Hazmat Online 49 CFR Training will help you understand the requirements of the 24-hour hazmat emergency response information and phone number, in addition when it will be required on most hazmat shipping papers.
The Requirement for Emergency Response Information
The requirement for a 24-hour emergency response phone number and information is one that’s well known to regular shippers of hazardous materials once they have taken the required hazmat training. The requirement in 49 CFR §172.604 is universally taught in the 49 CFR online training and put front and center on hazmat shipping papers.
However, the emergency response requirements in Subpart G of the 49 CFR go beyond the 24-hour number. In addition to the phone number, shippers must provide emergency response information most of the time whenever offering a hazardous material that requires shipping papers. Any person accepting for transport, transfer, or otherwise handle hazardous materials for transportation must maintain this information wherever the hazmat is present.
What Does Emergency Response Information Look Like?
Emergency response information must include the following:
- The basic description and technical name of the hazardous material
- Immediate hazards to health
- Risks of fire or explosion
- Immediate precautions that must be taken in the event of an accident or incident
- Immediate methods for handling fires
- Initial methods for handling spills or leaks in the absence of fire
- Preliminary first aid measures
Further, emergency response information must be provided in the following manner:
- Printed legibly in English
- Available for use away from the package containing the hazardous material
- Presented in one of the following ways:
- On a hazmat shipping paper
- In a document, other than a shipping paper, that includes both the basic description and technical name of the hazardous material and all of the emergency response information required by Subpart G of Part 172.
- Related to the information on a shipping paper, a written notification to pilot-in-command, or a dangerous cargo manifest, in a separate document (e.g., an emergency response guidance document) that cross-references the description of the hazardous material on the shipping paper with the emergency response information contained in the document.
This Might Look Familiar…
Did any of the ways to present emergency response information make you think of documents commonly used in the workplace? These documents might include Safety Data Sheets (SDS) or the North American Emergency Response Guidebook (NAERG or ERG).
Shippers using common carriers often present the emergency response information in the form of an SDS attached (usually stapled) to the shipping paper.
Carriers (including companies with private fleets) often have ERG’s in the cab of the truck in the same place that they keep shipping papers. A recent letter of interpretation from PHMSA states this is acceptable as long as the accessibility requirements of 49 CFR §177.817(e) are met. Often, there’s a pouch in the driver’s door where the shipping papers and ERG is kept. This meets accessibility needs.
Emergency Response Information Requirements Training Through Hazmat University
At Hazmat University, we offer online hazmat training that will help you learn all you need to know about the 24-hour emergency response information and 24-hour emergency number required to be displayed on your shipping paper. This is a crucial component of hazmat training that clearly describes the requirements for emergency response and safety of the dangerous goods and their transportation. To know more, call (844) 532-7634 or (609) 860-0300 or contact us online. Our team is ready to help you be confident, be competent, and be compliant.
