The Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG2008) was developed jointly by the US Department of Transportation, Transport Canada, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico (SCT) for use by firefighters, police, and other emergency services personnel who may be the first to arrive at the scene of a transportation incident involving a hazardous material. It is primarily a guide to aid first responders in (1) quickly identifying the specific or generic classification of the material(s) involved in the incident, and (2) protecting themselves and the general public during this initial response phase of the incident. The ERG is updated every three to four years to accommodate new products and technology. The next version is scheduled for 2012.

DOT's goal is to place one ERG2008 in each emergency service vehicle, nationwide, through distribution to state and local public safety authorities. To date, nearly eleven million copies have been distributed without charge to the emergency response community. Copies are made available free of charge to public emergency responders through State Coordinators (refer to the menu on the right) in the United States of America. In Canada, contact CANUTEC at  613-992-4624  or via email at canutec@tc.gc.ca for distribution information. In Mexico, call SCT at 52-5-684-1275. Copies are also available commercially through the GPO Bookstore and other commercial vendors.

Keep information on hazardous material handling close at hand.

To view/print the Guide Page(s) corresponding to the material you are shipping click on the appropriate link to the right.

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Department of Defense (DOD) Points of Contact for Emergency Response Guidebook 2008

Lisa Taylor -  (757) 878-8049 
C.E. Radford -  (757) 878-8040 

Provide Comments About ERG

PHMSA welcomes constructive comments for improvements to the ERG2008. Comments can be sent either through this ERG Comment Form or in writing to the Office of Hazardous Materials Initiatives and Training, PHH-50, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE East Building, 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20590.

[NOTE: Some of the attached documents are in PDF format, you can download a free viewer.  If you have problems accessing the PDFs or the information, report your problem for further assistance.]