A qualified Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser (DGSA) is required by most organisations who consign, transport, load or unload Dangerous Goods by road, rail or inland waterway, in order to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. If you are unsure if your organisation requires a DGSA, just ask, our advice is always free.
The DGSA must hold a valid Vocational Training Certificate, for the correct mode of transport, obtained by:
- Receiving the appropriate professional training from a provider such as RoadSafe Europe Limited
- Passing the three (or four) written examinations
The Department for Transport (DfT) has decided that DGSA's will not have to undergo an approved training course - the form and type of training is a matter for the individual and the employer to decide, based on the individuals knowledge and experience. The DfT however approves the mandatory DGSA examinations, and has appointed the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) as its agent. SQA set, mark and organise the exams four times per year, and issue the vocational training certificates. The certificates are recognised in all 53 ADR agreement member states, and are issued to the individual, not an organisation.
Many candidates find the DGSA training requirements leading up to the examination extremely difficult, a fact bourn out by the national-average high failure rates (though this is also undoubtedly due to inconsistent exam writing - a very low pass rate on one exam is usually followed by an unusually high one in the following set of exams as the exam body tries to even-out the average pass rate).
Many commercially run courses are for up to ten, or more, candidates. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the intensive nature of the course and required depth of study, many on them will fail because they cannot possibly receive the attention from the trainer required. But, at RoadSafe, we like take a totally different approach.
We limit our class sizes so that each trainee can receive the help and support they need, and indeed, we frequently run one-to-one sessions. This has helped us to maintain an exceptional first-time pass rate. We are also very pleased to have also successfully re-trained many students who have failed exams with other training providers - some of whom have attended multiple courses.
Our courses all last five days (we do not usually offer shorter “refresher” courses due to the high failure rates, unless the candidate is very confident that this is all they need), with the course being highly interactive to ensure the trainees' understanding. Homework assignments are also set to reinforce the topics covered over the day, and even after the course, and before the examinations, we continue to set questions to keep the information fresh.
We prefer to run these courses at our fully equipped training centre in Southampton, but we can also come to you and train on-site, nationwide, if required, contact us for details (02380 702576 or, [email protected]).
RoadSafe Europe are also one of the only organisations that also offer the training for DGSA by Rail (RID) and Inland Waterways (ADN) too, as both an initial qualification, or as a 1-2 day conversion course for DGSAs who are already qualified on one mode of carriage, but who want to add the extra qualification to their portfolio.
Please note that enrolment with SQA must be completed several weeks before the examination, and that space at some of the exam centres may be limited, so early booking is advisable:
- Open courses - £650.00 + VAT per person*
- Nationwide on-site courses – please contact us for a quotation.
*We do not normally book the exams and provide the required Regulations for our candidates. This can be arranged at cost price, however, payment for these would still be required (approximately £450), even if the candidate cancels the course, as they cannot be refunded, but SQA may allow a candidate to defer their exam date in the event of illness or other unavoidable circumstance).
Our 2022 open DGSA courses are planned as follows:
- 14th - 18th November
Examination Dates for 2022:
- 24th November 2022 (Application Closing Date: 3rd November)
You may find the following links from SQA regarding DGSA training useful: Syllabus Permitted exam materials Sample examination papers Applying for examinations Sitting the examinations