As dangerous goods can ‒ and are ‒ transported by air, people working with them, from ground handlers to security personnel, must receive specific training first. Speaking at AIR Convention Europe 2019, Leyla Danceli from Turkish Airlines Aviation Academy, shares what methods are used in training the next generation of DGR handlers at her institution. 

“Do you know the risk of a powerbank?,” Danceli asks the audience. Items used in our everyday lives, such as powerbanks or mobile phones, contain lithium batteries, but few people know about them and the risks associated. Turkish Airlines Cargo can carry these and other dangerous goods (think live rhinos!), as they have a wide range of training programs, says Danceli. 

While there are still high numbers of accidents related to carrying dangerous goods, the risk of these accidents occurring can be reduced and minimized with training, Danceli believes. In 2012-2016, there 2,048 dangerous goods by air incidents reported in Europe alone. 

A lot of teaching material nowadays falls under e-learning method. E-learning is more convenient for organizations with large numbers of staff, also, it costs less. However, e-learning is not recognized by the Turkish regulators as sufficient for DGR training, thus the Academy blends it with classroom training. 

The competency based training is also facing headwinds. It was initially supposed to be integrated in 2019/20, but is now postponed to 2021. The competency based training, contrary to the traditional approach which is based on job title, driven by subject-matter and encompasses a wide scope of knowledge, is based on job function, aims to reach performance and encompasses tailored content, measurements as well as continuous assessment.  

As per ICAO definition, dangerous goods are articles or substances capable of posing a risk to health, safety, property or the environment and which are shown in the list of dangerous goods in the Technical Instructions or which are classified according to those Instructions.