Transportation of dangerous goods (TDG) certificate

Buyers of fuel delivery and chemical carriers meet this certificate when they review driver and dock staff files. Under section 6.1 of the federal Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations, a person who handles, offers for transport or transports dangerous goods must be adequately trained and hold a training certificate, or act in the presence and under the direct supervision of someone who is and does.

Who issues the certificate

Transport Canada says it is up to employers to determine what constitutes adequate training for each employee, and that an employer with reasonable grounds to believe an employee is adequately trained must issue a certificate. The bulletin lists what the certificate includes, among them the name and address of the employer’s place of business and the date it expires, says training certificates are not transferable, and says an individual who works for more than one employer at a time receives more than one certificate. The Act defines dangerous goods as a product, substance or organism included by its nature or by the regulations in a listed class.

What to ask in a deal

• A list of every employee who handles dangerous goods, with their current certificates.
• Whether any certificate expires near closing.
• Whether staff will need new certificates after an asset sale, given that a certificate names the employer.
• How adequate training was determined; see fuel delivery company due diligence and WHMIS.