How to read the table
- Confirm the entry is green. Only entries highlighted in green in the yellow or blue section have a Table 1 row. For the rest, use the guide's immediate precautionary distance.
- Find the row. Table 1 is in ID number order. Find the ID and check the name, because some materials have one row for a land spill and another for a spill into water.
- Choose the spill size. A small spill is a small package or a small leak from a large package; a large spill is a large package or many small ones.
- Read the isolation distance. The first figure in the chosen columns is how far to isolate the area in all directions.
- Read the protective action distance. Then choose day or night and read how far downwind people should be protected, by evacuating or sheltering in place.
Worked example: chlorine
1017 Chlorine is highlighted on page 29 of the yellow section, and its Table 1 row is on printed page 290. For a small spill: isolate 60 m (200 ft), then protect 0.3 km (0.2 mi) downwind by day or 1.5 km (0.9 mi) at night. For a large spill the row says Refer to Table 3.
A trainee who reads the day figure for a night leak gets this from the drill: "Protect: night gives 1.5 km; you wrote 0.3. That is the day column."
Worked example: phosgene, the large night figure
For 1076 Phosgene, a large spill means isolating 500 m and protecting 9.5 km downwind at night, against 2.5 km for a small spill. On the two Table 1 pages Placardset carries, the largest night figure is 1092 Acrolein, stabilized: 11.1 km (6.9 mi) after isolating 600 m.
The rows Placardset carries
The drill uses the 41 rows on printed pages 290 and 291 (33 ID numbers), typed in and checked against the book's own text. Every highlighted material in the drill set is among them, so the distance you are asked for is always in the table below. Rows that say Refer to Table 3 for a large spill: 1005, 1017, 1040, 1050, 1052, 1079.
| ID | Guide | Name of material | Small spill: isolate | Small: protect day | Small: protect night | Large spill: isolate | Large: protect day | Large: protect night |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1005 | 125 | Ammonia, anhydrous | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) | Refer to Table 3 | ||
| 1005 | 125 | Anhydrous ammonia | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) | Refer to Table 3 | ||
| 1008 | 125 | Boron trifluoride | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) | 0.7 km (0.5 mi) | 400 m (1250 ft) | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) | 4.7 km (2.9 mi) |
| 1008 | 125 | Boron trifluoride, compressed | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) | 0.7 km (0.5 mi) | 400 m (1250 ft) | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) | 4.7 km (2.9 mi) |
| 1016 | 119 | Carbon monoxide, compressed | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) | 200 m (600 ft) | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) | 3.9 km (2.4 mi) |
| 1017 | 124 | Chlorine | 60 m (200 ft) | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) | Refer to Table 3 | ||
| 1026 | 119 | Cyanogen | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.4 km (0.3 mi) | 60 m (200 ft) | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
| 1040 | 119P | Ethylene oxide | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.2 km (0.2 mi) | Refer to Table 3 | ||
| 1040 | 119P | Ethylene oxide with nitrogen | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.2 km (0.2 mi) | Refer to Table 3 | ||
| 1045 | 124 | Fluorine, compressed | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) | 100 m (300 ft) | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) | 2.3 km (1.4 mi) |
| 1048 | 125 | Hydrogen bromide, anhydrous | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.2 km (0.2 mi) | 150 m (500 ft) | 1 km (0.7 mi) | 3.2 km (2 mi) |
| 1050 | 125 | Hydrogen chloride, anhydrous | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) | Refer to Table 3 | ||
| 1051 | 117P | Hydrogen cyanide, stabilized | 60 m (200 ft) | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) | 200 m (600 ft) | 0.7 km (0.5 mi) | 1.8 km (1.1 mi) |
| 1052 | 125 | Hydrogen fluoride, anhydrous | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) | Refer to Table 3 | ||
| 1053 | 117 | Hydrogen sulfide | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) | 400 m (1250 ft) | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) | 6.3 km (4 mi) |
| 1053 | 117 | Hydrogen sulphide | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) | 400 m (1250 ft) | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) | 6.3 km (4 mi) |
| 1061 | 118 | Methylamine, anhydrous | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) | 200 m (600 ft) | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) | 2.1 km (1.3 mi) |
| 1062 | 123 | Methyl bromide | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 150 m (500 ft) | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) | 0.7 km (0.5 mi) |
| 1064 | 117 | Methyl mercaptan | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) | 200 m (600 ft) | 1.3 km (0.8 mi) | 3.9 km (2.4 mi) |
| 1067 | 124 | Dinitrogen tetroxide | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.4 km (0.3 mi) | 400 m (1250 ft) | 1.4 km (0.9 mi) | 3.3 km (2.1 mi) |
| 1067 | 124 | Nitrogen dioxide | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.4 km (0.3 mi) | 400 m (1250 ft) | 1.4 km (0.9 mi) | 3.3 km (2.1 mi) |
