Product ID Numbers Soon to Appear On Hazardous Materials Placards

Product ID Numbers Soon to Appear On Hazardous Materials Placards

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It is difficult to respond properly to a hazardous material emergency unless we recognize the presence of the hazardous material(s) in the situation. Emergency response personnel (fire, rescue, law enforcement) have learned to use a variety of clues to assist in detecting hazardous material presence. These clues include:

1. Occupancy and/or location
2. Container shapes
3. Markings and/or colors
4. Placards and/or labels
5. Shipping papers and/or other documents
6. Senses

Upon recognizing its presence, we must identify the hazardous material and its characteristics and dangers. This knowledge will assist in estimating the potential behavior of the hazardous material, thus helping to identify the danger areas and exposures to be considered in developing strategy and tactics. The identification process helps us “become part of the solution, not part of the problem” by providing guidelines for immediate action while awaiting technical data and resources for further support.

Emergency response personnel must constantly strive to keep their recognition and identification skills current. To sharpen these skills, this article will address the positive impact of some federal regulations on recognition and identification of hazardous materials.

Identification numbers

The United States Department of Transportation has recently published additional regulations for the transportation of hazardous materials.^1,2 The regulations provide for the use of a four-digit identification number to assist emergency response personnel in recognizing and identifying hazardous materials.

The identification number is assigned to each hazardous material in transportation. These numbers are part of the United Nations system for transporting hazardous materials, thus aligning the United States more closely with the international system.

The identification number must be placed on all hazardous material shipping papers after July 1. Since last July, it has been permissible to use the ID numbers on shipping papers. When used as part of the proper shipping descriptions on the shipping paper, the identification number will have the prefix UN or NA. The prefix UN indicates numbers found in the United Nations system. The United Nations system does not list identification numbers for all products considered hazardous in the United States. Therefore, the prefix NA represents numbers assigned in North America for materials not listed in the United Nations system.

¹Federal Register, May 22, 1980, pages 34560 to 34705

²Federal Register, November 10, 1980, pages 74640 to 74670

The identification number is in addition to other proper shipping description entries. In some cases, these numbers are not unique to a singular product.

Display required

Because of the difficulty in obtaining a shipping paper in some forms of transportation, federal regulations require the display of the identification number on all portable tanks, highway tankers and all rail tank cars (voluntary after April 1,1981; mandatory after Nov. 1, 1981). This display can be either of two ways:

Potential Hazards GUIDE 13

HEALTH HAZARDS

Poison; extremely hazardous.

May be fatal if inhaled or absorbed through skin.

Vapors non-irritating, deaden sense of smell.

Runoff from fire control or dilution water may cause pollution.

FIRE OR EXPLOSION

Some of these materials are extremely flammable May be ignited by heat, sparks and flames.

Flammable vapor may spread away from spill.

Container may explode in heat of fire.

Vapor explosion and poison hazard indoors, outdoors or in sewers.

EMERGENCY ACTION

Keep unnecessary people away.

Stay upwind; keep out of low areas.

Isolate hazard area and deny entry.

Wear positive pressure breathing apparatus and special protective clothing

Evacuate area endangered by gas (See Isolation and Evacuation Table in back of guidebook; find the material by name).

Isolate for 1/2 mile in all directions if tank or tankcar is involved in fire. FOR EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE CALL CHEMTREC (800) 424-9300.

FIRE

Let burn unless leak can be stopped immediately.

Small Fires: Dry chemical or CO2.

Large Fires: Water spray, fog or foam.

Move container from fire area if you can do it without risk.

Stay away from ends of tanks.

Cool container with water using unmanned device until well after fire is out.

Isolate area until gas has dispersed.

SPILL OR LEAK

Do not touch spilled material.

No flares, smoking or flames in hazard area.

Stop leak if you can do it without risk.

Use water spray to reduce vapors.

Isolate area until gas has dispersed.

FIRST AID

Move victim to fresh air; call emergency medical care.

If not breathing, give artificial respiration.

If breathing is difficult, give oxygen.

Remove and isolate contaminated clothing and shoes.

In case of contact with material, immediately flush skin or eyes with running water for at least 15 minutes.

Keep victim quiet and maintain normal body temperature.

Effects may be delayed, keep victim under observation.

1. By using an orange panel (5 7/8 * 15 3/4 inches) with the identification number in 4-inch numerals. These panels are to be placed adjacent to the appropriate placard for the commodity.
2. By replacing the hazard classification wording on the appropriate placard with the identification number in 3 1/2-inch numerals. For example, a tank car of acetone requires a FLAMMABLE placard with the red background, the flame symbol at the top, the UN hazard class number (not to be confused with the identification number) and the word FLAMMABLE in the center of the placard. To adapt this placard format to display the identification number, the word FLAMMABLE would be removed and the identification number 1090 would be placed in that spot. The size of the UN hazard class number at the bottom would also be increased to 1 1/4 inches in height.

Identifying the product

The specific product can be quickly determined by looking up the identification number on the placard in the numerical index portion of the United States Department of Transportation “1980 Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Guidebook.” Certain packages will be required to display an identification number after July 1, 1983.

When the “Emergency Response Guidebook” is not available, the display of the identification number on the placard may cause some problems in identifying the hazard class of the product. For example, what is the difference visually between the FLAMMABLE GAS, FLAMMABLE and COMBUSTIBLE placards when the hazard class wording is replaced by a number?

