Dangerous Goods Safety MattersSelf-audit guide for prime contractors
September 2014
Selt-audit guide for prime contractor – DANGEROUS GOODS SAFETY M
ATTERS
2
IntroductionPrime contractors have multiple responsibilities to ensure that dangerous goods are transported safely. This self-audit tool is a good starting point to evaluate your transport system.
Why is self-auditing important?Ensuring occupational safety within your consignment and transport operations for dangerous goods is a primary responsibility of prime contractors. Self-auditing is a “health check” for your business that should enable you to identify gaps and take effective corrective actions.
Using this self-audit toolThe sections of this self-audit align with Department of Mines and Petroleum’s Six Pillars of Dangerous Goods Transport strategy. They address a selection of regulations concerning prime contractors.
Where deficiencies are identified by a prime contractor, it is recommended that they are rectified internally in your quality management system.
You should familiarise yourself with the applicable regulations and codes.
Legislation• Dangerous Goods Safety Act 2004
• Dangerous Goods Safety (Road and Rail Transport of Non-explosives) Regulations 2007
GuidanceAvailable from the National Transport Commission www.ntc.gov.au
• Australian Dangerous Goods Code (ADG 7.3)
• Load Restraint Guide (LRG)
Available from Standards Australia, www.standards.org.au
• HB 76 Dangerous goods initial emergency response guide
• AS 1678 Emergency procedure guide – Transport
Scope of auditThis tool applies to the transport of packaged dangerous goods, not road tanker operations. Use the self-audit if transporting:
• packages less than 500 kg (or litres) capacity (e.g. 200 L drums, 25 L pails, 25 kg bags, cylinders, batteries)
• placardable units (e.g. IBCs, pressure drums, manifold cylinder packs, portable tanks).
Audit sections• Instruction and training
• Packaging
• Segregation
• Restraint
• Safety equipment and vehicle safety
• Placarding
• Transport documentation
Verification activitiesVerification is important to ensure compliance with the Dangerous Goods Safety (Road and Rail Transport of Non-explosives) Regulations 2007.
Some things you can do as part of the verification process are listed below.
• Staff interview – drivers, trainers, loaders, schedulers, maintenance
• Packaging suitability
• Vehicle loading arrangement
• Vehicle inspection (e.g. gates, twist locks, dunnage, straps)
• Maintenance practice
• Placarding practice
• Consignment system review – use
– Australian Standards HB 76 and AS 1678
– transport document
– consignment notes, bill of lading, retained for three months
Self-
audi
t gui
de fo
r prim
e co
ntra
ctor
– D
ANGE
ROUS
GOO
DS S
AFET
Y M
ATTE
RS
3
No.
Requ
irem
ents
of D
G tr
ansp
ort r
egul
atio
nsAu
dit q
uest
ions
Adeq
uate
? (Y
/N)
Corr
ectiv
e ac
tions
Inst
ruct
ion
and
trai
ning
[r. 1
4]
1.A
pers
on m
ust n
ot m
anag
e, c
ontro
l or s
uper
vise
a ta
sk u
nles
s th
e pe
rson
has
rece
ived
inst
ruct
ion
and
trai
ning
to e
nabl
e hi
m o
r he
r to
man
age,
con
trol o
r sup
ervis
e an
othe
r per
son
to p
erfo
rm
the
task
saf
ely
and
in a
ccor
danc
e w
ith th
ese
regu
latio
ns.
• W
hat m
anag
emen
t sys
tem
is in
pla
ce fo
r del
iverin
g tra
inin
g?
• W
hat t
rain
ing
and
asse
ssm
ent p
rogr
am is
use
d?
• Is
the
train
ing
cour
se d
elive
red
by a
com
pete
nt p
erso
n w
ith
rele
vant
indu
stry
bac
kgro
und?
• W
hat t
rain
ing
qual
ifica
tions
do
the
train
ers
hold
?
