Client Alert
Starting October 1, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will require shippers who use an emergency response information provider, such as Chemtrec, to provide the name and phone number of the emergency contact party on the dangerous goods declaration.
The new rule (HM-206F) applies to all dangerous goods coming into or going out of the U.S. and requires the emergency contact party’s information to be listed directly before or after the emergency response phone number on the dangerous goods declaration.
The DOT created this rule because it had not always been clear to emergency responders who the emergency contact party was, especially when a third party phone number was listed.
Should an incident occur, this rule will make it easier for emergency responders to get in touch with the correct contact party.
Read the full text of HM-296F
*Note that the Department of Transportation later changed the effective date of HM-296F to October 1, 2010.