Table of Contents
- 1. Overview of the program, operating context and environment
- 2. Considerations and drivers for oversight activities priorities
- 3. Oversight delivery in 2023-24
- 4. Organizational contact information
1. Overview of the program, operating context and environment
The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Program’s goal is to promote the safety of transporting dangerous goods in Canada. This is required by Canadian law. The program:
- develops safety regulations and standards
- oversees the transportation of dangerous goods
- provides expert advice
- identifies threats to public safety
- enforces the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and its regulations
- gives advice to emergency responders
- reduces the impact of incidents that involve dangerous goods
- does strategic risk assessments and scientific research
The National Oversight Plan describes all the program’s oversight activities. These include:
- regulatory authorizations
- inspections
- quality control activities
- enforcement actions and investigations
- education, outreach and awareness activities
Operating context
As of April 2024, the program has 158 positions that directly oversee the transportation of dangerous goods. This includes 123 inspector positions. This fiscal year, 85 inspectors will conduct inspections.
We use a risk-based schedule to inspect dangerous goods sites and means of containment facilities. As a result, every known site and facility is inspected within a set timeframe, with the higher risk ones given top priority.
We’re always improving our risk management processes. This includes updating our risk register to stay ahead of potential issues and make sure our inspection program can target the sites and facilities with the greatest risk to public safety.
Industry overview
Number of dangerous goods sites and means of containment facilities
We know of 15,915 commercial sites in Canada that handle, offer for transport, transport, or import dangerous goods. There are 1,757 registered means of containment facilities in Canada and abroad. There are also many dangerous goods sites that we still don’t know about. The totals above don’t include the dangerous goods sites or means of containment facilities inspected by the Government of Alberta on behalf of the federal government. In Alberta, provincial inspectors check dangerous goods sites that transport goods on the road or provincially-regulated railway. They also inspect highway tank facilities.
Risk levels
The program classifies all known dangerous goods sites and means of containment facilities based on how likely, and how severe, a release of dangerous goods would be from the facility.
As of May 2024, the percentage of dangerous goods sites assigned to each risk level were:
- high: 1%
- moderate: 8%
- low: 13%
- very low: 78%
- new or unranked: 2%
As of May 2024, the percentage of means of containment facilities assigned to each risk level were:
- high: 5%
- moderate: 83%
- low: 3%
- very low: 7%
Inspection cycles
Dangerous goods sites and means of containment facilities with higher risk scores are given shorter inspection cycles, so they’re inspected more often. The program prioritizes dangerous goods sites and means of containment facilities based on their inspection cycle and how long it has been since their last inspection.
As of May 2024, 96% of dangerous goods sites were within their inspection cycle. 80% of means of containment facilities were within their inspection cycle.
Compliance rates
The overall non-compliance rate for 2022-2023 was 52%. A site is non-compliant if an inspector finds one non-compliance or more during an inspection. This represents a 12% point increase from 2021-2022, indicating a return to pre-pandemic era non-compliance rates.
Safety trends
The number of dangerous goods incidents decreased compared to 2019. COVID-19 lockdowns and a slower economy meant fewer incidents in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Most incidents happen on the road.
2. Considerations and drivers for oversight activities priorities
The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Program’s oversight priorities for 2024-2025 include:
- improving the database of dangerous goods sites and means of containment facilities
- developing a national compliance rate by monitoring compliance rates at the federal, provincial and territorial level
- There were 5 oversight-related recommendations made in the fall 2020 follow-up audit on the transportation of dangerous goods. Transport Canada agreed with all these recommendations.
- will inspect almost 700 air-related sites in 2024-2025, including air operators and other sites handling dangerous goods by air.
These priorities are reinforced by government and ministerial directions, as well as recommendations from auditors.
- In Budget 2016 and 2019, Transport Canada was given authority to develop and put in place a Client Identification Database to register and keep track of stakeholders.
- Core responsibility 1 in Transport Canada’s Departmental Plan 2024-2025 is to build a safer and secure transportation system that Canadians trust.
