Hazardous chemicals transported around the country by road must be clearly marked and identified to aid emergency services should the vehicle be involved in an accident.
The information is displayed on an orange metal plaque known as the hazchem panel.
On the right of the panel is a warning diamond bearing one of nine symbols indicating whether the load is, for example, toxic, flammable, explosive or radioactive.
The left-hand side is divided into three parts giving more information. At the top is the three figure emergency action code (EAC), which indicates how to deal with the chemical. The first character, a number, identifies the appropriate firefighting method — whether to use water, foam or other agent. The second character, a letter, identifies the safety precautions. The third character will either be blank or bear an “e”, indicating there is a potential public-safety hazard. In the middle is the four-digit United Nations Substance Identification Number, a standard number identifying the substance.
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At the bottom of the panel is a telephone number for specialist advice and details of the company operating the vehicle.
The EAC was established by the London Fire Brigade on a voluntary basis in the 1970s and after a series of accidents involving chemical lorries. In 1979 it was formally introduced. All members of the emergency services must be familiar with it.
Europe has a slightly different panel, which foreign vehicles must display on British roads. It carries similar information to the hazchem panel but does not include an emergency phone number.