| 1069 | 125 | Nitrosyl chloride | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.2 km (0.2 mi) | 1 km (0.7 mi) | 800 m (2500 ft) | 4.3 km (2.7 mi) | 9.6 km (6 mi) |
| 1076 | 125 | Phosgene | 100 m (300 ft) | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) | 2.5 km (1.6 mi) | 500 m (1500 ft) | 3 km (1.9 mi) | 9.5 km (5.9 mi) |
| 1079 | 125 | Sulfur dioxide | 100 m (300 ft) | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) | 2.6 km (1.6 mi) | Refer to Table 3 | ||
| 1079 | 125 | Sulphur dioxide | 100 m (300 ft) | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) | 2.6 km (1.6 mi) | Refer to Table 3 | ||
| 1082 | 119P | Refrigerant gas R-1113 | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 60 m (200 ft) | 0.4 km (0.3 mi) | 0.7 km (0.5 mi) |
| 1082 | 119P | Trifluorochloroethylene, stabilized | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 60 m (200 ft) | 0.4 km (0.3 mi) | 0.7 km (0.5 mi) |
| 1092 | 131P | Acrolein, stabilized | 100 m (300 ft) | 1.3 km (0.8 mi) | 3.5 km (2.2 mi) | 600 m (2000 ft) | 6.8 km (4.2 mi) | 11.1 km (6.9 mi) |
| 1093 | 131P | Acrylonitrile, stabilized | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.2 km (0.2 mi) | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) | 100 m (300 ft) | 1.3 km (0.8 mi) | 2.3 km (1.5 mi) |
| 1098 | 131 | Allyl alcohol | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) | 60 m (200 ft) | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) | 1.2 km (0.8 mi) |
| 1135 | 131 | Ethylene chlorohydrin | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) |
| 1143 | 131P | Crotonaldehyde | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) | 60 m (200 ft) | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) | 0.7 km (0.5 mi) |
| 1143 | 131P | Crotonaldehyde, stabilized | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) | 60 m (200 ft) | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) | 0.7 km (0.5 mi) |
| 1162 | 155 | Dimethyldichlorosilane (when spilled in water) | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.4 km (0.2 mi) | 1.2 km (0.8 mi) |
| 1163 | 131 | Dimethylhydrazine, unsymmetrical | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) | 100 m (300 ft) | 1 km (0.7 mi) | 1.8 km (1.1 mi) |
| 1182 | 155 | Ethyl chloroformate | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) | 60 m (200 ft) | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
| 1183 | 139 | Ethyldichlorosilane (when spilled in water) | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 60 m (200 ft) | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| 1185 | 131P | Ethyleneimine, stabilized | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.2 km (0.1 mi) | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) | 200 m (600 ft) | 1 km (0.6 mi) | 1.8 km (1.1 mi) |
| 1196 | 155 | Ethyltrichlorosilane (when spilled in water) | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) | 150 m (500 ft) | 1.8 km (1.2 mi) | 3.7 km (2.3 mi) |
| 1238 | 155 | Methyl chloroformate | 30 m (100 ft) | 0.2 km (0.2 mi) | 0.5 km (0.4 mi) | 150 m (500 ft) | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) | 2.2 km (1.4 mi) |
| 1239 | 131 | Methyl chloromethyl ether | 60 m (200 ft) | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) | 1.5 km (1 mi) | 300 m (1000 ft) | 3.4 km (2.1 mi) | 5.7 km (3.6 mi) |
Entries that are not highlighted
Most entries are not green. For those, the first distance is in the orange guide, under Evacuation: an immediate precautionary measure to isolate the spill or leak area in all directions. Across the 62 guides the figures are:
- 50 m for liquids, 25 m for solids: 24 guides
- 100 m (330 ft): 17 guides
- 50 m (150 ft): 10 guides
- 25 m (75 ft): 10 guides
- 500 m (1/3 mile): 1 guide
For a large spill, most guides also say to consider a larger downwind evacuation, and with a fire, to isolate a tank or rail car for a much greater distance.
Common mistakes
- Reading the day column for a night incident, or the reverse.
- Using the large spill columns for one leaking drum or cylinder.
- Reading the feet or miles figure as meters or kilometers.
- Taking the first row for an ID when the material is in water and has its own row.
- Using Table 1 when the material is burning.
Practise the columns in the daily drill, which always shows the table, or look up any highlighted ID in the UN number lookup.
Sources
Checked on 27 September 2026. Everything here is said in our own words; the guidebook's text is paraphrased, never quoted at length. Where your instructor, your employer's plan or the current printed guidebook says something different, follow them.
- 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, Introduction to Green Tables and Table 1 (printed pages 280 to 333). Small and large spills, day and night, and Refer to Table 3; opened 27 September 2026.
- 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, orange section (printed pages 148 to 279). The guides, including each guide's Evacuation section with its immediate precautionary measure; opened 27 September 2026.
- 2024 Emergency Response Guidebook, yellow section (printed pages 28 to 87). The ID number index and its introduction, including the green highlighting and the P suffix; opened 27 September 2026.
- Placardset's grader. Every example on this page is computed by the drill's own data and grading at build time, and pinned by a test.