DG survey highlights challenges - reducing complexity, digitalisation

The eighth annual 2023 Global Dangerous Goods Confidence Outlook highlighted the need to reduce process complexity, establish effective staff recruitment and retention programmes, and enhance digitalisation to facilitate the safe and compliant transport of dangerous goods(DG)/hazardous materials (hazmat).

Labelmaster, International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Hazardous Cargo Bulletin (HCB) surveyed over 1,000 DG professionals around the globe to gain insight into their organisations' operations and their expectations for the industry, says the report.

DG professionals are confident about the industry’s level of infrastructure and investment.

*85 percent believe that their infrastructure is on par or ahead of the industry.

*92 percent increased or kept their DG investment the same year-over-year.

*While 56 percent believe their current infrastructure meets existing needs, only 28 percent responded that it meets both current and future needs.

Process complexity, misdeclared DGs and attracting qualified staff remain challenging, says the survey.

*72 percent need more support to address future DG compliance.

*56 percent said they expect the misdeclaration of DGs to stay the same or worsen.

*40 percent indicate that current labour market challenges will persist, 32 percent expect it to improve and 28 percent believe that it will become more difficult to find qualified staff.

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“Ongoing supply chain disruptions along with the continued growth of e-commerce and markets that rely on DG – from consumer products to electric vehicles – has made shipping goods safely and compliantly increasingly difficult," says Robert Finn, Vice President, Labelmaster. "While organisations showed improvement in their DG operations over the last year, the survey underscored the need to reduce process complexity and enhance digitalisation to address future supply chain and regulatory challenges."

Nick Careen, Senior Vice President, Operations, Safety and Security, IATA adds: “Confidence among DG professionals is high, yet challenges remain. These include process complexity, the misdeclaration of DG and the recruitment of skilled personnel. To meet the future growth in DG shipments, we need well-trained professionals following globally agreed standards and supported by the right technology and infrastructure."

While 73 percent of DG professionals report that their organisations have sustainability initiatives in place or planned, 27 percent do not have any sustainability initiatives planned, showing room for improvement.

Finn says: “While DG professionals are generally optimistic about the future, the survey shows improvements to processes are needed to adapt to supply chain and regulatory changes. The good news is there are plenty of tools available that will help organisations address current and future needs and keep regulated goods moving safely, compliantly, and efficiently.”