Welcome to - Free Hazchem Guide

Helping you manage chemical safety

Emergency Action Codes (commonly called Hazchem Codes) are designed to assist the emergency services in the first few minutes of dealing with a hazardous goods distribution incident. They are designed for responding to bulk product incidents. They are not intended for goods carried in smaller quantities, or for non-distribution incidents, although they are often used as an indicator of the measures that may be needed in such incidents.

 

Attention! Would you know how to act during a Hazchem incident?

Our next 1st Response course is being held at our Harwell site on 4th December 2008.
A unique chemical emergency response course, 1st Response is designed to help you understand what demands can be made during a chemical incident and  prepare you and your staff to respond with minimal damage to health or environment.

Click here for more information

 

Hazchem Scale Cards

NCEC offers a condensed version of this page on pocket-sized, durable, laminated card or 'Hazchem Scalecard'.

NCEC Hazchem Guide.....

The EAC provides information on:

• the fire extinguishing media to be used;
•  the level of PPE required;
• whether the spillage should be contained or may be diluted;
• whether there is a possibility of violent reaction;
• whether the substance poses a Public Safety Hazard.

 

The Hazard Warning Panel

  

Emergency Action Codes

1	COARSE SPRAY	3	FOAM
2	FINE SPRAY	4	DRY AGENT

P	V	LTS	DILUTE SPILLAGE
R
S	V	BA & FIRE KIT
T
W	V	LTS	CONTAIN SPILLAGE
X
Y	V	BA & FIRE KIT
Z

E	PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD

K E Y	V		Can be violently or even explosively reactive
	LTS		Liquid tight chemical protective clothing conforming to BS 8428 used in combination with BA.
	DILUTE		Spillages may be washed to drains with large quantities of water. However due care must be taken to avoid unnecessary pollution of watercourses. For further information contact the Environment Agency or Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.
	CONTAIN		Prevent the spillage from entering drains and watercourses using any means available.
	DRY AGENT		Water MUST NOT be allowed to come into contact with the substance.
	E		People should be warned to stay indoors with all doors and windows closed but evacuation may need to be considered. Consult Control, Police and product expert.

  

Further Advice

More detailed advice on interpreting the EAC is given in 'Dangerous Goods Emergency Action Code List 2007' (ISBN 978 0 11 341315 7)

International Operations (ADR)

The ADR Hazard Identification Number (HIN, also known as the Kemler Code) is usually found in the UK on vehicles which are on international journeys. UK registered vehicles on domestic journeys should use the EAC. The HIN differs in its approach from the EAC, giving advice on the nature of the hazard presented by the goods as opposed to the actions to be taken when dealing with them.

Blank Plates

Orange plate without any numbers indicates vehicle carrying dangerous load (drums, packages, etc.) or multi-load tanker.

The hazard identification number consists of two or three figures. In general the figures indicate the following hazards:

2	Emission of gas due to pressure or to chemical reaction
3	flammability of liquids
4	flammability of solids or self heating liquid
5	oxidising (fire-intensifying) effect
6	toxic or risk of infection
7	radioactivity
8	corrosivity
9	Risk of spontaneous violent reaction

Doubling of a figure indicates intensification of that particular hazard.

If the HIN is prefixed with an "X" this indicates the substance will react dangerously with water. For such substances, water may only be used by approval of experts.

Where the hazard associated with a substance can be adequately indicated by a single figure, this is followed by a zero.

The following combinations have special meanings - refer to Hazchem List or control:

22				refrigerated liquefied gas, asphyxiant	482	corrosive solid which reacts with water, emitting flammable gases
323				flammable liquid which reacts dangerously with water, emitting flammable gases	539	flammable organic peroxide
333				pyrophoric liquid	606	infectious substance
362				flammable liquid, toxic, which reacts with water, emitting flammable gases	623	toxic liquid which reacts with water, emitting flammable gases
382				flammable liquid corrosive, which reacts with water, emitting flammable gases	642	toxic solid, which reacts with water, emitting flammable gases
423				solid which reacts with water, emitting flammable gases	823	corrosive liquid which reacts with water, emitting flammable gases
44				flammable solid, in the molten state at an elevated temperature	842	corrosive solid which reacts with water, emitting flammable gases
446				flammable solid, toxic, in the molten state at an elevated temperature	90	environmentally hazardous substance; miscellaneous
462				toxic solid which reacts with water, emitting flammable gases	99	miscellaneous dangerous substance carried at an elevated temperature

Hazard Warning Diamonds

Class 1 Explosive substance or articles

Class 2 Gases

Class 3 Flammable liquids

Class 4.1 Flammable solids, self-reactive and desensitised explosive

Class 4.2 Substances liable to spontaneously combust

Class 4.3 Substances which, in contact with water emit flammable gases

 

Class 5.1 Oxidizing substances

Class 5.2 Oxidizing peroxides

Class 6.1 Toxic substances

Class 6.2 Infectious substances

Class 7 Radioactive material

Class 8 Corrosive substances

Elevated Temperature Substances

Class 9 Miscellaneous dangerous substances and articles

Marine Pollutant

Supply Labelling

Explosive
Oxidising
Toxic / Very Toxic
Dangerous for the Environment
Highly / Extremely Flammable
Corrosive
Harmful / Irritant

 

Supply labelling uses the same, or similar symbols to those seen on the Hazard warning diamonds used for transport labelling. However, as well as being a different shape and colour, different criteria are used to assign the risks. So, something classified as "Toxic" (Class 6.1) for transport may only be classified as "Harmful" for supply. Equally, something classed as "Toxic" (skull and cross-bones) for supply, such as a carcinogenic substance, may not be classified as hazardous for transport at all.

Equally, a particular substance may have different classifications for each system. Solvents may be classed as "Flammable" (Class 3) for transport, but "Harmful" or "Toxic" (equating to class 6.1) for supply. The reasons for this are the different types of risk exhibited in different situations. The end user, dealing with small quantities on a frequent basis over long time-periods, is at greater risk from any harmful/toxic effects due to contact with the product than from its flammable characteristics. The Emergency Services, however, will be dealing with a "one-off" situation which is not supposed to happen ever, involving several drums or tankerloads of the product, where the flammability hazard far outweighs the effects of contact with the product.

Classification can therefore be more intricate than it first appears; if you need any advice or guidance, see the Consultancy pages on this website.