• Ar
e st
aff c
ompe
tenc
ies
reco
rded
in a
trai
ning
mat
rix o
n a
live
data
base
or s
prea
dshe
et?
2.A
pers
on w
ho is
resp
onsi
ble
for m
anag
emen
t or c
ontro
l of a
task
m
ust n
ot e
mpl
oy, e
ngag
e or
per
mit
anot
her p
erso
n to
per
form
the
task
if th
e ot
her p
erso
n —
(a)
has
not r
ecei
ved,
or i
s no
t rec
eivin
g, a
ppro
pria
te in
stru
ctio
n an
d tra
inin
g to
ens
ure
that
he
or s
he is
abl
e to
per
form
the
task
saf
ely
and
in a
ccor
danc
e w
ith th
ese
regu
latio
ns; o
r
(b)
is n
ot a
ppro
pria
tely
sup
ervi
sed
in p
erfo
rmin
g th
e ta
sk to
en
sure
that
he
or s
he is
abl
e to
per
form
the
task
saf
ely
and
in
acco
rdan
ce w
ith th
ese
regu
latio
ns.
Does
the
train
ing
cove
r com
pete
ncie
s fo
r eac
h of
thes
e el
emen
ts?
• pa
ckin
g, la
bellin
g an
d m
arki
ng o
f dan
gero
us g
oods
• co
nsig
ning
dan
gero
us g
oods
• lo
adin
g da
nger
ous
good
s
• un
load
ing
dang
erou
s go
ods
• ha
ndlin
g fu
mig
ated
car
go tr
ansp
ort u
nits
• m
arki
ng a
nd la
bellin
g pa
ckag
es a
nd o
verp
acks
• pl
acar
ding
pla
card
load
s
• pr
epar
ing
trans
port
docu
men
tatio
n
• m
aint
aini
ng v
ehic
les
and
equi
pmen
t use
d in
the
trans
port
of
dang
erou
s go
ods
• dr
iving
a v
ehic
le tr
ansp
ortin
g da
nger
ous
good
s
• be
ing
the
cons
igne
e of
dan
gero
us g
oods
• fo
llow
ing
appr
opria
te p
roce
dure
s in
acc
orda
nce
with
re
gula
tions
in a
dan
gero
us s
ituat
ion
Selt-audit guide for prime contractor – DANGEROUS GOODS SAFETY M
ATTERS
4
No.
Requ
irem
ents
of D
G tr
ansp
ort r
egul
atio
nsAu
dit q
uest
ions
Adeq
uate
? (Y
/N)
Corr
ectiv
e ac
tions
Pack
agin
g -
gene
ral [
r. 66
] and
oth
er [r
. 74]
3.A
prim
e co
ntra
ctor
mus
t not
tran
spor
t dan
gero
us g
oods
in a
ny
gene
ral p
acka
ging
if th
e pr
ime
cont
ract
or k
now
s, o
r oug
ht
reas
onab
ly to
kno
w, th
at th
e pa
ckag
ing
is d
amag
ed o
r def
ectiv
e to
the
exte
nt th
at it
is n
ot s
afe
to u
se to
tran
spor
t the
goo
ds.
A pr
ime
cont
ract
or m
ust n
ot tr
ansp
ort d
ange
rous
goo
ds in
any
ot
her p
acka
ging
pro
vided
by
any
othe
r per
son
if th
e pr
ime
cont
ract
or k
now
s, o
r oug
ht re
ason
ably
to k
now,
that
—
(a)
the
pack
agin
g is
uns
uita
ble
for t
he tr
ansp
ort o
f the
goo
ds;
or
(b)
(b) t
he g
oods
hav
e no
t bee
n pa
cked
in th
e pa
ckag
ing
in
acco
rdan
ce w
ith a
ny re
leva
nt p
rovis
ion
of th
e AD
G Co
de P
art
4.
• Ar
e co
nsig
ned
pack
ages
che
cked
to c
onfir
m U
N ap
prov
al?
