02:
Question
We have received a request from the Department for Transport to hold a security inspection at our site in accordance
with regulations 5,7 & 8 of the Carriage of Dangerous Goods Regulations. It asks for access to Security Plans, Risk
Assessment and staff recruitment and training records. What's this all about?
Answer -
The DfT hold information on companies who are currently or have in the past carried or stored High Consequence Dangerous
Goods.
Their information indicates that you may be amongst these companies so they would like to meet with your DGSA, yourself or
another suitable representative to answer questions about your site and operational security and give a tour of the site.
It is good practice to contact the Land Transport Security Compliance team at the DfT to validate that the request is
genuinely from a member of their staff by emailing
landsecurity@dft.gsi.gov.uk
The inspector will work through a questionnaire to assess your compliance with the current security requirements (which is
why you should always have your DGSA involved) and will want to look at your Security Plans, Security Risk Assessment and
staff recruitment and training records.
Anyone involved in the transport of dangerous goods must have a current Anti-Terrorism Security Risk Assessment in place and
be able to show staff recruitment and training records. A Road / Rail Transport Security Plan is only required by carriers
and consignors of High Consequence Dangerous Goods (HCDGs).
HCDGs are defined in RID & ADR Chapter 1.10.3.1.1 as those with the potential for misuse in a terrorist incident and which
may, as a result, produce serious consequences such as mass casualties or mass destruction (whether to infrastructure, the
environment or the economy) or, particularly for Class 7, mass socio-economic disruption. Whether a substance being
transported is deemed to be HCDG depends on the Class (and Division for Class 1), packing group and amount, which varies for
transport in tanks, bulk and packages. There is a table listing all HCDG in ADR 1.10.3.1.2