Glossary / Transport
Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG)
The Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) is a reference for first responders who arrive at a transportation incident involving hazardous materials. It is published jointly by US DOT, Transport Canada, Mexico's SCT and CIQUIME and gives initial isolation and response advice.
Explanation
The ERG is designed for the first phase of an incident, before specialists arrive. It is not a replacement for full technical advice. A responder looks up the material by its four-digit UN or NA number or by name, and is directed to a numbered guide page that summarizes the main hazards, public safety distances, fire and spill actions and basic first aid.
The book is organized in color-coded sections. One section lists materials by identification number, another by name, and a third contains the guide pages. A separate table of toxic-by-inhalation materials gives larger initial isolation and protective action distances. The guide pages cover whether the material is a fire hazard, explosion hazard or health hazard, and they flag what to avoid.
The ERG works best when the responder can read the placard, the orange panel number or the shipping paper. This is why accurate Placard display, correct Proper shipping name entries and proper UN number marking matter so much. If the material cannot be identified, the book has a default guide for unknown cases.
Where more help is needed, responders can call CHEMTREC or another emergency information service. Workplace emergency plans should refer to the ERG for transport events and to the site SDS for fixed-facility incidents.
What to do and watch for
- Keep a current edition in vehicles, security offices and emergency kits.
- Know how to look up a material by number, not just by name.
- Use it as an initial guide only, and request expert support early.
Where it appears on an SDS
- Section 14: Transport information. Provides the UN number and shipping name used to find the right ERG guide page; some SDSs also quote the guide number.
- Section 5: Fire-fighting measures. Describes fire-fighting measures for the specific product, which is more detailed than the generic ERG guide.
SDS content and wording vary by supplier. This page is general reference and does not replace the current SDS for your product.