• Ho
w is
def
ectiv
e or
leak
ing
pack
agin
g id
entifi
ed?
• W
hat s
yste
m is
in p
lace
to h
andl
e an
d sa
fely
deal
with
de
fect
ive o
r lea
king
pac
kagi
ng?
• W
hat e
viden
ce is
nee
ded
to a
ccep
t pla
card
able
uni
ts,
porta
ble
tank
s, M
EGCs
and
frei
ght c
onta
iner
s as
sui
tabl
e fo
r tra
nspo
rt?
• Ho
w a
re d
efec
tive
cont
aine
rs id
entifi
ed a
nd h
andl
ed?
Segr
egat
ion
[r. 1
34]
4.A
prim
e co
ntra
ctor
mus
t not
use
a ro
ad v
ehic
le to
tran
spor
t da
nger
ous
good
s if
the
prim
e co
ntra
ctor
kno
ws,
or o
ught
re
ason
ably
to k
now,
that
—
(a)
the
vehi
cle
is, i
n th
e sa
me
jour
ney,
trans
porti
ng in
com
patib
le
good
s; a
nd
(b)
the
dang
erou
s go
ods
are
not s
egre
gate
d fro
m th
e in
com
patib
le g
oods
in a
ccor
danc
e w
ith th
e AD
G Co
de P
art 9
.
• Is
ther
e a
syst
em in
pla
ce to
pre
vent
inco
mpa
tible
load
s be
ing
cons
olid
ated
?
• Ho
w a
re in
com
patib
le g
oods
man
aged
whe
n re
ceive
d fro
m
mul
tiple
con
sign
ors?
• Ho
w d
o yo
u de
al w
ith a
cus
tom
er’s
con
solid
ated
shi
pmen
t th
at c
onta
ins
inco
mpa
tible
goo
ds?
• Ho
w a
re lo
ads
in a
mul
ti-tra
iler c
ombi
natio
n ac
cept
ed a
s be
ing
com
patib
le?
• Ho
w a
re p
acka
ged
load
s se
greg
ated
?
• Ho
w a
re p
laca
rdab
le u
nits
seg
rega
ted?
• Ar
e fre
ight
con
tain
ers,
sui
tabl
e Ty
pe I
segr
egat
ion
devic
es o
r ap
prov
ed T
ype
II se
greg
atio
n de
vices
use
d?
• Do
veh
icle
load
ing
proc
edur
es s
peci
fy a
ppro
pria
te u
se o
f se
greg
atio
n de
vices
?
Self-
audi
t gui
de fo
r prim
e co
ntra
ctor
– D
ANGE
ROUS
GOO
DS S
AFET
Y M
ATTE
RS
5
No.
Requ
irem
ents
of D
G tr
ansp
ort r
egul
atio
nsAu
dit q
uest
ions
Adeq
uate
? (Y
/N)
Corr
ectiv
e ac
tions
Rest
rain
t [r.
128]
5.A
prim
e co
ntra
ctor
mus
t not
tran
spor
t in
or o
n a
vehi
cle
a lo
ad
that
con
tain
s da
nger
ous
good
s an
d th
at is
a p
laca
rd lo
ad if
the
prim
e co
ntra
ctor
kno
ws,
or o
ught
reas
onab
ly to
kno
w, th
at th
e go
ods
or th
eir p
acka
ging
hav
e no
t bee
n st
owed
or l
oade
d, o
r are
no
t res
trai
ned,
in a
ccor
danc
e w
ith th
e AD
G Co
de C
hapt
er 8
.1.
A pr
ime
cont
ract
or m
ust n
ot tr
ansp
ort d
ange
rous
goo
ds in
or o
n a
carg
o tr
ansp
ort u
nit i
f the
prim
e co
ntra
ctor
kno
ws,
or o
ught
re
ason
ably
to k
now,
that
the
good
s or
thei
r pac
kagi
ng a
re n
ot
rest
rain
ed in
acc
orda
nce
with
the
ADG
Code
Cha
pter
8.2
.
