Training, roles and responsibilities

Every dangerous goods shipment passes through several pairs of hands: the person who classifies and packs it, the person who loads it, the driver or crew who move it, the warehouse worker who transfers it, and the receiver who unloads it. The TDG Regulations assign duties to each of them and require that each person be trained for the part they play. This lesson covers who is responsible for what, and how training and training certificates work.

The main roles

The TDG Regulations describe three main roles. The consignor is the person who offers dangerous goods for transport, named as the consignor on the shipping document, or, for goods imported into Canada, the importer. The carrier is the person who has possession of the dangerous goods while they are in transport, such as a trucking company, a railway, an airline or a contractor carrying its own goods. The consignee is the person to whom the goods are being sent. A single company can play more than one role, for example when a contractor carries its own fuel and cylinders to a job site.

Shipper duties

The consignor carries the heaviest load. Before offering goods for transport, the consignor must classify them, choose and fill the right means of containment, apply the labels and marks, prepare the shipping document with the certification, have an ERAP where one is required, and give the carrier the placards that the load needs unless the vehicle already displays them. The consignor must also make sure the 24-hour number on the document is answered. If the consignor hands the work to a third party, such as a packaging company or freight forwarder, the consignor still remains responsible for the result.

Carrier duties

The carrier must not accept dangerous goods unless they are properly documented, labelled and packed, and must refuse or report shipments that appear to be damaged or leaking. During transport the carrier must display the right placards, keep the shipping document in the required place, load and secure packages so they cannot shift, keep incompatible goods apart, follow any route restrictions, and make the reports required by Part 8 if there is a release, a loss or a theft. Carriers must make sure their drivers and handlers are trained and hold training certificates.

Receiver duties

The consignee may seem to have the lightest role, but receiving dangerous goods is still handling them. Workers who unload vehicles, open containers or move packages in a warehouse must be trained and certified for those tasks. Receivers should check that packages arrive intact, report damage or leaks, and make sure placards are removed or covered once the goods are unloaded. Importers have extra duties: as the consignor of imported goods, they must make sure the goods meet Canadian requirements, including ERAP rules, before they enter Canada.

Training requirements

Part 6 of the TDG Regulations requires that every person who handles, offers for transport or transports dangerous goods be adequately trained and hold a training certificate, or work in the presence and under the direct supervision of someone who is trained and holds a certificate. Adequately trained means trained in the aspects of the regulations that relate to the person's duties. The regulations list topics that may be relevant, including classification, shipping names, use of Schedule 1, dangerous goods safety marks, means of containment, documentation, ERAP requirements, reporting requirements, safe handling and transport practices, the proper use of equipment, and emergency measures to reduce danger. A warehouse loader needs different training from a laboratory shipper or a tank truck driver.

Certificates are not transferable. A driver who works for two companies needs a certificate from each employer, because each employer must decide that the driver is trained for its own operations. A certificate can be on paper or electronic, as long as it contains the required information and can be shown to an inspector immediately. Training can be delivered in any way, such as classroom courses, online modules or on-the-job coaching, as long as it is adequate; the regulations set the outcome, not the method.

# Training certificate expiry check for a small crew (dates are invented).
from datetime import date
import calendar

def add_months(d, months):
    y, m = divmod(d.month - 1 + months, 12)
    year, month = d.year + y, m + 1
    return date(year, month, min(d.day, calendar.monthrange(year, month)[1]))

crew = [("A. Singh", date(2023, 11, 14), "road"),
        ("B. Moreau", date(2024, 2, 1), "air"),
        ("C. Lee", date(2025, 6, 30), "road")]
today = date(2026, 10, 19)
for name, issued, mode in crew:
    months = 24 if mode == "air" else 36
    expires = add_months(issued, months)
    days = (expires - today).days
    status = "EXPIRED" if days < 0 else ("renew soon" if days < 60 else "valid")
    print(f"{name:<10} {mode:<4} issued {issued}  expires {expires}  {status} ({days} days)")

A. Singh   road issued 2023-11-14  expires 2026-11-14  renew soon (26 days)
B. Moreau  air  issued 2024-02-01  expires 2026-02-01  EXPIRED (-260 days)
C. Lee     road issued 2025-06-30  expires 2028-06-30  valid (620 days)

The air certificate issued in February 2024 expired in February 2026 under the 24-month rule, while a road certificate issued three months earlier is still valid until November 2026. Many employers track expiry dates in a spreadsheet or learning system and schedule refresher training a few months ahead.

Security

Some dangerous goods could be stolen or misused to cause harm, such as explosives, toxic gases, radioactive sources and large quantities of flammable liquids. Carriers and consignors should control access to these goods, keep vehicles locked and attended where possible, check the identity of drivers collecting goods, and report losses, thefts and unlawful interference as required by Part 8 (lesson 11). The regulations also contain specific security requirements for certain high-risk goods, and many companies apply security measures to all dangerous goods as good practice.

Building a training program

A good training program starts with a list of everyone who touches dangerous goods and what they actually do. A small table, called a training matrix, maps each job to the topics it needs. It makes gaps visible and gives an inspector a clear picture of how the employer decided what training was adequate.

Training should end with a check that the person understood, such as a short test or a practical demonstration, and the result should be recorded. Supervisors should watch for signs that training has not stuck, such as repeated document errors or poorly secured loads, and arrange coaching straight away rather than waiting for the next refresher.

Refresher training is due before a certificate expires, but it may be needed sooner. When the regulations change, as they did with the 2026 amendments to labels, exemptions and lithium battery rules, workers whose duties are affected need an update. The same applies when someone moves to a new job, the company starts shipping a new class of goods, or an incident reveals a gap.

Drivers and their documents

Drivers must carry their training certificate, or a copy of it, while transporting dangerous goods and show it to an inspector on request. Provinces also require the right class of commercial driver's licence for the vehicle, and drivers must follow federal and provincial hours-of-service rules. A driver who crosses into the United States with a placarded load also needs a US commercial driver's licence hazmat endorsement or a Canadian licence recognized under the reciprocity arrangements, together with a security threat assessment where required; carriers should check these requirements before assigning cross-border loads.

Supervisors should keep a simple list of each driver's licence class, endorsements and training dates, and check it before assigning a load. Assigning a placarded load to a driver without the right credentials is a violation for the carrier as well as the driver.

Keeping these records current is part of the employer's duty, not a favour to inspectors. When an incident happens, investigators almost always ask for training records first, because gaps in training are among the most common contributing causes of dangerous goods incidents.