4.3 Incident Reporting & Security Plans

Immediate Notification: The National Response Center

For the most serious incidents, federal regulation (49 CFR 171.15) requires the carrier to give immediate telephone notice to the National Response Center (NRC) at 1-800-424-8802. The NRC is staffed 24 hours a day and coordinates the federal response.

As a driver, after you have protected yourself and the public and called 911, you must make sure your carrier is informed so the NRC notification can be made. The call to the NRC must be made as soon as practical, and never delayed more than 12 hours after the incident.

Conditions that trigger immediate NRC notification

Notify the NRC by phone when, as a direct result of a hazardous material:

• A person is killed.
• A person is injured and requires hospitalization.
• The general public is evacuated for one hour or more.
• One or more major transportation arteries or facilities are closed or shut down for one hour or more.
• The operational flight pattern or routine of an aircraft is altered.
• Fire, breakage, spillage, or suspected contamination occurs involving a radioactive material or an infectious substance (etiologic agent).
• A release of a marine pollutant in a quantity of 450 L (119 gallons) or more for liquids, or 400 kg (882 pounds) or more for solids.
• A release of a reportable quantity (RQ) of a hazardous substance occurs.
• A situation exists (such as a continuing danger to life) that the carrier judges should be reported even though it does not meet the other criteria.

Reportable Quantity and Written Incident Reports

Reportable Quantity (RQ)

A Reportable Quantity (RQ) is the amount of a designated hazardous substance that, if released, must be reported to the NRC. When an RQ material is on the shipping papers, the letters "RQ" appear before or after the basic shipping description. If that substance is spilled in an amount equal to or greater than its RQ, the release must be reported.

Written Hazardous Materials Incident Report

In addition to any phone call, the carrier must file a written Hazardous Materials Incident Report on DOT Form F 5800.1 with PHMSA within 30 days of an incident that meets the written-report criteria. Written reports are required for incidents such as an unintentional release of hazmat during transport, a specification cargo tank with a capacity of 1,000 gallons or more losing any hazmat, or any of the immediate-notification situations above.

The driver's role is to record accurate details — location, time, materials, ID numbers, what happened — so the carrier can complete the report correctly.

The shipper's emergency response phone number

Every hazmat shipping paper must carry a 24-hour emergency response telephone number. This number must be monitored at all times the material is in transport by a person who knows the hazards of the material or has immediate access to that information (for example, a CHEMTREC contract number). It is the number responders call to get detailed chemical guidance — separate from the 911 and NRC calls.

Reportable Conditions at a Glance

Use this checklist to decide whether an incident must be reported. If any item is true, the incident is reportable and the carrier must be told immediately.

• A fatality caused by a hazardous material.
• An injury requiring hospitalization caused by a hazardous material.
• Public evacuation lasting one hour or more.
• A major road, rail line, airport, or waterway closed for one hour or more.
• An altered aircraft flight pattern or routine.
• Fire, breakage, spillage, or suspected contamination involving radioactive material or an infectious substance.
• A release of a marine pollutant at or above 119 gallons (liquid) or 882 pounds (solid).
• A release of a reportable quantity (RQ) of a hazardous substance.
• Estimated property damage exceeding the regulatory threshold, or any continuing danger the carrier judges should be reported.

Minor situations — a small drip with no injury, no evacuation, and no RQ release — still require cleanup and a record, but may not trigger the immediate NRC call. When unsure, report it; over-reporting is far safer than missing a required notification.

Hazmat Security Awareness and Security Plans

Since hazardous materials can be targets for theft or misuse, federal rules add a layer of security requirements on top of safety.

Security awareness

Every hazmat employee receives security awareness training covering how to recognize and respond to possible security threats. Drivers should:

• Stay alert to anyone watching, following, or asking unusual questions about the load or route.
• Never leave a placarded vehicle unattended in an unsecured area; keep it locked and secured.
• Verify the identity of anyone loading, unloading, or signing for the materials.
• Report suspicious activity to the carrier and law enforcement immediately.

Written security plans

Under 49 CFR 172.800, shippers and carriers that offer or transport hazardous materials in quantities that require placarding (and certain other high-risk materials, such as select agents and large radioactive shipments) must develop and adhere to a written security plan. The plan must address three core areas:

1. Personnel security — confirming, consistent with applicable law, the background of employees who handle the materials.
2. Unauthorized access — measures to keep unauthorized people away from the materials and the transport vehicle.
3. En-route security — measures to address security risks while the shipment is moving, including route and stop planning.

Separately, every driver who applies for, renews, or transfers a HazMat endorsement must pass a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Threat Assessment background check — a personal screening that is distinct from the carrier's written security plan.