assistance to those involved in the incident. Obviously, the latter is 

 needed in a relatively small percentage of the incidents. 



Chemtrec can be reached from any point in the continental limits of the 

 United States by dialing 800-424-9300. In the District of Columbia, it is 

 necessary to use a separate number, 483-7616. With the addition of the area 

 code, this becomes 202-483-7616, for use in Alaska and Hawaii, the terri- 

 tories, Canada, and in fact, anywhere in the world. It is common to receive 

 a call from the London Fire Brigade, which is responsible for Heathrow 

 Airport, outside of London. Chemicals in transit can occasionally cause 

 problems, and it is sometimes easier for shippers to call here than to seek 

 guidance within the United Kingdom. Shipper's response to these calls has 

 been excellent. 



Chemtrec recommends that shippers mark their bills of lading to show 

 the emergency statement and the phone number. The standard format is: "For 

 chemical emergency--Spil 1 , leak, fire, exposure, or accident--Cal 1 Toll free, 

 day or night, 800-424-9300." Shippers doing this obviously must be register- 

 ed with Chemtrec, providing their emergency contact telephone numbers. In 

 addition, there are currently available printed vinyl panels to be placed on 

 tank cars and tank trucks to show the Chemtrec number. We urge shippers 

 and carriers to make use of these to provide guidance to emergency services. 

 These panels can be obtained commercially from two separate firms which are 

 producing them. 



When an incident occurs, a call to Chemtrec usually comes from a carrier, 



from a fireman, or a policeman. The call on the "800" number goes to the 



Chemtrec communicator, who obtains the essential information. This includes 



the caller's name and organization, his callback number, the products, the 



problem, the location, the shipper, and carrier. Chemtrec has its own form 



for this purpose which includes other additional data which are desirable to 

 have under certain circumstances. 



When the essential information has been obtained, the communicator turns 

 to his files and pulls the appropriate card concerning the product involved. 

 He then reads the pertinent information to the caller, giving such portions 

 of the card information as are needed. Products on file are in alphabetical 

 order, on cards which can be accessed in a matter of seconds. The informa- 

 tion provided is intended to provide guidance for the early stages of an 

 accident in an effort to prevent the situation from becoming worse. 



Once the card or other information available from the file has been 

 transmitted, the communicator goes through the second step, which is locat- 

 ing the appropriate person in the shipper's, or other organization, to pro- 

 vide the expertise needed to bring about a quick resolution of the problem. 

 This person can be a plant manager, a production superintendent, a technical 

 services representative, or anyone in the organization who handles the pro- 

 duct regularly, and is capable of providing the necessary assistance. This 

 is a primary strength of Chemtrec. No other resource in the country can 



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