# Table 3: Large Spill Protective Action Distances

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** ERG 2024, Table 3: Large Spill Protective Action Distances
- **title:** Table 3: Large Spill Protective Action Distances
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** U.S. DOT / Transport Canada / SICT
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2024-04-04
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** Official ERG2024 table 3: large spill protective action distances guidance, pages 342-345.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-erg-2024-green-table-3.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-erg-2024-green-table-3.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-erg-2024-green-table-3
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2024-04/ERG2024-Eng-Web-a.pdf#page=342
**body:**

HOW TO USE TABLE 3 – INITIAL ISOLATION AND PROTECTIVE ACTION
DISTANCES FOR LARGE SPILLS FOR DIFFERENT QUANTITIES OF
SIX COMMON TIH (PIH IN THE US) GASES
Table 3 lists Toxic Inhalation Hazard (TIH) materials that may be more commonly
encountered.
The selected materials are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
UN1005 - Ammonia, anhydrous
UN1017 - Chlorine
UN1040 - Ethylene oxide and UN1040 – Ethylene oxide with nitrogen
UN1050 - Hydrogen chloride, anhydrous and UN2186 - Hydrogen chloride,
refrigerated liquid
UN1052 - Hydrogen fluoride, anhydrous
UN1079 - Sulfur dioxide/Sulphur dioxide
The materials are presented in numerical order of ID number and provide Initial Isolation
and Protective Action Distances FOR LARGE SPILLS (more than 208 liters or 55 US
gallons) involving different container types (therefore different volume capacities, see
below) for day time and night time situations and different wind speeds.
•
•
•
•
•
Rail tank car: 80 000 kg (176 370 lbs.)
Highway tank truck or trailer: 20 000 – 25 000 kg (44 092 – 55 116 lbs.)
Agricultural nurse tank: 3785 L (1000 gallons)
Small cylinder: 72 L (19 gallons)
Ton cylinder: 757 - 1135 L (200 - 300 gallons)
Estimating Wind Speed from Environmental Clues
mph km/h Wind
Description Specifications
< 6 < 10 Low wind Wind felt on face; leaves rustle; ordinary vane
moved by wind
6 - 12 10 - 20 Moderate wind Raises dust, loose paper; small branches
are moved
> 12 > 20 High wind Large branches in motion; whistling heard in
telephone wires; umbrellas used with difficulty
(Data taken from the Beaufort Wind Scale has been reworked in order to create 3 categories of wind
speed: Low, Moderate and High)
Page 340

TRANSPORT
CONTAINER UN1005 Ammonia, anhydrous / Anhydrous ammonia: Large Spills
Rail tank car 300 (1000) 1.6 (1.0) 1.2 (0.8) 1.0 (0.6) 4.1 (2.6) 2.1 (1.3) 1.3 (0.8)
Highway tank truck or trailer 150 (500) 0.8 (0.5) 0.5 (0.3) 0.4 (0.3) 1.8 (1.1) 0.7 (0.4) 0.6 (0.4)
Agricultural nurse tank 60 (200) 0.5 (0.3) 0.3 (0.2) 0.3 (0.2) 1.4 (0.9) 0.3 (0.2) 0.3 (0.2)
Multiple small cylinders 30 (100) 0.3 (0.2) 0.2 (0.1) 0.1 (0.1) 0.7 (0.5) 0.3 (0.2) 0.2 (0.1)
Low wind
(< 6 mph =
<
10 km/h)
Moderate wind
(6-12 mph =
10 - 20 km/h)
High wind
(> 12 mph =
> 20 km/h)
Moderate wind
(6-12 mph =
10 - 20 km/h)
High wind
(> 12 mph =
> 20 km/h)
Meters (Feet) Kilometers (Miles) Kilometers (Miles) Kilometers (Miles) Kilometers (Miles) Kilometers (Miles) Kilometers (Miles)
Highway tank truck
or trailer TRANSPORT
CONTAINER UN1017 Chlorine: Large Spills
Rail tank car 1000 (3000) 9.6 (6.0) 6.3 (3.9) 5.1 (3.2) 11.0+ (7.0+) 8.9 (5.6) 6.5 (4.1)
600 (2000) 5.6 (3.5) 3.3 (2.1) 2.5 (1.6) 6.4 (4.0) 4.7 (2.9) 3.8 (2.4)
Multiple ton cylinders 300 (1000) 1.9 (1.2) 1.3 (0.8) 1.0 (0.6) 3.5 (2.2) 2.3 (1.4) 1.3 (0.8)
Multiple small cylinders or
single ton cylinder 150 (500) 1.3 (0.9) 0.7 (0.5) 0.5 (0.3) 2.4 (1.5) 1.2 (0.8) 0.6 (0.4)
Page 341
TABLE 3 - INITIAL ISOLATION AND PROTECTIVE ACTION DISTANCES FOR LARGE SPILLS FOR DIFFERENT QUANTITIES
OF SIX COMMON TIH (PIH IN THE US) GASES
First ISOLATE
in all Directions
Then PROTECT persons Downwind during
DAY NIGHT
Low wind
(< 6 mph =
< 10 km/h)
TABLE 3
"+" means distance can be larger in certain atmospheric conditions

