What will the new year bring you and us? In the area of transportation and storage of dangerous goods, there have been a number of significant changes in legislation. Needless to say, Special Cargo is following all of this closely. And because we like to contribute to a safe logistics world with you, inform you about the most important issues for 2024.
Environment Act
First, the Environment Act. This new law, which went into effect on Jan. 1 of this year, combines many existing zoning laws, including existing environmental laws. In principle, the Environment Act – in the transition from old situation to new situation – brings no changes for companies with existing environmental permits and unchanged operations. But companies looking to make changes to their operations should definitely consult the Environment Act.
PGS 15
One directive associated with the Environment Act is PGS 15, for storage of packaged dangerous goods. The PGS organization published the draft of the revised “New Style” PGS 15 directive late last year. Users of the guideline can now comment on that draft version from their own practice – so you too can do so. The final New Style guideline is expected to be released in the fall of 2024. However, it is not yet clear when this edition will actually take effect then, as part of the Environment Act. Until then, the interim version of PGS 15 (from 2016) is in effect.
PGS 37-2
Something similar applies to PGS 37-2, the guideline for the safe storage of lithium energy carriers. The final version of the guideline was published late last year. This version will have legal status and become mandatory at the time it is designated in the structure of the Environment Act as a guideline for storage of lithium energy carriers. The Environmental Information Point (IPLO) expects the new PGS 37-2 to take effect in this structure on Jan. 1, 2025. But please note that even this year it is possible that (parts of) the PGS 37-2 will already be imposed on companies. For example, in the form of customization requirements from the competent authority, when submitting an activity notification.
The new versions of PGS 15 and PGS 37-2 become mandatory at the time they are designated as guidance in the structure of the Environment Act
IATA
January 1 this year also marked the 65th edition of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) of airline organization IATA. This is the worldwide standard for transporting dangerous goods by air. As every year, this one contains some significant changes. Since July 1, 2023, IATA’s Competency-Based Training Methodology (CBTA) has been mandatory for air transport of dangerous goods. Special Cargo is the first Dutch training provider accredited by IATA for this purpose.
ARIE Scheme
The revised version of this regulation Supplemental Risk Inventory and Evaluation (ARIE) had a transition period until Jan. 1 of this year. This new version imposes stricter safety regulations on companies that work with many dangerous goods. Companies becoming ARIE-compliant for the first time had to report to the Dutch Labor Inspectorate by the end of 2023 and meet ARIE obligations by the beginning of 2024.
Civil aviation security
The new year has no specific legislative changes in store for us regarding aviation security. The National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) remains responsible for ensuring adequate aviation security. It is important to realize that the NCTV and cooperating organizations are constantly working to improve and adapt security measures, including for aviation. Needless to say, Special Cargo seamlessly matches this in its training offerings.
IMDG
The same applies to the regulations for different modes of transportation of dangerous goods. What you may notice is that the above does not mention the legislation of ADR (road transport), RID (rail transport), ADN (inland shipping) and IMDG (maritime transport). That’s right! These four treaties. are always changed in the odd-numbered years, and thus remain unchanged this year. However, the latest version of the IMDG Code (Amendment 41-22) did become mandatory as of Jan. 1. The other three schemes were previously mandatory.
A safe world
All these changes, of course, we are also implementing in the execution of our work, both in our operations and in our training and consulting. Of course, you also want to know exactly what the law changes mean for your business and operations. Do you have certain issues or would like to consult? If so, please contact us. This is how we like to contribute with you to a safe logistics world – also in 2024!