The following section contains program-specific considerations that guide oversight planning for 2024-2025.
New rules introduced for registering sites
New rules for sites transporting dangerous goods were put in place on October 25, 2023. At the same time, we launched a new online system called the Client Identification Database Portal.
These new rules say that if you handle, offer for transport, transport or import, transport dangerous goods at a place you own or operate in Canada, you might need to register in this new database. This database collects information about the dangerous goods and what you're doing with them. People who need to register have one year to do it.
These new rules will help the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Program know about more places that deal with dangerous goods. But the Program also realizes this might make it harder to keep up with inspections because there could be a lot more places to inspect.
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Audit
In 2023, Transport Canada got a report from the International Civil Aviation Organization about how well Canada follows aviation safety rules. In response to their findings, the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Program made changes to how to air operators are inspected. The Program:
- put in place a detailed plan for the inspection process. This plan includes inspecting all the tasks required by the International Civil Aviation Organization, which could mean using up to 7 checklists and inspecting multiple sites for each air operator.
- started applying this plan to air operators who transport dangerous goods internationally by cargo in 2023-2024. This plan will be applied to all air operators in 2024-2025. Also putting in place a plan for the inspection process of other sites that aren’t air operators, but also handle dangerous goods by air.
- created a special team of inspectors trained to check air operators. They inspected 50 air operators in the first phase, and then expanded to cover 171 more in 2023-2024.
Inspection campaigns
The Program is planning to conduct an inspection campaign through unplanned inspections that focus on shipments of non-original equipment manufacturer (OEM) lithium batteries.
Unplanned activities
Any notable increase in unplanned activities or incidents will make it harder for the program to complete its planned activities.
Updated risk scoring for means of containment facilities
The Program changed how we assess risks for means of containment facilities in 2023. Before, we looked at things like the type of container and past issues. Now, we focus more on how well facilities manage risks and keep the public safe.
3. Oversight delivery in 2023-24
The delivery of oversight activities, such as planned risk-based inspections and reactive inspections, will be reported through the Canadian Center on Transportation Data (CCTD).
4. Organizational contact information
Transport Canada welcomes your comments on this report.
Email: tdg-tmd@tc.gc.ca
Annex A: Definitions
| Required Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Oversight | How Transport Canada promotes, monitors or enforces compliance with our safety and security requirements. |
| Regulatory authorizations | Given when a regulated party (for example, a railway company or vehicle manufacturer) applies for permission to do a regulated activity, or be exempt from it. We may give permission in various forms, including a permit, licence or certification. Transport Canada does not control the number of regulatory authorizations per planning cycle. |
| Inspection |
A documented, formal examination of industry compliance with Canadian transportation safety and security rules, regulations and requirements. Authorized Transport Canada officials record the results of each inspection. For the purposes of this document, audits are a type of inspection. *Includes pre-site, onsite, and post-site inspection and oversight activities. Is complete when the inspector submits an approved inspection or oversight activities report. Does not include follow-up action, quality control checks or outreach activities. |
| Planned, risk-based inspections |
All inspections Transport Canada initially commits to doing in a given planning cycle. The Safety and Security Management Board may authorize updates as needed. Includes inspections that are announced (and expected), and those that are unannounced. Does not include:
|
| Follow-up activities |
Arise from findings of an initial inspection. May include an on-site inspection, requests for more information, or enhanced monitoring. Does not include enforcement. |
| Other activities | Oversight activities that Transport Canada did not initially commit to in a planning cycle and are not a follow-up to an inspection or audit. |
| Enforcement |
Measures we use to enforce requirements and compel compliance. For example:
|
| Education, outreach and awareness | How we educate the public, and encourage people and companies to comply with the law (for example: industry conferences, air shows, training, web portal) |
| Quality control |
How we ensure inspectors follow policies and procedures, and complete required documentation. Applies to an entire oversight activity, from inspection, to follow-up, to resolving non-compliance. Supervisors and managers are responsible for quality control. Each program must have:
|