![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.thecompliancecenter.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/10\/ICC_IATA2023-Unboxing-Oct2022_Blog.png\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Well, it\u2019s fall, and that means pumpkin spice has taken over the coffee shop, people are putting on sweaters before leaving the house, and we prepare for the next edition of the <\/span>IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (IATA <\/span>DGR)<\/span><\/a> for transporting dangerous goods by air. But before you nod and murmur \u201csame as it ever was,\u201d there\u2019s something new this year. No, not a hot new flavor for the season or a new fashion trend, but a new electronic version of the IATA book.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Now, I\u2019ve come during the pandemic to enjoy using the electronic DGR. Like its hard-copy brother, it was easy to install and navigate, and came with some neat features, such as fillable PDFs for Shipper\u2019s Declarations for Dangerous Goods and checklists. The searchable List of Dangerous Goods was a nice feature, too, as well as a well-thought-out hyperlink system.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, I was a little worried when it was announced this year that IATA was switching to a new system for the e-book version. Would it still be easy and accessible? Would it fall short of previous versions, or be even better?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, in the spirit of all those unboxing videos on YouTube, here\u2019s my experience with the 2023 e-book of the IATA DGR<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The purchasing manager has sent me a nice e-mail from IATA regarding my new book. It includes the statement \u201cTo access your IATA publication you will need to log in to a Bookshelf account and use the redeem code.\u201c This is totally new, but reflects IATA\u2019s switch to a more web-based system.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, I try the link to \u201cCreate an Account.\u201d It goes smoothly. Within a few minutes of my creating an account, I get a confirmatory e-mail, and it looks like we\u2019re good to go. I put in my activation code and presto, there\u2019s a link to the DGR. I\u2019m rather surprised at how simple that is. Where are the blood, sweat and panicked phone calls for tech support?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I click to open the e-Reader. Oh no, a pop-up! But not a third-party ad. This one says \u201cRead Offline with the Native Apps! Read on the go with our iOS and Android apps! Login instantly without email or password using our brand new QR code login!\u201d Apparently, the writer is not concerned that too many exclamation marks make you look manic, but I happily press the \u201cLearn More\u201d button.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A page shows up with the promised QR code. I scan it, but my phone says I must first download the \u201cBookshelf\u201d app, which is free. After struggling to remember my password, I see the download commence. When finished, it signs me in, and a very skinny column appears with the introduction to the DGR. A menu on the top left takes me to the table of contents. Not that I\u2019d like to read the entire manual this way, but I\u2019m sure this will be helpful for quick checks while on the road.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Hmm. Back on the laptop screen, it says \u201cYou can also download apps for desktop!\u201d Still with the slightly caffeinated punctuation, but intriguing. I click on \u201cWindows\u201d and a popup appears saying \u201claunching app on your device\u201d with \u201cinstall\u201d as the only choice. Not so fast, we\u2019ve barely been introduced! But I\u2019ll live dangerously and try an \u201cinstall\u201d without first clearly knowing what I\u2019m installing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Oh, good. It wasn\u2019t taking me to some shady site but to the MicroSoft App Store, where I\u2019m prompted to download \u201cVitalSource Bookshelf.\u201d This is apparently similar to the app I needed on my phone. It promises that I can \u201c[u]se Bookshelf to enjoy a digital-first, comprehensive learning experience from the convenience of your Windows computer. Access all of your VitalSource textbooks and study anytime, anywhere.\u201d I have to give them my email and a password, but it takes me to a screen where it asks me to download the book, while confusingly telling me the \u201cbook is not present.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n OK, that just meant I didn\u2019t have the book on my device yet. It does download surprisingly fast. So, if I\u2019m away from the office and internet access is a problem, I\u2019ll be covered.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Most of my comments following will be on the online version.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Table of Contents is easy to use. Just click on the section header, and there are links to each main paragraph within. An arrow icon can expand or close the contents of each section. One of the promised improvements is you can search within the page like any web page.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Can I copy and paste text directly, I wonder? Apparently not, because when I highlight and right-click, a little box appears with my options, none of which are copying the text. However, I can highlight my section in \u201cGroovy Green\u201d or \u201cMellow Yellow.\u201d Someone is having sixties flashbacks. Other options are to look it up in Wikipedia, create a \u201cflashcard\u201d or \u201cread aloud.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I vote for \u201cCreate Flashcard,\u201d since this is a new feature. I saved the definition of \u201cConsolidated consignment\u201d and it appears as a neat little card. It gives me an option for \u201cStudy\u201d and when I click that button the definition comes up on its own screen, allowing me to choose \u201cI know it\u201d or \u201cI don\u2019t know it.