compare to the product knowledge available from those who produce and ship 

 a product on a daily basis. 



When Chemtrec was started, it was recognized that while CMA member com- 

 panies would be a very important portion of the activities, (and today 75 

 percent of the transportation incidents handled involve member companies), 

 there was a definite need for a mechanism to access those who may not be 

 members. There are currently listings for emergency numbers on over 500 non- 

 member companies in the file. When the shipper is not listed, a variety of 

 efforts are made to establish contact. The first, and simplest, is to call 

 the information operator in the city or town where the company is reportedly 

 located. This location usually can be obtained from labels, shipping papers, 

 or from reference documents available in the Chemtrec office. 



If no one is accessible in this way, the communicator will then call the 

 fire or police headquarters in the town, and ask for help, based on their 

 preplans. This frequently is a very useful approach. As a last resort, the 

 emergency services will be asked to send a car to the location of the 

 facility to determine what information might be available on the main en- 

 trance. Again, this has been a successful method. 



There are frequent occasions when the only information available is a 

 tank car number, or "reporting mark." A mechanism is needed to convert this 

 into product and shipper information. When the mark is a "Dowx," or "Celx," 

 it is easy to relate to Dow or Celanese. If it is "Gatx" or "Shpx," however, 

 a leasing company is identified, rather than a shipper. By agreement with 

 most leasing companies, including all the major ones, 24-hour service is 

 available to provide the name of the leasee to permit prompt development of 

 the needed information. As a result, Chemtrec keeps a file of reporting 

 marks, so if a tank car is located on a siding and the bottom outlet is 

 leaking, or the relief valve is releasing, appropriate action can be taken. 



An essential element of Chemtrec is the ability to access emergency 

 response organizations, other than shippers. Such cooperating groups include 

 trade associations, carriers, and government facilities. The Chlorine 

 Institute operates The Chlorine Emergency Plan, in which a specific producing 

 plant is responsible for emergency response within a given geographic sector. 

 Teams are organized and equipped to move out on instant notice. They handle 

 matters ranging from leaking cylinders up to tank cars. These groups are 

 well organized and very responsive. 



The National Agricultural Chemicals Association maintains a Pesticide 

 Safety Team Network. It too has a regional organization, responsive to 

 pesticide problems. 



Within the chemical industry informal mutual assistance programs are 

 organized for certain products. For several years, the vinyl chloride manu- 

 facturers (VCM) have had the VCM emergency plan. Within this plan, the 

 manufacturers or users of the product notify Chemtrec of their intention of 

 participating in the program. When an incident occurs, Chemtrec notifies the 



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