The document provides an overview of Emergency Action Codes (EACs) for hazardous materials, highlighting their significance for emergency services responding to incidents involving dangerous goods. It enumerates classifications of hazardous materials, including explosives, flammable liquids, toxic substances, and more, detailing their characteristics and potential risks. Additionally, it outlines the structure and application of EACs to facilitate quick and effective emergency response actions.

1. DANGEROUS GOODS
EMERGENCY ACTION CODES
RAGAVENDAR ANANDAJOTHI

2. INTRODUCTION
 Emergency Action codes (EACs), also known as Hazchem codes,
are for the use of the emergency services in conjunction with
Emergency Action Code Cards. EACs indicate to the emergency
services actions that may be necessary, during the first few minutes
of an incident involving dangerous goods, should the officer in
charge of the incident deem it necessary to take immediate actions.

3. SCOPE OF THIS SESSION
 Hazmat & Classification
 EAC & Application

4. HAZMAT & CLASSIFICATIONS
1. Danger Labels- Overview
2. Hazardous Goods- Overviews
3. Classes Of Haz Goods- In detail

5. DANGER LABELS
The above labels will be shown during the transport of dangerous goods.

6. HAZARDOUS GOODS
Dangerous goods or hazardous goods are solids, liquids, or
gases that can harm people, other living organisms, property, or the
environment.,

7. CLASSES OF HAZARDAS GOODS
1. Explosives
2. Gases
3. Flammable Liquids
4. Flammable Solids
5. Oxidizing Substances
6. Toxic & Infectious Substances
7. Radioactive Material
8. Corrosives
9. Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods

8. CLASS 1. EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCES OR
ARTICLES
Explosives are materials or items which
have the ability to rapidly conflagrate or
detonate as a consequence of chemical
reaction.

9. 1.1 Mass explosion
Possible
Ex; Mercury(II)
fulminate
1.2 Projection hazard
but not a mass
explosion hazard
Ex:Detonators for
ammunition
1.3 minor
Ex; Nitrocellulose,
Distress flash

10. Blasting
Agent, very
insensitive.
Ex:Explosive,
blasting, type
B or Agent
blasting, Type B
Minor
explosion
hazard
Ex; 5-
Mercaptotetraz
ol-1-acetic acid
Explosives,
extremely
insensitive, no
mass
explosions
Ex: Articles,
explosive, extremely
insensitive or Articles,
EEI

11. GLASS 2 – GASES
Gases are defined by dangerous goods regulations as substances
which have a vapour pressure of 300 kPa or greater at 50°c or which
are completely gaseous at 20°c at standard atmospheric pressure, and
items containing these substances.
Ex:Compressed gas.

12. 2.1 Flammable gases 2.2 Non-flammable, non-toxic gases
(METHANE) (Corbon Dioxide)
2.3 Toxic gases
(NO2, CO)

13. CLASS 3 – FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS
Flammable liquids are defined by dangerous goods regulations as
liquids, mixtures of liquids or liquids containing solids in solution or
suspension which give off a flammable vapour (have a flash point) at
temperatures of not more than 60-65°C, liquids offered for transport at
temperatures at or above their flash point or substances transported at
elevated temperatures in a liquid state and which give off a flammable
vapour at a temperature at or below the maximum transport
temperature.

14. Ex: Ethanol, Diesel

15. CLASS 4 – FLAMMABLE SOLIDS
Flammable solids; substances liable to spontaneous combustion;
substances which emit flammable gases when in contact with water.
Ex: Paraformaldehyde.

16. CLASS 4.1 – FLAMMABLE SOLIDS, SELF-
REACTIVE SUBSTANCES AND DESENSITIZED
EXPLOSIVES
Solids which, under conditions
encountered in transport, are
readily combustible or may
cause or contribute to fire
through friction; self-reactive
substances (solids and liquids)
which are liable to undergo a
strongly exothermic reaction;
solid desensitized explosives
which may explode if not
diluted sufficiently

17. CLASS 4.2 – SUBSTANCES LIABLE TO
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION
Substances (solids and
liquids) which are liable to
spontaneous heating under
normal conditions
encountered in transport, or
to heating up in contact with
air, and being then liable to
catch fire;
Ex: White phosphorus

