DGOT offers online alternative

EYES IN THE SKIES

ONLINE TRAINING • A NEW APPROACH IS IMPROVING THE CAPABILITY OF REMOTE TRAINING AND EXAMINATION IN THE TRANSPORT OF DANGEROUS GOODS BY AIR

INCREASING DIGITISATION IN the dangerous goods supply chain has provided plenty of opportunities to do things more efficiently and more effectively, providing greater visibility over goods in transit and opening up collaboration between the various players in the industry. Up until now, its impact in the training sphere has been limited but that has now changed with the arrival of a new concept from Dangerous Goods Online Training, established this past January.

For all those involved with the transport of dangerous goods, training is part of the calendar, as much as holidays, tax returns and Christmas. Everyone needs it, both at their start of their job and every so often thereafter, according to the relevant regulatory provisions.

For employers, there are really three options – unless there is an in-house trainer: either get a trainer into the facility to carry out the training, send employees out to classroom training, or try online training.

In the current environment, with lockdowns, social distancing and travel restrictions, various regulatory and enforcement bodies have offered some relief from the need to meet the recurrent training requirement but, nevertheless, training is still needed. After all, ask any safety professional what the three most important things are to ensuring safety in transport and they are likely to answer: “Training, training and training”.

So, given the difficulties in arranging face-to-face training right now, many employers are turning to online training. It offers several advantages, not least in terms of cost, but there are many who have viewed the online alternative as something of a second-class option. There is a suspicion that trainees can quite easily ‘game’ the system, doing just enough to show they are taking part but not actually taking anything in, while still getting a certificate at the end. Experienced instructors also know that, for training to be effective, the trainer has to be able to see the whites of the trainees’ eyes, to see whether the message is being received and to identify where each trainee needs extra work. Online training – until now – has not been able to offer that.

TAILORED TO TRAIN Dangerous Goods Online Training takes a different approach. While still using a modular curriculum, with trainees going through it step by step, those modules can be tailored to the particular needs of each trainee. Furthermore, those taking the courses are monitored on a daily basis to check how they are doing and to identify areas of weakness that need more work.

Paul Horner, one of the three founding directors, is an experienced trainer in the transport of dangerous goods by air and was formerly with the International Air Transport Association (IATA); he explains: “The model we have is completely different to earlier systems. It requires 100 per cent commitment from students, who have to score at least 80 per cent in the training in order to be able to sit the final examination.”

To do that, Paul is on hand to answer students’ questions by phone or email, and is also able to contact students proactively when they appear to be having difficulty. The link there is Paul’s wife, Lisa Horner, another

founding director, who is an experienced teacher and teacher-trainer, who actively monitors students’ progress. In this way, it is easy pick up on the gaps in students’ knowledge and she can also identify areas where the training modules need to be adapted.

The third piece in the jigsaw is software wizard Scott Dimmock of Ascent Consultancy and Training, the other founding director. He was working on the learning software system for three years before it was rolled out at the start of this year and says: “We can improve the course every single month, depending on feedback and exam results.” In the past, he says, online training could “turn people off” but this is different. He recommends that students work one to two hours a day over a week or two; they can go back over the modules as often as they need.

The initial course for shippers comprises eight modules, one for each part of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR); for operators there is an additional module on acceptance procedures. Scott says that students should expect to spend at least 10 hours overall on the course, and possibly 30 or more, depending on the strengths of each particular candidate.

REMOTE EXAMINATION Not only has Dangerous Goods Online Training taken the online training concept into a more effective space, it has also managed to find a way to hold remote examinations, using live online invigilation and secure mailing of exam papers. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has observed the process and given its approval for IATA Category 1, 2, 3 and 6.

While the benefits of this are obvious during the Covid-19 lockdown, having proved the concept there is no reason why it should not continue: it makes it easier for those located a long way from exam centres, and feedback from candidates suggests they find themselves more confident when faced with the exam paper.

One issue the company faces is taking the concept outside of the UK, as each country has its own approvals process. Dangerous Goods Online Training has reached agreement with Cargosafe Oy and appointed it to provide online training and exams in Finland and Estonia, with the relevant approvals, and this provides a likely model for further expansion.

But what about competency-based training, which is arriving in the air mode? While the modular training system can be tailored to individual needs, it would be harder, if not impossible, to check candidates’ competence levels online. “Testing competency will be something that the employer has to verify,” Scott says, although it is likely that Dangerous Goods Online Training will work with operators, ground handlers, shippers and others to set up a suitable programme. Paul Horner agrees: “On-the-job evaluation is the employer’s responsibility. But we can help, either face-to-face or online.”

Indeed, as Lisa Horner explains, some traditional trainers have been frightened by the arrival of competency-based training; it means their training has to be adapted, but this is something that Dangerous Goods Online Training does all the time.

And its concept is gaining traction, with Scott Dimmock saying: “People see it as exciting. We have to keep moving and changing.”

For further information, call +44 (0) 800 644 6799 or email info@dgonline.training. www.dgonline.training

THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT ACTORS INVOLVED IN

THE TRANSPORT OF DANGEROUS GOODS BUT THEY ALL

NEED APPROPRIATE TRAINING TO BE COMFORTABLE