Regulation key to mitigating dangerous goods threats

The safe handling of dangerous goods (DG) depends on regulatory compliance and effective, hands-on training programs in the face of threats, according to the Air Cargo World webinar, “Dangerous Goods in Focus: Shoring up air cargo logistics.” The biggest threats in DG shipment are lithium batteries, undeclared dangerous goods and unknown threats to come, Guillaume Crozier, senior vice president, UAE Cargo at ground handler dnata said Tuesday during the webinar discussion. [caption id="attachment_57132772" align="alignright" width="200"] Guillaume Crozier, senior vice president, UAE Cargo, dnata[/caption] There is growing global demand for lithium batteries and their use in consumer electronics such as smartphones, tablets and computers as well as electric vehicles like e-bikes. However, the batteries can catch fire when mishandled, making them high-profile threats for stakeholders ranging from regulators, shippers, forwarders, carriers and ground handlers. “I think everyone calls for more regulation as much as possible,” Crozier said during the discussion. “Should we have a global risk register? Should we start to rate airports? And should this lead to some regulation being activated, depending on the risk level?” Misguided regulation Regulators spend too much time on technicalities without considering the real implications of the cargo on board, said Travis Falasco, head of dangerous goods at logistics provider Flexport. He used an example of the red hashtag symbol on a lithium battery label border being rejected if off by even 1 millimeter. “We waste so much time kicking back shipments and having to re-truck it and reduce the labels for things that in reality don't matter,” Falasco said. “If we really want to prevent fires and reduce accidents, then we should be opening boxes and see if the batteries are just thrown in there. Are the terminals actually protected from short circuits? These are the things that matter.” Undeclared DG [caption id="attachment_57132771" align="alignright" width="200"] Travis Falasco, head of dangerous goods, Flexport[/caption] Aside from lithium batteries, undeclared DG can lead to dangerous consequences when stakeholders are unaware of their presence. These can range from lithium batteries to nail polish, but many fall under the e-commerce umbrella, which makes them difficult to detect, Torsten Helk, senior manager of dangerous goods at Geodis in Americas, said during the webinar. “So many people are now getting into e-commerce,” Helk explained. “They don't know the DG regulations [and] they don't know that this nail polish or this perfume needs to be declared. Well, they don't care if there is alcohol in that solution, yet we are expected to find it. So, this is where I really see potential issues or problems for the future.” Mitigating risk [caption id="attachment_57132818" align="alignright" width="200"] Torsten Helk, senior manager of dangerous goods at Geodis in Americas[/caption] One of the best approaches to mitigating risk is to ensure employees take a competency-based training and assessment (CBTA), as outlined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). While the CBTA method is effective, neither IATA nor the U.S. government enforces its requirements enough, Helk said. “IATA enforcing [CBTA], I don't think it's good enough,” he said. “I believe governments need to get together and start enforcing and start listening to us.” Loopholes in government regulations have kept enforcement of CBTA from being as widespread as it could be, Helk noted, suggesting broader enforcement measures. “My idea is to take [CBTA] and start pushing through the U.N. so it filters down to the individual governments. That's where I'm thinking we need to go.”

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