18. CLASS 4.3 – SUBSTANCES WHICH, IN CONTACT
WITH WATER, EMIT FLAMMABLE GASES
Substances (solids and
liquids) which, by
interaction with water, are
liable to become
spontaneously flammable
or to give off flammable
gases in dangerous
quantities.
Ex: Sodium

19. CLASS 5 OXIDIZER
 Oxidizing agent (oxidant, oxidizer) is a substance
that has the ability to oxidize ... The international
pictogram for oxidising chemicals.Common
oxidizing agents are oxygen, hydrogen peroxide
and halogens.
 The usual source of oxygen for burning is air.
However, oxidizing materials can supply
combustible substances with oxygen and support a
fire even when air is not present.

20. CLASS 5.1 OXIDIZING SUBSTANCES
Material that may, generally by yielding oxygen, cause or
enhance the combustion of other materials.
Ex. Calcium chlorate

21. CLASS 5.2 – ORGANIC PEROXIDES
An organic peroxide is any organic (carbon-
containing) compound having two oxygen
atoms joined together (-O-O-). This chemical
group is called a "peroxy" group. Organic
peroxides can be severe fire and explosion
hazards.
Ex. Benzoyl peroxide

22. CLASS 6.1 – TOXIC SUBSTANCES
 Poisonous material is a material, other than a gas, which is known to
be so toxic to humans as to afford a hazard to health during
transportation, or which, in the absence of adequate data on human
toxicity.
Ex: Chloroform

23. EX. TEAR GAS (CHLOROBENZALMALONONITRILE /CS GAS)

24. CLASS 6.2 – INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCES
Biological hazards, also known as biohazards, refer to biological
substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms,
primarily that of humans. This can include medical waste or samples of
a microorganism, virus or toxin (from a biological source) that can
affect human health. It can also include substances harmful to other
animals.

25. EX. NEEDLES, BIOWASTE

26. CLASS 7 – RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
 Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) and
Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials
(TENORM) consist of materials, usually industrial wastes or by-
products enriched with radioactive elements found in the
environment, such as uranium, thorium and potassium and any of
their decay products, such as radium and radon.[1]

27. EX. RADIUM 226, 228 AND RADON 222

28. CLASS 8 – CORROSIVE SUBSTANCE
 A corrosive material is a liquid or solid that causes full thickness
destruction of human skin at the site of contact within a specified
period of time. Corrosives are materials that can attack and
chemically destroy exposed body tissues. Corrosives can also
damage or even destroy metal. They begin to cause damage as
soon as they touch the skin, eyes, respiratory tract, digestive tract, or
the metal. They might be hazardous in other ways too, depending on
the particular corrosive material.
 Most corrosives are either acids or bases. Common acids include
hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, chromic acid, acetic acid
and hydrofluoric acid. Common bases are ammonium hydroxide,
potassium hydroxide (caustic potash) and sodium hydroxide (caustic
soda).

29. EX. HYDROCHLORIC ACID, SULFURIC ACID, NITRIC
ACID, CHROMIC ACID

30. CLASS 9 – MISCELLANEOUS DANGEROUS
SUBSTANCES AND ARTICLES
 Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods are substances and articles which
during transport present a danger or hazard not covered by other 8
classes. This class encompasses, but is not limited to,
environmentally hazardous substances, substances that are
transported at elevated temperatures, miscellaneous articles and
substances, genetically modified organisms and micro-organisms
and (depending on the method of transport) magnetized materials
and aviation regulated substances.
Ex: Dry ice, Lithium Batteries

31. COMMONLY TRANSPORTED CLASS 9 DANGEROUS GOODS INCLUDE MARINE POLLUTANTS SUCH
AS ZINC OXIDE, LITHIUM ION BATTERIES, GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS, AIR BAG MODULES
AND MOTOR ENGINES.