• W
hat s
yste
m e
nsur
es th
at re
stra
int o
f pac
kage
s an
d ca
rgo
trans
port
units
is a
ppro
pria
te?
• W
hat p
roce
dure
s en
sure
pla
card
able
uni
ts a
re re
stra
ined
ap
prop
riate
ly?
• W
hat p
roce
dure
s en
sure
car
go tr
ansp
ort u
nits
are
rest
rain
ed
appr
opria
tely?
• Ho
w a
re s
tow
age
and
rest
rain
t prin
cipl
es fr
om th
e Lo
ad
Rest
rain
t Gui
de e
nfor
ced?
• Ar
e su
itabl
y ra
ted
rest
rain
t equ
ipm
ent a
nd d
unna
ge a
vaila
ble
for s
elec
tion
by lo
ader
s an
d dr
ivers
?
• Ho
w is
sui
tabl
y ra
ted
rest
rain
t equ
ipm
ent i
nspe
cted
and
m
aint
aine
d?
• W
hat l
oad
rest
rain
t tra
inin
g is
pro
vided
to lo
ader
s an
d dr
ivers
?
• Is
the
train
ing
deliv
ered
by
a co
mpe
tent
per
son
with
rele
vant
in
dust
ry b
ackg
roun
d?
Safe
ty e
quip
men
t [r.
164]
and
veh
icle
saf
ety
[r. 1
19]
6.A
prim
e co
ntra
ctor
mus
t not
use
a ro
ad v
ehic
le to
tran
spor
t a
plac
ard
load
if th
e ro
ad v
ehic
le is
not
equ
ippe
d w
ith
(a)
fire
extin
guis
hers
(FFE
) and
por
tabl
e w
arni
ng d
evic
es th
at
com
ply
with
the
ADG
Code
Par
t 12;
and
(b)
any
othe
r equ
ipm
ent r
equi
red
unde
r tha
t Par
t.
FFE
mus
t be
insp
ecte
d or
test
ed in
acc
orda
nce
with
the
ADG
Code
Par
t 12
and
AS 1
851
Rout
ine
serv
ice
of fi
re p
rote
ctio
n sy
stem
s an
d eq
uipm
ent
A pr
ime
cont
ract
or m
ust n
ot u
se a
veh
icle
to tr
ansp
ort d
ange
rous
go
ods
if th
e ve
hicl
e or
its
equi
pmen
t doe
s no
t com
ply
with
the
ADG
Code
Cha
pter
s 4.
4 an
d 6.
9.
• W
hat s
yste
m is
use
d to
sel
ect,
mai
ntai
n &
serv
ice
FFE?
• Ho
w is
per
sona
l pro
tect
ive e
quip
men
t (PP
E) s
elec
ted
for h
igh
haza
rd d
ange
rous
goo
ds (e
.g. t
oxic
gas
es, C
lass
8, C
lass
6.
1)?
• Ar
e dr
ivers
allo
cate
d an
indi
vidua
l PPE
kit
bag?
• Ho
w a
re d
river
s de
emed
com
pete
nt in
PPE
and
FFE
use
?
• Is
the
load
sch
edul
er ta
sked
to e
nsur
e ad
equa
te p
rovis
ion
of
safe
ty e
quip
men
t and
PPE
?
• W
hat s
yste
m m
anag
es p
reve
ntat
ive m
aint
enan
ce fo
r veh
icle
s an
d eq
uipm
ent?
• Ho
w a
re v
ehic
le d
efec
ts o
r equ
ipm
ent f
aults
form
ally
repo
rted
by d
river
s or
load
ers?
• Is
the
syst
em fo
r prio
rity
rank
ing
and
timel
y re
pair
of v
ehic
le
defe
cts
adeq
uate
ly m
anag
ed?
Selt-audit guide for prime contractor – DANGEROUS GOODS SAFETY M
ATTERS
6
No.
