5 minute read
Looking ahead to the Labeline Biennial
PREPARE FOR 21
PREVIEW • DG PROFESSIONALS CAN FIND OUT ABOUT THE CHANGES THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FACE NEXT YEAR AT LABELINE’S BIENNIAL DANGEROUS GOODS ROADSHOW
FOR MORE THAN 25 years Labeline International has been committed to providing industry with a one-stop dangerous goods service, and the company has recently been recognised by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as its Top Regulatory Distributor Worldwide for the 11th year in succession. Labeline remains at the forefront of dangerous goods compliance as a leading supplier of publications, labels, documentation, software and training.
As a global leader for DG regulatory information, Labeline took the decision five years ago to do more to create awareness of the changes to the regulations in advance of their publication. It was also recognised that this information needed to be shared, not just with DG specialists, but to a wider audience, including management, warehouse, purchasing, administration and others in the supply chain. This led to the first Biennial Dangerous Goods Roadshow in 2016.
Now firmly established as one of the most informative international events in the industry, preparations are well underway for the third series, scheduled to take place in September 2020. The ‘Biennial’ is a non-profit event with the same agenda at both of the carefully chosen venues. This year’s programme will highlight the changes to the regulations that will take effect from 2021, explain the reasons behind them and reference incidents that have effected these changes.
Industry experts will also give presentations on the technological developments that will impact on how dangerous goods will be shipped in future. It is the ideal forum for learning and interacting with industry colleagues as it is a coming together of DG professionals, suppliers and shippers.
With the emphasis on training and awareness, the organisers are delighted that the event has been accredited by the CPD Certification Service. The delegate price is just £135 plus VAT, representing excellent value for money, so it is expected that some organisations will encourage more than one representative to attend.
The programme for this year’s Biennial event includes presentations on what’s new and what’s around the corner in the world of dangerous goods. It will include a comprehensive regulatory update session with a panel of world-renowned dangerous goods leaders explaining the changes in the rulebooks that govern the different modes of transport. For many delegates, this will be a crucial session as it will inform them of how changes to the regulations will affect their business.
According to the feedback from the 2018 Biennial, delegates supported the panel format as it helped to create a less formal ambience. The willingness of the presenters to engage with the delegates during the intervals was also greatly appreciated.
The 2018 panel members (pictured above) were: Jeff Hart, OBE, retired former head of the Dangerous Goods Division at the UK Department for Transport (DfT) and former chair of the UN Sub-committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods; Geoff Leach, former head of the dangerous goods office at the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and now principal of The Dangerous Goods Office Ltd; Richard Masters, DGSA, author and a chartered member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH); and
Gene Sanders, experienced dangerous goods trainer and consultant, and occasional HCB contributor. The panel session was moderated by Peter Mackay, HCB’s editor-in-chief, who says he is looking forward to playing the same role this year and to catching up with those experts who can teach him a thing or two.
DIGITAL SOLUTIONS As the dangerous goods sector moves towards paperless and mobile data transfer, the session on e-freight and the options open to customers for accessing digital versions of the dangerous goods regulations will be of interest to many. This discussion will show how online software can create digital dangerous goods data and shipping documents and the various options available to access the DG regulations online.
A significant amount of paperwork is normally generated throughout the journey of a shipment and important information – often the same data – is manually entered a number of times. Apart from the obvious benefits of using paperless systems, e-freight will avoid multiple data entry repetitions and reduce input errors that often result in consignments being held en route. The DG software is available from Labeline and can be tried without obligation.
Staying with online solutions, there will be a panel discussion on the recent upturn in the demand for online training across all modes in the sector. While not always a replacement for the classroom, online training does give candidates the freedom to work at their own pace and at times to suit them. It may also help overcome some of the conundrums that will come with the move to competency-based training in future.
OUT IN FORCE The Carriage of Dangerous Goods (CDG) Practitioners Forum is made up of representatives from across the enforcement agencies in the UK and officers from the group will highlight what they are looking for when checking vehicles and consignments of dangerous goods. They will also be looking at how the regulations are enforced around the world.
Of course, some of the areas of compliance that enforcement officers from all modes look for involve packaging and labelling. Getting the packaging right for the transport of dangerous goods can be difficult to understand and there will be an overview of how to use the regulations to ensure that packaging is compliant.
There will also be a discussion surrounding emergency response. At the time of an incident there are three globally recognised levels of response and this talk will cover the resources that are needed to ensure that robust and appropriate procedures are in place. It will highlight the international requirements for emergency telephone numbers and the capabilities of specialist clean-up contractors to deal with incidents.
Not only is the Biennial a comprehensive day of learning, it is also an excellent networking opportunity. On the evenings prior to each event, delegates are invited to attend the popular ‘ice-breaker’ reception. An excellent hot buffet lunch is provided with the compliments of Labeline and industry-leading sponsors. Furthermore, the lunch breaks are staggered to maximise the time that delegates have to speak with the exhibitors and interact with industry colleagues.
The last two events have received excellent feedback with delegates leaving informed and prepared for the future with a comprehensive ‘DG Professional’ delegate package. More details about the events, which will take place on 15 September at Heathrow and 17 September at the Radisson Blu, East Midlands Airport, can be found on the Labeline website at www. labeline.com/events/dangerous-goodsroadshow/.
DG PROFESSIONALS HAVE TWO CHANCES TO ACCESS THE
EXPERTISE OF WORLD-LEADING REGULATORS, TRAINERS