32. OTHER LABLES
Environmentally
hazardous substance
mark.
Ex; Pesticides, lead,
contaminated water,
mercury, carbon
monoxide, tobacco
smoke and asbestos

33. Temperatures equal to or exceeding 100°C in a liquid state / at
temperatures equal or exceeding 240°C in a solid state.
Elevated temperature
substances

34. DANGER
THIS UNIT IS UNDER FUMIGATION WITH ( fumigant
name* ) APPLIED ON ( date* )
( time* )
VENTILATED ON ( date* )
DO NOT ENTER
Fumigation warning sign
Fumigation is a method
of using a lethal gas to
exterminate pests within
an enclosed space.
Ex: Methyl isocyanate, PH3

35. Risk of Asphyxiation
warning sign
Hazards with inert gases
and the risks
of asphyxiation are well
established. An occasional
cause of accidental death in
humans, inert gas asphyxia
with gases including
helium, nitrogen, methane,
and argon, has been used
as a suicide method.
Ex: Oil tankers (Inerting
system)

36. EMERGENCY ACTION
CODES & APPLICATION

37. EMERGENCY ACTION CODES & APPLICATION
 Overview
 Structure of EAC
 Assigning Of EAC
 Application of EAC in emergency service

40. EXPLANATIONS
Column 1: United Nations (UN) Number
The identification number shown in the first column of the list
is that allocated by the United Nations.
Column 2: Substance
The names of substances in the second column of the list are
by‘Proper Shipping Names’.
Column 3: Emergency Action Code (EAC)Emergency Action Codes
(commonly known as Hazchem codes) are designed to be used by the
emergency services in conjunction with Emergency Action Code
Cards, which are intended to be carried by emergency service
personnel. The cards indicate the action that may be necessary
(except additional personal protection (APP) and the use of alcohol
resistant foam) during the first few minutes of an incident.

41. Column 4: Advice on Additional Personal Protection (APP)
Column 5: Hazards
This is sub-divided to show the primary hazard of the substance, which
determines the Class into which the substance is assigned.
Column 6: Hazard Identification Number (HIN)
Consists of two or three figures. in general, the figures indicate the following
hazards.

42. Column 6: Hazard Identification Number (HIN)
• 2 Emissions of gas.
• 3 Flammability of liquids (vapours) and gases or self-heating liquids.
• 4 Flammability of solids or self-heating solids.
• 5 Oxidizing (fire-intensifying) effect
• 6 Toxicity (or risk of infection)
• 7 Radioactivity
• 8 Corrosivity
• 9 Risk of spontaneous, violent reaction.
 Doubling of a figure indicates an intensification of that particular hazard.
 If the letter ‘X’ prefixes a hazard identification number, this indicates that the
substance will react dangerously with water. For these substances, water may only
be used with the approval of experts.
Ex: X432(Ex: PYROPHORIC) , X88(Ex:SULPHUR CHLORIDES)

43. STRUCTURE OF EAC
 The following procedure shall be used to assign EACs when each of
the dangerous goods comprising the multi-load is listed for carriage
in a tank under RID or ADR.
1st character of the code:
The number forming the first character of the code for a
multi- load is the highest of the numbers occurring in the EACs for the
individual dangerous goods.

44. 2nd Character of the code:
The letter forming the second character of the code shall be
determined from the first letter of the EAC for each of the dangerous
goods from the chart below.
Letter ‘E’
 The letter ‘E’ shall be included as the third character in the multi-
load.
 EAC shall be just a two character code determined from paragraphs.

45. P R S T W X Y Z
P P P P P W W W W
R P R P R W X W X
S P P S S W W Y Y
T P R S T W X Y Z
W W W W W W W W W
X W X W X W X W X
Y W W Y Y W W Y Y
Z W X Y Z W X Y Z
Code chart for the determination of emergency action codes for
multi-loads

46. ASSIGNING EAC
 The codes allocated and shown in the list apply to tank transport and
carriage in bulk of the single substance by road or rail except.. These
codes will not necessarily apply for non-transport incidents although
they may be used to provide some indication of the action that may
be necessary. 2) Radioactive materials have not been allocated
emergency action codes.

47.  Radioactive materials have not been allocated emergency action
codes.. stipulate that transport units, containers or wagons carrying
packaged radioactive material with a single UN number, required to
be carried under exclusive use and with no other dangerous goods,
display orange-coloured plates bearing the appropriate hazard
identification number (HIN) and UN number.
 The prefix ‘∙’ will sometimes appear before the EAC in the third
column, e.g. UN 1193 Ethyl Methyl Ketone appears as ∙2YE. The ‘∙’
here indicates to the emergency services that alcohol resistant foam
is the preferred firefighting medium.