All are red and all have the flame symbol. However, the UN hazard class number for flammable gases is 2, while the UN hazard class number for flammable and combustible liquids is 3. With this thought in mind, we can differentiate between liquids and compressed gases. The DOT is requiring that this UN hazard class number be 1 1/2 inches in height when the identification number is displayed on the placard. In the gase of OXIDIZER, OXYGEN and ORGANIC PEROXIDE, this difference is noted by using both the UN hazard class and division numbers together.

Meaning of white corner

But how do we differentiate between flammable liquids and combustible liquids? To do this, DOT requires that the bottom portion of a COMBUSTIBLE placard displaying the identification number be white.

When a placard is not required but an identification number is required for a shipment, either the orange panel or white 10 3/4 x 10 3/4 -inch diamondshaped marking with the identification number in 3 1/2-inch letters will be found in the placard holder. The use of this marking would be used most often to identify EPA-designated substances not designated as hazardous materials.

Two further comments:

1. Identification numbers will not be displayed on EXPLOSIVES, POISON GAS or RADIOACTIVE placards.
2. Appropriate identification numbers may be displayed on other containers which carry hazardous materials (besides the tank containers listed).

With respect to placards, the federal regulations now require the use of the DANGEROUS placard for explosive C shipments. Previous regulations required the FLAMMABLE placard.

UN Number Class and Division Numbering System

Class 1—Explosives.

1. Division 1.1—Substances and articles which have a mass explosion hazard. (Explosive A)
2. Division 1.2—Substances and articles which have a projection hazard but not a mass explosion hazard. (Explosive A or B)
3. Division 1.3—Substances and articles which have a fire hazard and either a minor blast hazard or a minor projection hazard or both, but not a mass explosion hazard. (Explosive B)
4. Division 1.4—Substances and articles which present no significant hazard. (Explosive C)
5. (v) Division 1.5—Very insensitive substances. (Blasting Agent)

Class 2—Gases (compressed, liquefied or dissolved under pressure).

1. Division 2.1—Flammable gases. (Flammable Gas)
2. Division 2.2—Nonflammable gases. (Nonflammable Gas)
3. Division 2.3—Poison gases. (Poison A)

Class 3—Flammable liquids.

1. Division 3.1—Low flash point group (liquids with flash points below 0°F). (Flammable Liquid)
2. Division 3.2—Intermediate flash point group (liquids with flash points of 0°F or above but less than 73°F) (Flammable Liquid)
3. Division 3.3—High flash point group (liquids with flash points of 73°F or above but less than 141°F) (Flammable Liquid or Combustible Liquid)

Class 4—Flammable solids or substances.

1. Division 4.1—Flammable solids (Flammable Solid)
2. Division 4.2—Substances liable to spontaneous combustion. (Flammable Solid or, for pyroforic liquids, Flammable Liquid)
3. Division 4.3—Substances emitting flammable gases when wet. (Flammable Solid)

Class 5—Oxidizing substances

1. Division 5.1—Oxidizing substances or agents. (Oxidizer)
2. Division 5.2—Organic peroxides. (Organic Peroxide)

Class 6—Poisonous and infectious substances.

1. Division 5.1—Poisonous substances. (Poison B)
2. Infectious substances. (Etiologic agent)

Class 7—Radioactive substances. (Radioactive Material)

Class 8—Corrosives. (Corrosive Material)

Class 9—Miscellaneous dangerous substances. (Other regulated material)

Note: Wording in parenthesis refers to the appropriate DOT hazard class.

As you can imagine, emergency response personnel must change their thinking for response to hazardous materials emergencies.

Response guidebook

The DOT “1980 Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Guidebook” serves as a guide for initial actions to be taken to protect emergency response personnel and the public at incidents involving hazardous materials transported by rail and highway. This publication provides guidance for action principally during the initial phases of a hazardous materials incident.

The guidebook contains a number of parts. There are 55 guide pages numbered from 11 to 66 (pages with an orange banner). Each numbered response guide provides only the most vital information in the briefest practical form. It identifies the most significant potential hazards and gives information and guidance for initial actions to be taken. Each material listed in the indexes has one numbered guide page assigned to it. Since many materials represent similar types of hazards that call for similar initial emergency response actions, only a limited number of guide pages are presented for all the materials listed. Therefore, you must remember that these guides are generalized, and you should more specifically identify the product’s characteristics and dangers.

The guide pages provide the following information:

1. Potential hazards:
1. Fire or explosion
2. Health hazards
2. Emergency action:
1. General comments
2. Fire
3. Spill or leaks
4. First aid

The guide has two indexes to assist in its use:

1. The numerical index (yellow pages) alllows emergency response personnel to identify the appropriate guide number and the name of the product from the identification number.
2. An alphabetical index is also provided to access guides based on the proper shipping name. The appropriate identification number can be obtained from this index also.
3. In both the numerical index and the alphabetical index, materials which have isolation or evacuation distances listed in the back of the guidebook are found printed in bold orange.

Also, should only a placard be available, applicable guide numbers are identified by that placard on a chart near the back of the guidebook. This reference should only be used if materials cannot be specifically identified through shipping papers or markings.

Using the guide

To use this guidebook, the following process is recommended:

1. Identify the material involved by using the identification number on the orange panel or the placard or the shipping paper, by the name as is found on the shipping document, or as a last resort, the placard applied to the container.
2. Indicate the guide number, using either the numerical index or the alphabetical index. Double-check the guide number.
3. Turn to the numbered guide page and read it carefully before taking action.

The DOT has awarded the International Association of Fire Chiefs a contract to distribute the “Emergency Response Guidebook” to emergency response organizations.

The guidebook and the new federal regulations can provide recognition and identification assistance in emergencies involving hazardous materials, but only if the emergency response personnel learn how to use them.