Re: DOT shipping topic: Emergency response number

[MTDramENF@AOL.COM]

Here is an excerpt of the USDOT interpretation of "immediate access."



Sections: 172.604



    Date: 04-05-2001



    Source/Ref No: RSPA 01-0280



    

Q:      Clarify the term “immediate access” as used in 172.604 of the 

Hazardous Materials Regulations.



A:       The term is intended to indicate that the emergency response 

information Must be provided to a responder with no undue delay. Clearly, a few 

minutes may lapse during a telephone call while the person answering the emergency 

response phone locates specific information on a particular product or 

contacts a person to provide such information. However, any delay longer than a few 

minutes would be unacceptable, as would any delay involving call-back, such as 

would be necessary if the person answering the phone had to use a pager to 

contact someone with the specific knowledge about the product in question.



G. D. Trujillo

HazMat Coordinator

Motor Transportation Division

NM Department of Public Safety