\u201d This would likely be more useful for an academic textbook, but I\u2019ll keep it in mind for training.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Other features that apply to general text include changing the default text size, the default font, and various shadings of the screen. I opt for the regular \u201cDay\u201d configuration, but I could have a dark screen or a light shading if it suits my vision more.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n An interesting option is \u201cSharing.\u201d While I haven\u2019t investigated it fully, it appears I can \u201cfollow\u201d other people who own the DGR online and \u201cshare highlights\u201d with them. While this might not seem too useful for a regulatory book, I can see it being very useful for college students studying a textbook.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n All this is very well and good. But what about the most crucial part of the DGR \u2013 the List of Dangerous Goods, section 4.2? What about those wonderful features that let you search the table by UN number, by shipping name, even by class, packing group or special provision? I\u2019ve come to find these essentials in the e-version that can\u2019t be tabbed or dog-eared like a hard copy to mark important spots in the table.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At first my heart sinks. When I click on Section 4, it gives me the choice of \u201cList of Dangerous Goods (Static)\u201d. This would be pretty much what we see in the original blue pages of the hard copy \u2013 each entry arranged alphabetically, without any way to sort or rearrange them. But a quick look back up the table shows there\u2019s also the choice of \u201cList of Dangerous Goods (Dynamic).\u201d When we open that up, I\u2019m relieved to see that it retains the functionality of the previous edition with some even better tweaks. We can sort by any column \u2013 should you be questioned on \u201chow many entries refer to Packing Instruction 353\u201d you can easily look that up. And we have the same hyperlinking that can take you to Packing Instruction 353 with a single click. These are really the best parts of the electronic version, and I hope that we\u2019ll find them in the new IMDG Code for 2023 as well.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you get confused with all the options, there\u2019s a \u201creset\u201d button that returns the page to its original format, which is handy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The \u201cToolbox\u201d section appears very similar to what we had in previous editions. There\u2019s a fillable Shipper\u2019s Declaration that can save your inputs in a printable PDF; checklists for various types of shipments; and a \u201cQuick Reference\u201d card for cargo handlers. Nothing new here, but still useful features.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One thing I haven\u2019t been able to explore yet is how well the \u201cBookshelf\u201d feature interacts with other documents such as the IMDG Code for marine shipments. But it does appear to be pretty robust, and I don\u2019t expect any serious issues or slowdowns.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I would, if I were talking to the creators, ask a simple thing though \u2013 an automatic button on my desktop and bookmark on my browser. Without these, it takes a couple of extra steps to get back to the program.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, how do I like the new format? I\u2019ll have to give it the \u201cSo far, so good\u201d thumbs up score. It appears to do whatever the old version did, and in some cases has introduced new usability features. The speed of access to features is great, and installation was (compared to earlier years) a relative breeze.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you ship dangerous goods by air, you need the IATA DGR. And if you\u2019re mobile, working from home or doing a lot of online discussion of air shipments, the e-version is the way to go. Don\u2019t wait until the last minute \u2013 contact ICC Compliance Center here at 888-977-4834 (Canada) or 888-442-9628 (U.S.) and place an order. Questions about new aspects of the 2023 edition? Call and ask for our regulatory staff to step you through the latest updates.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sources: We have all the products, services and training you need to ensure your staff is properly trained and informed.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nStep 1 \u2013 Gaining Access<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Step 2 \u2013 Delving Deeper<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Step 3 \u2013 Under the Hood<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Step 4 \u2013 The List of Dangerous Goods<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Step 5 \u2013 The Extras<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
Conclusions<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
\n<\/i><\/strong>In<\/span>ternational Air Transport Association (IATA)<\/span><\/a>
\n<\/span>IATA, \u201cWhat are the New Regulations and Standards in Air Cargo and Ground Handling Operations?\u201d<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nStay up to date and sign up for our newsletter!<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.thecompliancecenter.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/09\/BK-IATA23-150x150.png\")
![\"Shipping](\"https:\/\/www.thecompliancecenter.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/02\/VT-AIR10E-150x150.png\")
![\"4GV](\"https:\/\/www.thecompliancecenter.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/10\/PK-52SPVF-150x150.png\")