PHMSA Issues 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook

(Courtesy of PHMSA)

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has published the 2024 edition of its free emergency response manual that provides guidance to first responders on what to do during the initial stages of a hazmat transportation incident.

The 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG; download below) contains an indexed list of hazmat (hazardous materials) and their associated ID numbers, general hazards they pose, and recommended safety precautions, according to PHMSA, which develops and enforces regulations “for the safe, reliable, and environmentally sound operation of the nation’s 3.4 million-mile pipeline transportation system and the nearly 1.2 million daily shipments of hazardous materials by land, sea and air.” The 392-page ERG is available to public safety agencies in all states, territories and tribal entities through their designated state emergency management coordinators’ offices. PHMSA has also developed a free ERG app for IOS and Android.

PHMSA said it is distributing more than 1.8 million copies this year to firefighters and other first responders across the country.

“For more than 50 years, the Emergency Response Guidebook has provided emergency responders with critical information on how to respond to hazmat incidents,” PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown said during the April 5 announcement. “PHMSA is proud to develop and distribute this critical safety resource that supports the heroic men and women who are on the frontlines of hazmat safety.”