48.  But this prefix shall not be displayed on plates, i.e. EACs displayed
on road or rail vehicles will either be two characters without an ‘E’ or
three characters including an ‘E’. In a similar way an APP code will
sometimes appear in the 4th column of the List at Section 4
indicating additional information for the emergency services but
again this shall not be displayed on plates.
 In some cases, where there is more than one EAC for a single UN
number, it will be necessary to determine the EAC by reference to
the packing group, e.g. for UN 1224 – the EAC will be 3YE for
ketones of packing group II whereas the EAC will be
 3Y for ketones of packing group III. In these cases the relevant
packing groups will be identified in the ‘Substance’ column.

49. EXAMPLE- MULTI LOAD PRODUCT
Three substances to be carried as a multi-load, having
emergency action codes of
3Y, 2S and 4WE
1st Character (number)
 The first character of the EAC for each of the three
substances is 3, 2 and 4.
The highest number must be taken as the first character of the
code for the multi-load and therefore the first character shall be
4

50. 2nd Character (letter)
The second character of the
code for the three substances shall therefore be W.
P R S T W X Y Z
P P P P P W W W W
R P R P R W X W X
S P P S S W W Y Y
T P R S T W X Y Z
W W W W W W W W W
X W X W X W X W X
Y W W Y Y W W Y Y
Z W X Y Z W X Y Z
Y
S
Y
Y
W
W
1st 2nd

51. Letter ‘E’
 The third substance has an ‘E’ as a third character and
therefore the multi-load shall also have an ‘E’.
4 W E
 The resultant emergency action code for the three
substances carried as a multi-load shall therefore be 4WE.

53. APPLICATION OF EMERGENCY ACTION
CODES FOR THE EMERGENCY SERVICES
1.Extinguishing Media
The firefighting extinguishing medium is determined by reference to
the first character of the EAC as follows:
 1 denotes coarse water spray
 2 denotes fine water spray
 3 denotes normal foam i.e. protein based foam that is not
alcohol resistant
 4 denotes dry agent – water MUST NOT be allowed to come
into contact with substance

54. 2. Personal Protection
S, T, Y or Z normal firefighting clothing is appropriate.
P, R, W or X chemical protective clothing with liquid tight connections for whole
body.
Violent Reaction- Where the second character of the EAC is a P, S, W or Y
there is a danger that the substance can be violently or explosively reactive.
This danger may be present due to one of the following.

55. VIOLENT:-
 Violent or explosive decomposition of the material.
 Gases and flammable liquids with a flash point below 60°C.
 The rapid acceleration of combustion due to the involvement of an
oxidizer.
 A reaction with water which is itself violent, and may also evolve
flammable gases.

56. CONTAIN & DILUTE
W, X, Y or Z:- spillages, contaminated fire and decontamination run-off
should be prevented from entering drains and surface and
groundwater's.
P, R, S or T:- Immediate threat to people, spillages and
decontamination run-off may be washed to drains with large quantities
of water.
Ref ‘’Dangerous-Goods-2015’’ for more details

57. E “PUBLIC SAFETY HAZARD”
An ‘E’ following the first two characters of an EAC indicates
that there may be a public safety hazard outside the immediate area of
the incident, and that the following actions should be considered.
 People should be warned to stay indoors with all doors and windows
closed, preferably in rooms upstairs and facing away from the
incident. Ignition sources should be eliminated and any ventilation
stopped.
 All non-essential personnel should be instructed to move at least 250
metres away from the incident.
 Police and Fire and Rescue Service incident commanders should
consult each other and with a product expert, or with a source of
product expertise.

58. EVACUATION
 The possible need for subsequent evacuation should be considered,
but it should be remembered that in most cases it will be safer
to remain in a building than to evacuate.
------------------------------------------xxxxx--------------------------------------------

59. EXAMPLE:-
‘AVIATION TURBINE FUEL’
3- Foam
Y- Violent, BA & Fire Kit required, Contain.
1863-FUEL, AVIATION, TURBINE ENGINE,
packing group III.
30- Flammability of liquids (vapours) and
gases or self-heating liquids.
3Y
1863
USE ONLY DCP
Chem. Co
xx-xxxxx-xx

60. IMPORTANT CONTACT NUMBERS
Local Fire Stations:-
(Here add your local numbers for
EMG contacts)
Pollution Control Board:-