BIFA issues warning concerning IATA’s Dangerous Goods By Air training rules

In an update to its website last week, BIFA said that it had in the recent past been notified by its members that unless your required amount of DG certificates (Dangerous Goods By Air) are uploaded to the IATA portal, you will be considered non-compliant – even if you actually have a certificate.

According to the IATA statement, compliance levels reached 79% in the UK.

“IATA has informed that agents who are currently non-compliant and not enrolled in DGR training will start receiving final termination notices today. If they remain non-compliant, their termination date will be on August 31st. If you fall into this category, please address this issue immediately,” writes BIFA.

For those unfamiliar with the IATA training, it covers areas relevant to everyone involved in consigning, handling and carrying dangerous goods, and cargo and passenger baggage.

As IATA’s website states, these include the need for refresher training at two-year intervals and the keeping of training records. There are also specific responsibilities for shippers and operators.

Shippers must ensure that staff preparing consignments of dangerous goods receive training or that another organisation with trained staff is used. Meanwhile, operators must ensure that their own staff and those of their handling agents are trained.