US DOT Hazardous Materials Regulations (49 CFR Parts 171 to 180) 171.15-16: Incident reporting: immediate telephone notice for serious incidents and written DOT Form F 5800.1 within 30 days (171.15, 171.16)

What does 171.15-16 require?

A carrier must give notice to the National Response Center by telephone as soon as practicable, and no later than 12 hours, after a hazardous materials incident in which a person is killed or hospitalised, estimated damage exceeds $50,000, an evacuation of the public lasting one or more hours occurs, a major transportation artery is closed for one hour or more, the operational flight pattern of an aircraft is altered, fire or breakage or suspected contamination involves radioactive or infectious material, or the carrier judges the situation warrants it. Within 30 days of discovery of any unintentional release (and certain packaging failures and undeclared shipments) the person in physical possession must file DOT Form F 5800.1 with PHMSA and keep a copy for two years, updating it if later information changes the report.