Ohio CDL Hazmat key terms

Under U.S. DOT rules, a substance or material that the Secretary of Transportation has determined can pose an unreasonable risk to health, safety, or property when transported in commerce.

One of nine DOT categories that group hazardous materials by the type of risk they present, such as explosives, flammable liquids, or corrosive materials.

A subdivision within a DOT hazard class that narrows the hazard; for example, Class 1 explosives are split into divisions 1.1 through 1.6 based on blast and fire risk.

A letter assigned to explosives that indicates which explosive materials may be transported or stored together without adding to the risk.

A material listed by EPA under CERCLA that, when released in a quantity equal to or greater than its reportable quantity in any 24-hour period, must be reported to federal authorities.

The threshold amount of a hazardous substance released in a 24-hour period that triggers federal notification requirements; it appears on shipping papers as the letters RQ.

A material that is discarded or intended to be discarded and meets EPA criteria for ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity, or appears on EPA's hazardous waste lists.

A material that is toxic to aquatic life and is designated as a marine pollutant under DOT rules; it requires special marking and shipping paper notation when transported.

A small inner packaging quantity of a hazardous material that qualifies for reduced regulation under DOT rules, subject to package limits and marking requirements.

A person who directly affects hazardous materials transportation safety, including loading, unloading, handling, or preparing shipping papers, and who must receive DOT-required training and testing.

The person who tenders a hazardous material for transportation; this party is responsible for classification, packaging, marking, labeling, and preparing accurate shipping papers before the carrier accepts the shipment.

A packaging with a capacity greater than 119 gallons for liquids, 882 pounds for solids, or 1,000 pounds of water capacity for gases, or a portable tank, tank car, or cargo tank.

A packaging that does not meet the bulk capacity thresholds; typical examples include drums, jerricans, boxes, and cylinders used for smaller hazardous materials shipments.

A four-digit identification number assigned by the United Nations to a specific hazardous material or group of materials, used worldwide on shipping papers and packages.

The specific name of a hazardous material as listed in the DOT Hazardous Materials Table, which must be used on shipping papers and package markings instead of a generic or trade name.

A Roman numeral (I, II, or III) assigned to certain hazardous materials that indicates the degree of danger, with I being great danger and III being minor danger.

The required sequence on a shipping paper: proper shipping name, hazard class or division, UN identification number, and packing group, in that order, before any additional information.

The document that accompanies a hazardous materials shipment and provides the basic description, quantity, emergency response information, and shipper certification required by DOT rules.

A phone number, monitored at all times during transport, that emergency responders can call for information about the hazardous material; it must appear on the shipping paper.

Information placed directly on a package, such as the proper shipping name, UN number, orientation arrows, or RQ notation, that identifies its contents and handling needs.

A diamond-shaped warning sign affixed to a package that shows the hazard class or division symbol, the class number, and a hazard wording or graphic.

A larger diamond-shaped warning sign placed on the exterior of a transport vehicle or bulk packaging to warn others of the hazard class of the contents.

The placarding table in DOT rules that lists hazard classes and divisions requiring placards regardless of quantity, including Division 2.3 poison gas, Division 4.3 dangerous when wet, and Class 6.1 packing group I poisons.

The practice of keeping incompatible hazardous materials apart during loading, storage, or transport to prevent dangerous reactions, fires, or contamination if a release occurs.

Methods using wood, straps, air bags, or other devices to keep cargo from shifting inside a vehicle during starts, stops, turns, and sudden maneuvers.

The system of tiedowns, straps, chains, and structural barriers used to hold cargo, including hazardous materials packages, firmly in place on the vehicle.

A rule requiring a placarded vehicle left on a public street or highway to be watched by a qualified person who is awake, within 100 feet, and has an unobstructed view.

DOT limits on where placarded vehicles may be parked, including keeping at least 5 feet from the traveled portion of a highway and 300 feet from bridges, tunnels, and railroad crossings.

A DOT publication carried by carriers that helps responders identify hazards by guide number, plan initial isolation distances, and choose protective actions during a hazardous materials incident.

A three-digit number in the ERG's orange section that points to recommended emergency actions for materials sharing similar hazards, found by looking up the material's UN number.

The area immediately around a hazardous materials release, defined in the ERG, from which people should be kept out to avoid exposure during the first minutes of an incident.

A downwind area identified in the ERG where people may need evacuation or shelter-in-place because airborne hazardous material could travel and cause harm.

The federal point of contact, reachable at 1-800-424-8802, that must be notified after certain hazardous materials releases, including those involving hazardous substances at or above reportable quantity.

Any release, spill, leak, fire, or other emergency involving hazardous materials during transportation that requires protective action, notification, and possibly emergency response.

The rule that shipping papers must be kept within reach of the driver while seated, in a pouch on the driver's door, or in clear view for anyone entering the cab.

While fueling a placarded vehicle, the engine must be off, brakes set, and smoking prohibited; the driver must remain aware and control the fueling operation.

Smoking, carrying a lit cigarette, and using matches or lighters are prohibited within 25 feet of a placarded vehicle or during loading and unloading of hazardous materials.