formal responsibility. Military service/agency headquarters should also be advised after the
appropriate notifications are made.
3.15 Releases of Reportable Quantities. Notification by the installation commander is also
required to report releases of hazardous substances equal to or greater than their reportable
quantities. Reportable quantities (RQ) can be found either in CFR 40, Section 302.4 or CFR 49,
immediately inform his or her supervisor. The supervisor will report the incident in accordance
with the Installation Spill Contingency Plan (ISCP). In addition, the responsible supervisor will
limit access to the spill area until spill response teams or other trained personnel arrive at the
scene. A written report concerning the releases of hazardous substances will be made so that
preventative measures can be reviewed or implemented. In addition, reportable quantity releases
of hazardous substances will be reported, in accordance with Title 40 CFR, part 302.6, and to the
National Response Center (NRC) at (800) 424-8802 (toll free) or (202) 426-2675 (toll). Also, a
written report is required for releases of hazardous waste in any quantity during transport,
loading, or unloading. The specific requirements of the report are given in 49 CFR 171.16.
SECTION VII. RECEIVING INSPECTION OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
3.16 Purpose of Inspection. The purpose of inspecting hazardous materials upon receipt is to
verify that the material is properly identified, documented, packaged, safe to handle, and in
accordance with contractual documents. In preparing for inspection of hazardous materials,
shipping papers will serve as the basic source of identification. Based upon this information, the
vehicle or rail container will be positioned in an area or at a dock that will facilitate the
inspection and off-loading of the material. Once the hazard class has been determined, the off-
loading process may commence; however, a preliminary visual inspection will be performed
before any cargo is off-loaded. In addition, receiving and inspection personnel must ensure that
arriving material is compatible with other material located in the receiving area.
3.17 Preliminary Inspection
A. Prior to commencing the off-loading of cargo known to include hazardous materials, a
preliminary inspection will be performed to detect damage that might have been caused during
transit by improper loading, blocking, or bracing. One of the first indications of such damage
will be crushed or fallen containers or evidence that the load has shifted to such a degree that safe
unloading is impeded. Particular care also must be taken to ensure that leakage or spills of
liquids or solids are detected at this time. An indication of concealed damage is the presence of
odors.
B. Should the preliminary inspection disclose actual or suspected damage, the conveyance will
be closed and receipt processing actions will be terminated immediately. The circumstances will
be reported to the immediate supervisor who will take actions to report and resolve the matter in
accordance with locally published procedures.
C. Care must be exercised during off-loading operations to ensure that incompatible hazardous
materials are adequately segregated on the receiving dock. Incompatible materials will be
separated as directed in Title 49 CFR. For a more precise determination of material segregation
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