Hazardous Materials and Emergency Response
Hazardous Materials and Emergency Response covers the endorsement-level rules and the first five minutes of an incident.
Classes and placards
- Nine classes: 1 explosives, 2 gases, 3 flammable liquids, 4 flammable solids, 5 oxidizers, 6 toxic, 7 radioactive, 8 corrosives, 9 miscellaneous.
- Placards are required at 1,001 lbs aggregate gross weight for Table 2 materials; Table 1 materials need placards at any amount.
- Shipping papers stay within arm's reach while driving and must include a 24-hour emergency response phone number.
If something goes wrong
- For a leak or spill: stop, keep people away, stay upwind, and call 911 and the shipper. Do not move a leaking package.
- For a fire: get out, call for help, and fight only a small fire with the correct extinguisher.
- Set reflective triangles at 10, 100, and 200 feet - farther on curves or hills.
Worked example: Your load is 600 lbs of a Table 2 corrosive plus 500 lbs of a Table 2 flammable liquid. Individually neither reaches 1,001 lbs, but Table 2 materials aggregate, so the total is 1,100 lbs and placards are required for both.
Traps: thinking placards depend on the truck rather than the load; leaving shipping papers in the sleeper; using water on a flammable-liquid fire; standing downwind of a spill; moving a damaged package to "tidy up."