The Operations Manager for Hybrid DGM, Mr Taiwo Folorunsho, said that prior to the addition of the new training programme, the company already provided health and safety training across sectors and entered into an international franchise with a DGM company in Spain to receive certification and begin operations in Ghana.

In an interview with the GRAPHIC BUSINESS on August 7, he said, “DGM operates in over 40 countries providing training on dangerous goods so it is under this umbrella that has enabled us offer dangerous goods training in the country.”

He added that the training programme has been accredited by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and approved by the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and would begin to provide training according to the regulation law on the transportation of dangerous goods provided by IATA.

Regulation

Mr Folorunsho explained that dangerous goods are certain items that have the potential to cause adverse effect on human health and threaten the safety of the environment and listed lithium-ion batteries (found in phones and laptops) and body sprays among other examples of dangerous goods that could threaten the safety of humans.

He stated that the transportation was usually regulated by an international law called the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) technical instructions and domesticated by local civil aviation authority of the various countries. 

In addition, he said the regulation allowed each country to come up with additional and specific requirement to suit the local regulation.

He explained that IATA, which was made up of airlines from various countries also used the law from ICAO with additional requirement and slight modifications on the transportation of damaged goods and came up with a dangerous goods regulations to serve as their own guide and standard.

“IATA expects that the individuals in the aviation industry transport process are required to undergo some training and hence accredited the company to give training to specific target clients such as freight forwarders (a person or company that organises shipments for individuals or corporations to get goods from the manufacturer or producer to a market, customer or final point of distribution), airline acceptance staff and cargo handling staff.”

“These are the people who are targeted to be trained under the regulation,” he added.