Emergency Response Guidebook

=Overview= The Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG2008) was developed jointly by the US Department of Transportation, Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico (SCT) for use by firefighters, police, and other emergency services personnel who may be the first to arrive at the scene of a transportation incident involving a hazardous material. It is primarily a guide to aid first responders in (1) quickly identifying the specific or generic classification of the material(s) involved in the incident, and (2) protecting themselves and the general public during this initial response phase of the incident. The ERG is updated every three to four years to accommodate new products and technology. The next version is scheduled for 2012.

DOT's goal is to place one ERG2008 in each emergency service vehicle, nationwide, through distribution to state and local public safety authorities. To date, nearly eleven million copies have been distributed without charge to the emergency response community. Copies are made available free of charge to public emergency responders through State Coordinators (refer to the menu on the right) in the United States of America. In Canada, contact CANUTEC at 613-992-4624 or via email at canutec@tc.gc.ca for distribution information. In Mexico, call SCT at 52-5-684-1275. Copies are also available commercially through the GPO Bookstore and other commercial vendors.

The Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) is for use by first responders at the scene of a transportation incident involving hazardous materials. Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG)
 * Emergency Response Guidebook 2008

Department of Defense (DOD) Points of Contact for Emergency Response Guidebook 2008

Lisa Taylor - (757) 878-8049 C.E. Radford - (757) 878-8040

PHMSA welcomes constructive comments for improvements to the ERG2008. Comments can be sent either through this ERG Comment Form or in writing to the Office of Hazardous Materials Initiatives and Training, PHH-50, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE East Building, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20590.

[NOTE: Some of the attached documents are in PDF format, you can download a free viewer. If you have problems accessing the PDFs or the information, report your problem for further assistance.]

=ERG Organization=

Yellow Section
The first section references the material in order of its assigned UN (United Nations) number which is (often) placarded with the other hazardous materials placards. This gives a guide number which refers the user to the Orange Section.

Blue Section
The second section references the material in alphabetical order of its name. It then, like the yellow section, gives the guide number (and the UN number) to reference to the Orange Section. In both the Yellow and Blue Sections, a highlighted entry means an evacuation area needs to be established and the user should first refer to the Green Section.

Orange Section
The third section gives directions on how to proceed during the first thirty minutes. It gives health and fire/explosion hazard information, listing the most dangerous of the two first. For example, "the material gives off irritating vapors, easily ignited by heat, reactive with water," etc. After this, information for responders on appropriate protective clothing and possible evacuation information for either spill or fire is given. It also gives information on fighting fires (example, do not apply water to sodium), warnings for spills or leaks, and special directions for first aid (example, not to give mouth-to-mouth respirtions if the materials are toxic).

Green Section
The fourth section suggests initial evacuation or shelter-in-place distances (protective action distances) for spills of materials that are Toxic by Inhalation (TIH). These distances vary based on the size of the spill and whether the incident has occurred during the day or the night. Only chemicals that are highlighted in the Yellow and Blue sections are included in the Green section.

Weapons of Mass Destruction
Beginning with the 2004 edition, a small section (uncolored) at the back of the book gives information specifically for hazardous materials being used for terrorism.

Unplacarded vehicles
In the event of an unknown material, a special guide (#111) is assigned. If the material is unknown and the UN number is not posted, but a placard is displayed (such as radioactive, or corrosive), special guides are also referenced, as are special guides for certain types of containers.

= See also =
 * Emergency management

=External links=

Related Downloads:
 * Current ERG (PDF)
 * Errata (list of changes to the current ERG)
 * ERG 2008 Mobile (software for Windows Mobile Pocket PC PDAs; EXE)
 * ERG 2008 Mobile (software for Windows-based PCs; EXE)
 * Current Spanish ERG (PDF)
 * Commercial Suppliers List (PDF)
 * Argonne National Laboratory Report (PDF)

Related Links:
 * Watch Video: How to Use the ERG
 * Download Video: How to Use the ERG
 * National Library of Medicine's WISER (Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders) Software
 * ERG Comment Form