2008 EMERGENCY RESPONSE GUIDEBOOK (ERG2008)
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The 2008 Emergency Response Guidebook is published by the Department of Transportation and jointly by Transport Canada and the Secretariat of Transport and Communications of Mexico for use by firefighters, police, and other emergency services personnel who may be the first to arrive at the scene of a transportation accident involving dangerous goods. It is primarily a guide to aid first responders in quickly identifying the specific or generic hazards of the material(s) involved in the incident, protecting themselves and the general public during the initial response phase of the incident. For the purposes of the guidebook, the “initial response phase” is that period following arrival at the scene of an incident during which the presence and/or identification of dangerous goods is confirmed, protective actions and area securement are initiated, and assistance of qualified personnel is requested.

This guidebook is not intended to provide information on the physical or chemical properties of hazardous materials.  The Emergency Handling of Hazardous Materials in Surface Transportation and the Emergency Action Guides provides information on the physical or chemical properties of hazardous materials.