitive goods and substances. The industry platform’s conference programme at Leipziger Messe also features solution-oriented events that provide added technical value, including new features this year.

During the conference sessions, well-known speakers from several European countries will present information on the latest amendments to the international regulations (ADR, RID, IMDG Code and IATA DGR) effective as of 2019, discuss the transport of lithium batteries and answer questions as to what a dangerous goods officer needs to know about the transport of explosive and radioactive goods, and much more.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION As happened last year, the Leipzig Dangerous Goods Day will also be held during GGS. This 24th instalment will take place on 9 April at the Congress Center Leipzig and will once more be organized by TÜV SÜD Auto Service GmbH, the Leipzig Chamber of Industry and Commerce and TÜV SÜD Akademie GmbH. All participants receive a certificate of attendance.

This topic for this year’s Leipzig Dangerous Goods Day is: The ADR 2019 amendments are in effect! How do they benefit the user? Important changes at a glance. How do GGVSEB and RSEB help?

Jörg Holzhäuser from the Ministry of the Interior, Sports and Infrastructure of Rhineland-Palatinate will be among the speakers on this topic.

Also on the schedule for the three-day GGS will be sessions on hazardous waste and its disposal. The Forum for Hazardous Waste Disposal, which is organised by bvse-recyconsult GmbH on behalf of the Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und Entsorgung (bvse), will hold two public events on 10 and 11 April, covering the potential hazards in wastes and the correct means of handling them.

The German Dangerous Goods Association, Gefahrgutverband Deutschland, will also hold three lectures during the conference sessions. The first, ‘ADR and GbV’, will cover topics such as the packaging requirements for dangerous goods and the tasks and task management of the dangerous good officer. The second session will be on RID and inland vessels and will cover, amongst other things, Germany’s Explosives Act (Sprengstoffgesetz), and the transport of dangerous goods in inland vessels and rail wagons. On the last day, the focus turns to air and sea issues, including presentations on dangerous goods checks at airports – their problems and causes, and the maintenance, repair and reprocessing of combination IBCs.

A BIGGER TURNOUT In addition to the formal presentations, GGS will feature a number of short demonstrations and lectures inside the exhibition hall. These presentations by exhibitors will highlight the diversity, competence and practical relevance of the goods and services on show.

With the GGS event, Leipziger Messe has created an industry platform for suppliers and users that it, it says, unique in Europe.

The trade fair’s product profile brings together products and services for the transport, storage and internal logistics of hazardous materials with highly sensitive and safety-relevant requirements in the associated logistics chain. Visitors can receive proposals for solutions that increase the economic efficiency of their logistics processes and ensure maximum security at the same time.

Leipziger Messe reports that the demand for exhibition space is already well above last year’s. “The preparations for the second edition of the GGS are well underway,” says project director Matthias Kober. “We are very satisfied with the registration status. In addition to the many repeat participants, we are pleased to welcome some interesting new exhibitors from every product sector.” HCB

Those interested in learning more about GGS can find all the relevant information at www.ggstradefair.com. HCB will be attending this year’s event and will report back with news of interest to our readers.