The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and Regulations (TDG) is in place to protect the public, provide a system for safely responding to incidents to the environment and to prevent damage to property.

The TDG Regulations provide information in Part 16 outlining the responsibilities of inspectors, their certificate of designation, and the direction to remedy a non-compliance issue.

Dangerous Goods inspectors can range from Federal inspectors (Transport Canada), Provincial or Territorial commercial vehicle enforcement, weigh scale operators, Peace officers, and the local police.

Employers and employees are responsible to make every reasonable effort to comply with the regulations, called due diligence. An inspector will check to make sure you are complying with every aspect of TDG that applies to your company and the dangerous goods you are handling.

Inspectors or officers who enforce the regulations have authority to:

• Enter premises that are involved with Dangerous Goods shipments
• Inspect packaging, containers, shipments, and vehicles
• Request to see employee’s certification and training records
• Seize shipments and goods for inspection
• Review documentation for compliance
• Reject and refuse import shipments from entering Canada that do not comply
• Check that all safety marks are in place and comply
• Inspect that all goods are loaded, secured, and safe for transport

Non-compliance with the TDG Regulations can be very costly to both an employer and an employee. Depending on the situation, an inspector could issue a warning, a notice of detention, an order or direction to comply, or penalties ranging from monetary fines to jail sentences.