{"id":733222,"date":"2020-12-03T07:30:24","date_gmt":"2020-12-03T12:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecompliancecenter.com\/ca\/?p=733222"},"modified":"2025-09-08T00:46:58","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T04:46:58","slug":"cgsb-releases-standard-on-competency-based-training-for-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecompliancecenter.com\/ca\/help-center\/articles\/cgsb-releases-standard-on-competency-based-training-for-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"CGSB Releases Standard on Competency-Based Training for Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"

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There\u2019s a new idea in <\/span>dangerous goods training<\/span><\/a> that\u2019s getting a lot of attention these days \u2013 Competency-Based Training. It\u2019s been adopted by the air regulations under <\/span>ICAO<\/span><\/a> (International Civil Aviation Organization) and <\/span>IATA<\/span><\/a> (International Air Transport Association). And now, Transport Canada has taken its first steps to making Competency-Based Training the standard method of training for dangerous goods transport as well, as the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) has published a new standard introducing this new concept for the dangerous goods community.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Competency-Based Training?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

The term \u201cCompetency-Based Training\u201d or CBT (not to be confused with Computer-Based Training, also sometimes called CBT), can be a little confusing. According to <\/span>The Glossary of Educational Reform<\/span><\/a>, \u201cCompetency-based learning refers to systems of instruction, assessment, grading, and academic reporting that are based on students demonstrating that they have learned the knowledge and skills they are expected to learn as they progress through their education.\u201d In general terms, it relies on the training provider to break the topic of training down into specific \u201ccompetencies\u201d or abilities, and focus on facilitating the students gaining these competencies. Then, an evaluation would look specifically at \u201ccan the students reliably demonstrate they are competent in these areas?\u201d This creates a granular approach to designing and evaluating training programs.<\/span><\/p>\n

How would this work in dangerous goods training? Well, first the employer and <\/span>training provider<\/span><\/a> would look at what workers would need to know to perform the tasks they have been assigned. For example, someone who packages and labels dangerous goods would have some specific things they must be able to do. They must be able to determine that they\u2019re shipping dangerous goods, and be able to obtain the shipping description. Then, they must be able to determine what packaging they should use for the goods. They must be able to assemble that packaging correctly. Finally, they must be able to select and correctly apply the appropriate marks and labels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Training should then be focussed on those specific skills and abilities, as they apply in the specific workplace. For example, some workplaces would expect workers to have a familiarity with using Schedule 1 of the \u201c<\/span>Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations<\/span><\/a>\u201d (TDGR) to obtain shipping descriptions. Others would expect the workers to refer to SDSs. Others still might have a computerized system that would provide the description upon the entry of a trade name or part number. The training should address the specifics of each workplace.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After training, of course, comes evaluation. The evaluation must provide verification that the employees have actually learned to perform the competencies adequately. So, once more, the employer and training provider must figure out how to create an evaluation system appropriate to the workplace and to the type of competencies that the workers need for their job. It could be a written or computer-based quiz, but there are other methods, such as asking the worker to perform a task involving the competencies. In the case of the packer and labeler example above, the supervisor might assign the worker a product to prepare, and keep a checklist to verify they did all the steps required.<\/span><\/p>\n

The CGSB Standard<\/b><\/h3>\n

The standard issued by the CGSB, titled \u201c<\/span>CAN\/CGSB-192.3-2020, Transportation of dangerous goods training, assessment and competency<\/span><\/a>\u201d, will eventually be used by Transport Canada to establish CBT as the minimal training requirements for dangerous goods handlers, carriers, and offerors in Canada. As its title suggests, it addresses:<\/span><\/p>\n