Strengthening safety and assurance: Dangerous Goods Safety Advisers (DGSAs) are essential

13 Feb 2026

Transporting dangerous goods is routine for thousands of UK businesses, from logistics companies and chemical manufacturers to waste handlers, laboratories and fuel distributors. Yet with this work comes significant risk: to people, property, the environment – and to the businesses themselves. The Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser (DGSA) role is not just helpful, it’s legally required for most organisations and critical for safe, compliant workplaces.

The Department for Transport (DfT) recently published their Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor Call for Evidence Report (2025) which underlines how vital DGSAs are, and why every organisation handling or transporting dangerous goods should ensure they have expert support in place.

The critical role of a DGSA

The DGSA is central to managing the risks involved in transporting dangerous goods helping prevent risks to people, property and the environment by ensuring compliance with regulations such as the Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) 2025, the UK’s Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 (CDG) 2009 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and other local derogations and international legislation.

In accordance with the ADR 8.3, the responsibilities of a DGSA include:

Advising on correct transport, packaging, marking and labelling
Monitoring compliance with UK and international regulations
Investigating incidents and preparing mandatory reports
Training and guiding other staff

Without a DGSA, organisations risk regulatory breaches, unsafe working practices and exposure to significant financial and legal liabilities.

Disengaged DGSAs: risks to your organisation

The report highlighted a few elements which pose risks to organisations relying on inhouse expertise. Only 12% of qualified DGSA’s responded to the Call for Evidence which raises concerns about how engaged they are with the importance of their role. The report also showed that over half (52%) of respondents spend less than 5 hours a week performing associated duties – and therefore calls into question if compliance and safety measures are being upheld.

This may pose concerns in the immediate sense, but organisations also face longer-term challenges. Over half (55%) of respondents are aged 50 or over, and many respondents (28%) have less than 3 years’ experience in their role. This means there is limited practical exposure and depth of commercial experience in the workforce plus a significant proportion nearing retirement. The industry is facing a skills gap for this essential aspect of compliance.

Given the relatively low levels of experience and engagement within the current DGSA community, questions may arise around overall confidence and capability. When asked, only 68% of respondents said they felt confident in producing the mandatory annual report produced by a DGSA – a key responsibility of the DGSA role and core to compliance requirements. Companies whose reports are found to be incomplete may face fines, or even legal action – damaging trust and reputations with customers which may further impact revenues.

Risk mitigation and peace of mind

The findings indicate that DGSA compliance risks are driven by limited experience, constrained capacity and low engagement with the requirements of the role. While addressing this risk will require increased training, a larger pool of qualified DGSAs, and stronger engagement with regulatory content, businesses can protect themselves from potential regulatory and compliance issues by appointing a third‑party DGSA.

Appointing a third‑party DGSA provides immediate access to experienced advisers who spend significantly more time delivering DGSA services across multiple organisations and sectors. Their breadth of exposure supports high‑quality audits and practical, up‑to‑date guidance grounded in real‑world application.

Legislative monitoring and interpretation are built into the service, with proactive updates issued as regulations change – reducing internal effort and compliance risk.

A third‑party model also removes reliance on a single individual, providing continuity of service through a multidisciplinary team and removing operational dependency on DGSA examination cycles or staff availability. The result is a resilient, consistent and cost‑effective approach to dangerous goods compliance.

Conclusion

If your business consigns, carries, fills, packs, unloads, supplies tank-containers, or receives dangerous goods, you likely must have a DGSA. Ricardo provides comprehensive and experienced DGSA services tailored to your operational needs: whether you require ongoing DGSA support, help with annual audit reports, incident investigation, training or compliance reviews. We work to ensure your organisation not only meets its legal obligations but achieves the highest safety standards protecting your employees, operations and reputation.