Telephone Notification

The following types of HAZMAT incidents require notification by telephone:

• A person is killed
• An individual requires hospitalization for an injury
• Evacuation of the general public lasts for one hour or more
• A major transportation artery or facility is closed or shut down for one hour or more
• An aircraft's flight pattern or routine is altered
• Fire, breakage, spillage, or suspected contamination occurs involving radioactive materials or infectious substances other than diagnostic specimen or regulated medical waste
• A marine pollutant is released in an amount greater than 450 L (119 gallons) for a liquid or 400 kg (882 pounds) for a solid
• A situation exists that the person in possession of the hazardous material deems to be a continuing danger to life

If one of the above incidents occurs, it should be reported as soon as practical, but no later than 12 hours after the occurrence.

The person in physical possession of the hazardous material at the time of the incident must call the National Response Center (NRC) at (800) 424-8802 or (202) 267-2675. If the hazardous material is an infectious substance, the notification may be made to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at (800) 232-0124 instead of the NRC. All telephone notifications must be followed up with a written report.

The person reporting the incident must provide the following information:

• Name of the reporter
• Name and address of the person represented by the reporter
• Telephone number where the reporter can be reached
• Date, time, and exact location of the incident
• Extent of any injuries
• Class or division, proper shipping name, and quantity of hazardous material involved in the incident, if available
• Type of incident (such as spill or explosion) and nature of hazardous materials involvement and whether continuing danger to life exists at the scene of the incident

To learn more about DOT HAZMAT Awareness visit our DOT HAZMAT General Awareness Online Training web page.