Overview#
A hazmat unit responds to a tanker rollover on a motorway. The placard shows UN 1203. The dispatcher has thirty seconds to give the crew isolation distances, PPE requirements, and whether the product burns or vaporises dangerously. The physical orange ERG guidebook is in the truck, but the dispatcher needs the answer before the units arrive. The ERG Response Guide Integration digitises the complete DOT/PHMSA Emergency Response Guidebook and puts it directly inside the dispatch workflow, searchable by UN number or guide number in under a second.
The same guide numbers and terminology first responders train with appear in the digital interface. No relearning. No additional training requirement. The information structure mirrors the physical guidebook exactly, so dispatchers can relay guidance to field units without translating between formats.
Open Standards#
- DOT/PHMSA Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG 2024): The capability digitises the complete 2024 edition of the US Department of Transportation / Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration ERG, preserving the published guide numbers (111, 173), isolation distances, and protective action terminology that responders train with.
- UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UN Numbers): All 3,400-plus hazardous substances are indexed by their UN/DOT four-digit identification numbers as assigned under the UN Model Regulations, enabling placard-based lookup (e.g. UN 1203) without requiring chemical name knowledge.
- UN Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS): Chemical records carry GHS pictogram codes (GHS01, GHS09), signal words, H-code hazard statements, and P-code precautionary statements sourced via PubChem, providing internationally standardised hazard communication alongside the ERG guidance.
- NFPA 704 (Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response): Each chemical record stores the four-quadrant health, fire, reactivity, and special-hazard ratings from NFPA 704, giving dispatchers the same numeric scale used on fixed-facility placards.
- US EPA/NOAA Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGL): AEGL-1, AEGL-2, and AEGL-3 concentration thresholds (in ppm and mg/m³) are stored per substance and drive the isolation distance calculations and atmospheric dispersion modelling that generates downwind evacuation zones.
- CAS Registry Numbers: Chemicals are cross-referenced by CAS Registry Number, the globally recognised unique identifier maintained by the Chemical Abstracts Service, supporting lookup and enrichment from external databases including PubChem.
- GeoJSON (RFC 7946): Evacuation zone polygons produced by the plume dispersion integration are encoded as GeoJSON Polygon geometries, enabling direct consumption by mapping and CAD systems without format conversion.
Last Reviewed: 2026-02-05 Last Updated: 2026-04-14
Key Features#
Complete ERG Coverage#
62 ERG guides digitised covering guide pages 111 to 173 from the official ERG 2024 edition. Every ERG-listed hazardous material indexed with 3,400+ UN number mappings for fast lookup by UN number or guide number.
Isolation Distance Automation#
Pre-calculated isolation distances for small spill, large spill, and fire scenarios. Day and night protective action distances from ERG Table 1 are included for downwind evacuation zone determination, with no manual calculation required during an active incident.
Dispatcher-Friendly Interface#
The same guide numbers and terminology that responders train with throughout their careers. Sub-second retrieval by UN number or guide number, with no chemistry expertise required from dispatchers.
Response Guidance#
Complete firefighting procedures, first aid instructions, spill response protocols, and evacuation recommendations for each guide number. Information is organised for rapid relay to field units during active incidents, in the sequence responders need it.
Use Cases#
- HAZMAT Dispatch: Instantly provide responding units with isolation distances, PPE requirements, and response procedures based on placard information or shipping documents during active emergency calls
- Pre-Incident Planning: Reference ERG guidance during facility inspections, transportation route analysis, and emergency response planning for fixed hazmat sites
- Training and Exercises: Use digitised guides for dispatcher training scenarios and HAZMAT response exercises with consistent, current reference data
Integration#
Integrates with CAD and dispatch systems and chemical database lookups. ERG guide data feeds into atmospheric dispersion modelling and evacuation zone calculations within the broader HAZMAT response platform.