# DHL Global Forwarding — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

**Citation:** 11-0230  
**Type / status:** guidance / guidance  
**Agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration  
**Effective:** Not stated  
**Published:** 2011-12-06

11-0230 response to DHL Global Forwarding concerning 172.600, 172.602.

## Document text

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington. D.C. 20590
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
DEC 6 2011
Dorothea A. Welk
Dangerous Goods Compliance Specialist
DHL Global Forwarding
1905 Raymond Ave. SW.
Renton, WA 98057
Reference No.: 11-0230
Dear Ms. Welk:
This is in response to your September 1, 2011 letter requesting clarification of the Hazardous
Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) as they pertain to the immediate availability
of emergency response information. Specifically you ask if while a hazardous material is in a
warehouse awaiting transport if emergency response information must be available in a hard copy
or can it be electronically based and printed when needed.
It is the opinion of this office that a printed hard copy of emergency response information must be
present at a facility where a hazardous material is received, stored, or handled during
transportation. Emergency response information is required by § 172.600(c)(1) to be immediately
available for use at all times hazardous materials are present in the transportation stream. Facility
operators where hazardous materials are stored are required by § 172.602( c )(2) to maintain the
information required by § 172.602(a) whenever the hazardous material is present and must have
the information available in a location that is immediately accessible to facility personnel in the
event of an incident involving the hazardous material.
I hope this satisfies your inquiry. Please contact us if we can be of further assistance.
Vl'IL!.· ,
Delmer Billings ~
Senior Regulatory Advisor
Standards and Rulemaking Division

<<<PAGE 2>>>

·DHL Global Forwarding
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U.S.DOT
PHMSA Office of Hazmat Standards
Attn: PHH-IO
East Building
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20590-000 I
Ref: 49 CFR Section 172.600 ( c) (1)
GentlemenIMadam,
This section requires that emergency response information about a hazardous material
shipment must be immediately available at all times the hazardous material is present.
My question concerns the words 44immediately available". When the hazardous material
is in a forwarder or airline warehouse awaiting transport in what form does this
information need to be immediately available? Must this be a hard copy or can it be
contained in a computer to be printed when needed?
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Dorothea A. Welk
Dangerous Goods Compliance Specialist
Direct Phone: 425-572-3064
DHL Global Forwarding
1905 Raymond AVE SW Phone: +1 1 425981 3500
Renton, WA 98057 www.dhl.com

## Provenance

- Official: Yes
- Source: <https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretations/2011/110230.pdf>
- Source ID: `phmsa`
- SHA-256: `ee6614c0eaaa4fa6e75dc58d9135f71b9ea542dc42952697641e658b781ab15e`
- Retrieved: 2026-08-20T00:59:31.977Z
- Exported: 2026-08-22T18:25:57.995Z
- Document slug: `phmsa-interpretation-11-0230`

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