Your location The Department of Transportation Response guide number you are using. The shipper or manufacturer of the product. It is critical that you make every effort to keep a phone line open so that the shipper can reach you with guidance and assistance. Many hazardous materials are listed both by identification number and in alphabetical order. State and local agencies such as the Department of Environmental Quality or the Department of Transportation can help you identify hazardous materials and provide assistance in case of disaster.
Many placards are red or orange, while a few are white or green.
The placard will contain a four-digit identification number as well as a class or division number that indicates whether the material is flammable, radioactive, explosive or poisonous. With very few exceptions, the shipping papers identifying hazardous materials are required to be in the cab of a motor vehicle within the reach of the driver, in the possession of a train crew member in the engine or the caboose, in a holder on the bridge of a vessel or in the aircraft pilot's possession. Labels can be found on containers and packages containing hazardous materials, which name the substance, the classification and the four-digit identification number. Time is critical, but do not act so quickly that you endanger yourself and others at the scene. Secure the scene and limit exposure to anyone.