Ask X3What does 49 CFR 172.604 (Emergency response telephone number) require?
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As Ask X3, your fleet-compliance assistant, here is what 49 CFR 172.604 requires for motor-carrier operations:
* Numeric Phone Number: You must provide a numeric emergency response telephone number (including the area code) on shipping papers for any hazardous material in transportation, including during storage incidental to transportation. For numbers outside the U.S., you must include the international access code or "+" sign, country code, and city code.
* 24/7 Monitoring: The phone number must be monitored at all times the hazardous material is in transportation.
* Knowledgeable Person: The number must reach someone who is either knowledgeable about the shipped hazardous material and has comprehensive emergency response/incident mitigation information, or has immediate access to someone who possesses that knowledge. An answering service, answering machine, or beeper device that requires a call-back is not allowed.
* Shipping Paper Placement: The phone number must be entered on the shipping paper either immediately following the hazardous material description, or entered once prominently and clearly visible (e.g., highlighted or in a larger/different-colored font) so it can be found quickly. If used once for all materials, it must indicate it is for emergency response (e.g., “EMERGENCY CONTACT: * * *”).
* Identification of the Responsible Party: The name, contract number, or unique identifier of the person registered with the emergency response information (ERI) provider must be listed immediately next to the phone number (before, after, above, or below) unless it is clearly displayed elsewhere prominently on the shipping paper.
* Exceptions: These rules do not apply to limited quantities, excepted quantities, certain specific shipping names (such as dry ice, consumer commodities, internal combustion engines, and electric wheelchairs), or fumigated transport vehicles/freight containers displaying the FUMIGANT marking (unless other hazardous materials are present).