The shipping document provides vital information when responding to a hazardous materials/dangerous goods incident. The shipping document contains information needed to identify the materials involved. Use this information to initiate protective actions for your own safety and the safety of the public. The shipping document contains the proper shipping name, the hazard class or division of the material(s), ID number and, where appropriate, the Packing Group number. In addition, there must be information available that describes the hazards of the material that can be used in the mitigation of an incident. The information must be entered on or be with the shipping document. See Figure 2-4 on the next page.

This requirement may be satisfied by attaching a guide from the ERG to the shipping document, or by having the entire guidebook available for ready reference. Shipping documents are required for most dangerous goods in transportation. Shipping documents are kept in the cab of the motor vehicle, in the possession of the train crewmember, in a holder on the bridge of a vessel, or in the possession of the aircraft’s captain.