Expert Insights: Handy information for the ERG
Since the 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) has been officially released for about a year now, I figured I would share some information with you about the ERG that can be useful. Some of this information you may already know, but it never hurts to have a little refresher.
Origins/Uses
The ERG is developed by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) in conjunction with other North American countries and regulatory experts. The original intention for the ERG was to provide guidance to first responders for initial response to hazardous materials transportation incidents.
However, now the ERG is also widely used in the transportation, manufacturing, and warehouse industries to provide guidance, meet safety requirements, and provide emergency response information in situations where chemicals are present.
Requirements
I get a lot of questions from hazmat shippers and transporters asking if the ERG is required or mandatory. The ERG isn’t specifically required or mandatory. The Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR) require anyone that ships or transports hazardous materials to provide the most current emergency response information for those materials. One of the ways to provide the emergency response information is to use the most current ERG.
Old vs New
If you are using the ERG to satisfy the emergency response information requirements, the HMR requires you to use the most current information available, and it is possible that older versions of the ERG may still have the most current information available for your material. However, every four years the ERG is updated and most of the information inside is changed in one way or another. Keeping track of those changes can be a monumental task.
Format
If you are using the ERG as one of the options to provide emergency response information when transporting hazardous materials, the HMR requires it be in a hard copy (printed) format. All other uses for the ERG can be in electronic format, such as an app on your phone.