Page 342
TABLE 3 - INITIAL ISOLATION AND PROTECTIVE ACTION DISTANCES FOR LARGE SPILLS FOR DIFFERENT QUANTITIES
OF SIX COMMON TIH (PIH IN THE US) GASES
First ISOLATE
in all Directions
Then PROTECT persons Downwind during
DAY NIGHT
Moderate wind
(6-12 mph =
10 - 20 km/h)
Low wind
(< 6 mph =
< 10 km/h)
Low wind
(< 6 mph =
<
10 km/h)
High wind
(> 12 mph =
> 20 km/h)
Moderate wind
(6-12 mph =
10 - 20 km/h)
High wind
(> 12 mph =
> 20 km/h)
Meters (Feet) Kilometers (Miles) Kilometers (Miles) Kilometers (Miles) Kilometers (Miles) Kilometers (Miles) Kilometers (Miles)
TRANSPORT
CONTAINER
UN1040 Ethylene oxide: Large Spills
UN1040 Ethylene oxide with nitrogen: Large Spills
Rail tank car 200 (600) 1.5 (1.0) 0.8 (0.5) 0.7 (0.4) 3.0 (1.8) 1.4 (0.9) 0.8 (0.5)
Highway tank truck or trailer 100 (300) 0.9 (0.6) 0.5 (0.3) 0.4 (0.3) 2.0 (1.3) 0.7 (0.4) 0.4 (0.3)
Multiple small cylinders
or single ton cylinder 30 (100) 0.4 (0.3) 0.2 (0.1) 0.1 (0.1) 0.8 (0.5) 0.3 (0.2) 0.2 (0.1)
TRANSPORT
CONTAINER
UN1050 Hydrogen chloride, anhydrous: Large Spills
UN2186 Hydrogen chloride, refrigerated liquid: Large Spills
Rail tank car 500 (1500) 3.7 (2.3) 2.0 (1.3) 1.7 (1.1) 9.7 (6.1) 3.3 (2.1) 2.2 (1.4)
Highway tank truck
or trailer 200 (600) 1.5 (0.9) 0.8 (0.5) 0.6 (0.4) 3.7 (2.3) 1.5 (0.9) 0.8 (0.5)
Multiple ton cylinders 30 (100) 0.4 (0.3) 0.2 (0.1) 0.1 (0.1) 1.0 (0.6) 0.3 (0.2) 0.1 (0.1)
Multiple small cylinders or
single ton cylinder 30 (100) 0.3 (0.2) 0.2 (0.1) 0.1 (0.1) 0.9 (0.6) 0.3 (0.2) 0.2 (0.1)

TRANSPORT
CONTAINER UN1052 Hydrogen fluoride, anhydrous: Large Spills
Rail tank car 500 (1500) 3.4 (2.1) 2.1 (1.3) 1.8 (1.1) 6.4 (4.0) 3.0 (1.9) 1.9 (1.2)
Highway tank truck or trailer 200 (700) 2.0 (1.2) 1.0 (0.7) 0.9 (0.6) 3.6 (2.3) 1.5 (1.0) 0.9 (0.6)
Low wind
(< 6 mph =
<
10 km/h)
Moderate wind
(6-12 mph =
10 - 20 km/h)
High wind
(> 12 mph =
> 20 km/h)
Moderate wind
(6-12 mph =
10 - 20 km/h)
High wind
(> 12 mph =
> 20 km/h)
Meters (Feet) Kilometers (Miles) Kilometers (Miles) Kilometers (Miles) Kilometers (Miles) Kilometers (Miles) Kilometers (Miles)
Multiple small cylinders or
single ton cylinder 200 (600) 3.1 (1.9) 1.5 (0.9) 1.1 (0.7) 5.6 (3.5) 2.4 (1.5) 1.5 (0.9)
Multiple small cylinders
or single ton cylinder 100 (300) 0.8 (0.5) 0.4 (0.2) 0.3 (0.2) 1.7 (1.1) 0.5 (0.3) 0.3 (0.2)
TRANSPORT
CONTAINER UN1079 Sulfur dioxide / Sulphur dioxide: Large Spills
Rail tank car 1000 (3000) 11.0+ (7.0+) 11.0+ (7.0+) 6.9 (4.3) 11.0+ (7.0+) 11.0+ (7.0+) 9.6 (6.0)
Highway tank truck
or trailer 1000 (3000) 11.0+ (7.0+) 6.0 (3.8) 5.0 (3.3) 11.0+ (7.0+) 7.9 (5.1) 6.0 (3.9)
Multiple ton cylinders 500 (1500) 5.2 (3.3) 2.2 (1.4) 1.7 (1.1) 7.4 (4.3) 4.0 (2.5) 2.7 (1.7)
Page 343
TABLE 3 - INITIAL ISOLATION AND PROTECTIVE ACTION DISTANCES FOR LARGE SPILLS FOR DIFFERENT QUANTITIES
OF SIX COMMON TIH (PIH IN THE US) GASES
First ISOLATE
in all Directions
Then PROTECT persons Downwind during
DAY NIGHT
Low wind
(< 6 mph =
< 10 km/h)
TABLE 3
"+" means distance can be larger in certain atmospheric conditions
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