24 HOUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE TELEPHONE NUMBER

24-7-360 Emergency Response Service

ChemTel, Inc. is one of a select few federally recognized Emergency Response Communication Call Centers.  ChemTel has been providing exceptional and accurate emergency mitigation services to the hazardous materials transportation industry for over twenty years.  Many major corporations, educational institutions, and governmental entities rely on ChemTel to provide unmatched emergency preparedness and critical compliance support. 

ChemTel has evolved into a premier emergency communications provider thanks to its technically trained and highly experienced professional staff of hazardous materials specialists who are capable of handling virtually any type of hazmat related incident. Our complex 24 hour communications infrastructure is comprised of state of the art telecommunication and computer systems which provide our responders with reliable and immediate access to critical Environmental Health and Safety information 365-24-7. ChemTel is uniquely qualified to provide a global solution for the health and safety needs of its clients.

ChemTel’s 24-7-365 Communications Infrastructure

Features

• Live operator assistance 24-hours a day /7 days a week /365 days a year by a highly trained and experienced staff of emergency mitigation professionals
• Global technical support uniquely designed to address the transport safety needs of all of our client’s manufacturing and distribution facilities worldwide
• All phone calls into Emergency Call Center are recorded, date and time stamped, and saved as retrievable windows media files. All recordings are archived for a minimum of 18 months. Clients may request whatever time frame they deem appropriate for extended storage of audio files.
• Immediately accessible third party translation service into 65 languages
• Instant access to keyword searchable Material Safety Data Sheets allows emergency operators to provide immediate and reliable first aid information and incident mitigation procedures to medical personnel and on-scene emergency responders
• Automated transfer to Poison Control Center or medical professionals in the event of life threatening exposures or product misuse
• Real time customized incident report generation in response to product spills, accidental releases in transit, personal exposure, or product misuse.  These incident reports can be customized to client specifications to include the precise information needed for review and investigation.  Distribution of these reports can be product-specific or location-specific.
• Report preparation to the National Response Center (NRC) as required by CERCLA, EPCRA, RCRA, and CWA for releases of reportable quantities of hazardous materials
• Report preparation to the NRC for other US DOT reporting triggers including hazardous materials incidents involving:
  • Loss of life
  • Injuries requiring hospitalization
  • Public evacuation for more than one hour
  • Major Roadway closures for more than one hour
  • Alteration of aircraft operation flight plans
  • Fire, breakage, spillage of radioactive materials
  • Fire, breakage, spillage of infectious substances
  • Release of a Marine Pollutant in a quantity > 119 gal or 882 lbs.

Compliance with Federal Regulations

Providing a 24-hour emergency hotline number when transporting hazardous materials is not just a responsible business practice it’s the law.  49 CFR 172.604 requires all shippers of a regulated hazardous material, substance, or waste to provide an emergency contact number. The emergency response telephone number must be active and operational, with no limitations, during the entire time a hazardous materials shipment is in transit, including storage incidental to movement and intermodal shipments that are transferred from one carrier to another for continued transportation. However, simply providing a telephone number that is operational 24-hours a day does not ensure compliance with the regulations.  According to 172.604 of 49 CFR the emergency response telephone number must connect a caller to a party capable of, and accepting responsibility for, providing detailed information about the hazardous materials shipment that is offered for transit.  The emergency response telephone number is used by emergency responders and transport workers to obtain detailed product-specific information, including directions for remedial measures to be taken in the event of an incident during transportation.  The telephone number must be answered by a person who is knowledgeable about the material being shipped and possesses comprehensive emergency incident mitigation information for that material or has immediate access to a person who possesses such knowledge.

Aside from the US DOT, several other regulatory authorities have specific requirements for the provision of a 24-hour emergency communications hotline.

• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
• Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)
• International Air Transport Association (IATA)
• International Maritime Organization (IMO)
• International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG)
• Department of Homeland Security
• Foreign Customs Agents