Does your company need a safety adviser?

A safety adviser advises on the shipment and transport of dangerous goods by road (ADR), rail (RID), or inland waterways (ADN). The adviser monitors compliance, writes and revises internal procedures, provides instructions for emergencies, etc. In doing so, the safety adviser complies with European guidelines, such as the ADR (l'Accord relatif au transport international de marchandises Dangereuses par Route) directive.

“Suppose you have to load or unload dangerous goods,” illustrates Bart Cuenen. He is a safety adviser at DGT, an advisory and training centre for the transport, shipping, and handling of dangerous goods in Flanders and Wallonia. “We do not tell organisations how to store these substances, but act as soon as they are transported or shipped. Then we give advice on how to load, unload, and pack them – such as the fill rate and weight, but also the necessary documents such as the ADR transport document, a dangerous goods declaration, or a container packing certificate.”

A safety adviser is not the same as a prevention adviser. A prevention adviser provides advice on all aspects of occupational well-being: work equipment, hygiene, ergonomics, psychosocial well-being, first aid, etc. The prevention adviser follows the Codex on Well-being at Work.
Every company must have an internal prevention adviser.

“In Bart’s example about loading and unloading, as prevention adviser, I will provide advice on the possible risks,” says Marnix Paepen, external occupational safety prevention adviser at Mensura. “Could an incorrect manipulation lead to exposure causing health damage to the (un)loader, for example? Do I have to provide personal protective equipment? Or should there be a fire extinguisher in the immediate vicinity?”

Is your company involved in shipping (e.g. freight forwarder) or transporting dangerous goods (e.g. drivers)? Or do you perform associated loading, unloading, filling, and/or packaging activities (e.g. packers or container operators)? You must appoint a safety adviser. Your safety adviser may be an internal or external employee, as long as that person has a training certificate valid for the appropriate class and modes of transport. That certification must be renewed every five years – at least in the last year of validity. In Belgium, you can need up to 12 different certificates.

“Since 2023, ADR legislation has applied to a larger group of companies than previously,” Bart continues. “Now, you must also appoint a safety adviser if you are the sender in the transport process. The same applies to the intermediaries who have a contract with the main carrier to practically arrange the transport. There are still many organisations that are unaware of this – but can still be monitored and fined.”

Exemptions apply, but the regulations are complex. If you’re unsure about whether you should appoint a safety adviser, then don’t hesitate to contact Mensura. In order to provide organisations with optimal guidance when appointing a safety adviser, Mensura entered into a partnership with DGT.

Mensura’s external prevention advisers assist companies to complement the expertise of their internal prevention advisers. But as the EDPPW, Mensura is not legally authorised to do the same for safety advisers. However, our partner DGT can assist our clients in that matter.

“At Mensura, we naturally remain focused on our core tasks as external prevention advisers,” Marnix explains. “Do you want to hire an external safety adviser or coach your internal safety adviser? Or are you looking for specialised advice on transporting dangerous goods? That’s when DGT’s experienced safety advisers come into the picture. This allows Mensura to offer a comprehensive safety and prevention package.”