Incident Reporting Requirements

When are Hazardous Materials most hazardous? When they're released!

The scene of an incident can be chaotic, so the right actions may not always be obvious. Whom should I inform if I'm involved in an incident where a release or a suspected release of a hazardous material has taken place in transportation?

The regulations in 49 CFR 171.15 and 171.16 govern such situations. Two phases of incident reporting are required in the regulations. Section 171.15 covers immediate telephonic notification following an incident and §171.16 outlines written reporting procedures. Both sections are available on the Office of Hazardous Materials Safety's Spills Web site.

Also available are the Incident Report Form 5800.1, a guidance document for preparing incident reports, the 2000 Emergency Response Guidebook and tabular summaries of hazardous materials incidents by mode, year, state, hazard class, etc.

Published: April 1, 2002