The carriage of dangerous goods by air requires strict regulation in order to ensure safety.

The Dangerous Goods Office carries out inspections and has a scheme for the recording and investigation of incidents, as required by Annex 18.  Regarding inspections, the four authorised Inspectors carry out inspections to check for compliance with all the requirements of the Technical Instructions.  Audit style inspections are carried out on operators and their handling agents with a view to assessing whether adequate procedures and training are in place to ensure compliance with the operators responsibilities of the Technical Instructions.  Inspections are also carried out in freight sheds/warehouses, on the ramp and in airport terminals; they are to check on packages and documents, procedures for handling dangerous goods, the state of training for those involved and the provision of adequate notices at cargo acceptance points and passenger check-in areas.

The Inspectors are empowered to seize packages of dangerous goods if there are reasonable grounds to suspect a consignment does not comply with all applicable requirements.

Incidents and Occurrences

Regarding the recording and investigation of incidents, in excess of 2000 incident reports are received each year in the UK and the Dangerous Goods Office maintains a database of such incidents.  Many incidents are of a minor nature and do not warrant investigation; these are usually dealt with by letter.  Sometimes there is insufficient information to enable further action to be taken.  Sometimes, if an incident arises with imported dangerous goods, there is little action that can be taken if the offence originated outside the UK; in these circumstances, all available evidence is determined with a view to informing the originating State so that action can be taken there.  When an incident is judged to be sufficiently serious to warrant a formal investigation this is carried out by an Investigation Officer from the CAA Legal Department, in liaison with the Dangerous Goods Office.  On completion of the investigation, all the evidence is considered and a decision made as to whether or not to prosecute the alleged offender.  In the event of a prosecution, an offender can be fined up to £5000 per contravention in a Magistrates Court.  If there is a Crown Court trial, the penalty can be an unlimited fine or up to two years imprisonment or both.

Reporting a Dangerous Goods Occurrence - Cargo Related

CAA Form SRG 2808 should be sent to the Dangerous Goods Office.

Reporting a Dangerous Goods Occurrence - Passenger or Crew Related

CAA Form SRG 2809 should be sent to the Dangerous Goods Office.