Participation in International Standards Development
Safe transportation of dangerous goods starts with effective training. Well-written regulations are essential to the dangerous goods trainer’s efforts. The DGTA is continually looking to be the voice for dangerous goods trainers to the regulatory bodies engaged in standards development. Some highlights of the DGTA’s ongoing efforts in this area include:
- UNSCOE TDG – DGTA has been issued non-governmental organization consultative status with the UN Subcommittee of Experts on the Transportation of Dangerous Goods. We are the only consultative organization whose voice speaks primarily for the dangerous goods instructor. Our delegation, headed by board member Jim Powell (Transportation Development Group LLC), has submitted or co-authored various papers and provided interventions on numerous other papers when proposed regulatory changes impact the effectiveness of dangerous goods instruction.
- Canada CBTA – In 2018 and 2019, DGTA members participated in the Canadian Standards Board (CSB) effort to develop a consensus standard for competency-based training. This effort was prompted in great part by Transport Canada. The standard has been drafted and is poised to become a part of the Canadian Transport of Dangerous Goods regulations. Please read a summary of that effort later in this issue.
Partnership with IHMM
DGTA membership worked to create the Certified Dangerous Goods Professional (CDGP) and Certified Dangerous Goods Trainer (CDGT). The certifications were sold to the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM) to better promote the certification, manage the certification process, and receive ANSI accreditation. The DGTA continues to receive income from the certification application and testing fees. The DGTA and its individual members are expected to continue promoting these certifications.
This past year the Board was in discussions with Minnesota State University to partner with them in a grant application to deliver dangerous goods instructor training. This would have provided opportunities for the Association to promote the trainer certifications as well as opportunities for individual members to assist in the delivery of the training program. Unfortunately, the university decided to withdraw their application to the DOT. However, the communication channels remain open and the Board has hopes to resume discussions for the next grant cycle.
British Association of Dangerous Goods Professionals
DGTA authored an article in the British Association of Dangerous Goods Professionals September newsletter. Click this link to see what we had to say.
Article written by Gene Sanders and Jim Powell, DGTA:
Association Management
The Board has been looking at ways to assure a robust administrative operation is in place that assures a regular path of communication between the organization and the members and allows the association leadership more opportunities to plan out and implement the DGTA’s vision and better engage with the membership. To that end, the DGTA recently signed a contract with an association management company, Avalon Association Management (AAM). Ilyse Shapiro, the principal of AAM, and her team will work with the Board to manage the membership connection, including billing, general communication, and newsletters like this.
Membership Dues
To better align association billing with the budget cycles for our members’ companies, the Board has decided to move the billing cycle to align with the calendar years. The Board did decide to waive membership dues for 2020 and to restart memberships beginning January 1, 2021. The annual membership fee is $250.00 per year.
Improved Engagement with our Members
The Board has been discussing ways that the DGTA can better interact with the membership and maximize the value. This effort starts with this newsletter. Our plans are to provide members with news on dangerous goods regulations developments by the international bodies, state regulating bodies, and news and information about the profession and craft of dangerous goods instruction. As the newsletter ramps up, we hope to get contributions from you the membership.
We are planning to send a new issue on a quarterly basis, to start. However, if there are any late-breaking news items impacting dangerous goods trainers we plan to issue supplemental notices or post information on our website blog page.
We are a small association, and our membership is spread around the globe. However, we can still connect in person, even if that is virtually. The Board is planning to hold a membership web meeting sometime in the second or third quarter of 2021. Stay tuned as those plans become more final.
In the meantime, if you have general questions about the association or wish to provide us with your ideas on making the association the best it can be for its members, you can e-mail info@dgta.org. If you would like to speak with the board directly, you may reach them at board@dgta.org. Your current DGTA Board of Directors consists of:
- Scott Dunsmore (Lion Technology Inc.)
- Paul Horner (DG Safety Group)
- Steve Hunt (ShipMate Inc.)
- Jay Johnson (LabelMaster)
- Jim Powell (Transportation Development Group LLC), Head of Delegation, UN Subcommittee of Experts, Geneva
- David Ritchie (Ritchies Training Centre)
- Gene Sanders (W.E. Train Consulting), Secretary/Treasurer
