Transportation Press Releases

New 2008 Emergency Response Guidebook Coming—01/15/2008

Beside being readily available electronically via the PHMSA website, DOT expects that over two million free copies of the upcoming 2008 revised edition of the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) will be published and distributed to fire fighters, police and emergency
services personnel across the nation. The ERG is an internationally recognized guide designed to aid emergency first responders at the scene of a transportation incident involving hazardous materials. It is DOT’s goal to have the ERG readily accessibe in both the electronic and paper format.

The ERG is republished every four years to incorporate the latest updates and changes in domestic and international regulations. The 2008 ERG will reflect changes to certain hazmat proper shipping names and United Nations numbers. There will be over 50 proper shipping name and identification number changes, as well as the addition of a listing for lithium ion batteries. Since this will be the first publication of the ERG since the merging of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Programs, the white pages will include two pages with information on pipeline markers.

“We are excited that several recommended changes from the first responder community were incorporated into the 2008 edition and will make it easier for them to locate information more readily,” said ERG Project Manager Candace Simon. One recommended change from the first responder community was the need for additional color coordination of highlighted sections of the ERG. The fix incorporated highlighted materials that will direct first responders to additional isolation hazard information. First responders should see their copies of the next ERG shipped in early 2008.

Department of Transportation. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. New 2008 Emergency Response Guidebook Coming. PHMSA Focus, Fall/Winter 2007, 7-8.