Requ
irem
ents
of D
G tr
ansp
ort r
egul
atio
nsAu
dit q
uest
ions
Adeq
uate
? (Y
/N)
Corr
ectiv
e ac
tions
Plac
ardi
ng [r
r. 10
9, 1
14]
7.A
prim
e co
ntra
ctor
mus
t not
tran
spor
t goo
ds in
a p
acka
ge if
the
prim
e co
ntra
ctor
kno
ws,
or o
ught
reas
onab
ly to
kno
w, th
at —
(a)
the
good
s ar
e da
nger
ous
good
s; a
nd
(b)
the
pack
age
is n
ot a
ppro
pria
tely
mar
ked
or th
e lo
ad is
not
ap
prop
riate
ly p
laca
rded
.
A pr
ime
cont
ract
or m
ust n
ot tr
ansp
ort d
ange
rous
goo
ds in
a
pack
age
if th
e pr
ime
cont
ract
or k
now
s, o
r oug
ht re
ason
ably
to
know
, tha
t a m
arki
ng o
r lab
el o
n th
e pa
ckag
e ab
out i
ts c
onte
nts
or p
laca
rdin
g of
the
load
is fa
lse
or m
isle
adin
g in
a m
ater
ial
parti
cula
r.
• Do
you
che
ck th
e la
bellin
g of
pac
kage
s an
d ov
erpa
cks
agai
nst t
he c
onsi
gnor
’s p
aper
wor
k?
• Ho
w d
o yo
u en
sure
that
ove
rpac
ks (e
.g. p
acka
ges
on a
sh
rink-
wra
pped
pal
let)
are
corre
ctly
labe
lled?
• W
hat p
roce
dure
is in
pla
ce fo
r pla
card
ing
vehi
cles
tra
nspo
rting
a lo
ad o
f pac
kage
s an
d IB
Cs?
• Ho
w a
re m
ulti-
traile
r com
bina
tions
of m
ixed
clas
ses
of
pack
ages
and
IBCs
han
dled
?
• Do
you
che
ck th
e ac
cura
cy a
nd le
gibi
lity
of e
mer
genc
y in
form
atio
n pa
nels
for p
laca
rdab
le u
nits
?
• W
hat p
roce
dure
ens
ures
veh
icle
s ar
e co
rrect
ly pl
acar
ded
for
trans
porti
ng p
laca
rdab
le u
nits
?
• Ho
w is
pla
card
ing
of m
ulti-
load
s of
IBCs
and
por
tabl
e ta
nks
man
aged
?
• Ar
e ve
hicl
es e
quip
ped
with
mat
eria
ls to
ena
ble
a dr
iver t
o cr
eate
or a
men
d pl
acar
ds d
urin
g a
jour
ney?
Self-
audi
t gui
de fo
r prim
e co
ntra
ctor
– D
ANGE
ROUS
GOO
DS S
AFET
Y M
ATTE
RS
7
No.
Requ
irem
ents
of D
G tr
ansp
ort r
egul
atio
nsAu
dit q
uest
ions
Adeq
uate
? (Y
/N)
Corr
ectiv
e ac
tions
Docu
men
tatio
n [r
r. 15
2, 1
58]
8.A
prim
e co
ntra
ctor
mus
t ens
ure
that
a p
erso
n do
es n
ot d
rive
a ro
ad v
ehic
le u
sed
by th
e pr
ime
cont
ract
or to
tran
spor
t dan
gero
us
good
s if
—
(a)
the
pers
on h
as n
ot b
een
give
n tr
ansp
ort d
ocum
enta
tion
that
com
plie
s w
ith th
e AD
G Co
de C
hapt
er 1
.1 fo
r the
goo
ds;
and
(b)
the
docu
men
tatio
n is
not
read
ily a
ble
to b
e lo
cate
d in
the
vehi
cle
in a
ccor
danc
e w
ith th
e AD
G Co
de C
hapt
er 1
1.1.
A pr
ime
cont
ract
or m
ust n
ot u
se a
road
veh
icle
to tr
ansp
ort a
pl
acar
d lo
ad if
—
(a)
the
road
veh
icle
is n
ot e
quip
ped
with
an
emer
genc
y in
form
atio
n ho
lder
that
com
plie
s w
ith th
e AD
G Co
de
Chap
ter 1
1.2;
or
(b)
the
requ
ired
emer
genc
y in
form
atio
n is
not
in th
e ho
lder
.
The
prim
e co
ntra
ctor
mus
t ret
ain
the
docu
men
t, or
a c
opy
of
the
docu
men
t, fo
r at l
east
3 m
onth
s af
ter t
he tr
ansp
ort o
f the
da
nger
ous
good
s by
the
prim
e co
ntra
ctor
fini
shes
.
• W
hat c
onsi
gnm
ent s
yste
m is
in p
lace
for g
ener
atin
g an
d co
nsol
idat
ing
trans
port
docu
men
tatio
n?
• Do
es y
our c
ompa
ny tr
ansp
ort d
ocum
ent t
empl
ate
satis
fy th
e AD
G Co
de c
riter
ia?
• Do
es th
e co
nsig
nmen
t sys
tem
man
age
–lim
ited
quan
tity?
–re
tail
dist
ribut
ion?
–em
pty
cont
aine
rs?
• W
hat a
re th
e pr
oces
ses,
requ
irem
ents
and
lim
its fo
r ret
ail
dist
ribut
ion
load
s?
• Ho
w a
re m
ultip
le c
onsi
gnm
ents
for a
sin
gle
vehi
cle
load
m
anag
ed?
• Do
es th
e tra
nspo
rt do
cum
enta
tion
clea
rly id
entif
y w
hich
da
nger
ous
good
is o
n w
hich
trai
ler?
• W
hat s
yste
m is
use
d to
pro
vide
emer
genc
y in
form
atio
n w
ith
each
load
?
• W
hat c
heck
ing
ensu
res
rele
vant
em
erge
ncy
proc
edur
e gu
ides
ar
e re
ceive
d fro
m c
onsi
gnor
s?
• Ho
w a
re th
e em
erge
ncy
info
rmat
ion
hold
ers
arra
nged
in th
e ve
hicl
e ca
bin?
• Do
es y
our c
onsi
gnm
ent s
yste
m re
tain
a c
opy
of th
e tra
nspo
rt do
cum
ents
issu
ed fo
r eac
h tri
p?
• Ca
n tra
nspo
rt do
cum
ents
be
retri
eved
from
you
r sys
tem
?
Selt-audit guide for prime contractor – DANGEROUS GOODS SAFETY M
ATTERS
8
Audi
t sum
mar
ySe
lf-au
dit d
one
Issu
e id
entifi
edAc
tion
to b
e ta
ken
Impl
emen
tatio
n
Resp
onsi
ble
pers
onDa
teIte
m N
o.Co
rrec
tive
actio
nRe
spon
sibl
e pe
rson
Date
Resp
onsi
ble
pers
onSi
gnat
ure
Date
Self-
audi
t gui
de fo
r prim
e co
ntra
ctor
– D
ANGE
ROUS
GOO
DS S
AFET
Y M
ATTE
RS
9
Self-
audi
t don
eIs
sue
iden
tified
Actio
n to
be
take
nIm
plem
enta
tion
Resp
onsi
ble
pers
onDa
teIte
m N
o.Co
rrec
tive
actio
nRe
spon
sibl
e pe
rson
Date
Resp
onsi
ble
pers
onSi
gnat
ure
Date
RS
DA
ug14
_878
Department of Mines and Petroleum 100 Plain Street EAST PERTH WA 6004
Resources Safety Division Telephone: + 61 8 9358 8002 NRS: 13 36 77 Facsimile: + 61 8 9358 8000 Email: [email protected] Website: www.dmp.wa.gov.au/ResourcesSafety