Why Monitoring Hazmat Incidents Protects Your Business

Article Summary

1. Ignorance of hazmat incidents is a compliance risk, not a defense.
2. Shippers are often unaware of incidents because carriers typically file the reports.
3. Federal rules require the party in physical possession of the shipment to report incidents to PHMSA.
4. Without proactive monitoring, shippers may never learn about reported issues.
5. The PHMSA Incident Database is a public tool for tracking hazmat events.
6. Searches can be filtered by date, transport mode, hazard class, or shipper name.
7. Section 11 (Shipper/Offeror Name) is especially valuable for monitoring your company’s exposure.
8. Regular database checks help companies anticipate potential enforcement actions.
9. Monitoring reports allows correction of inaccurate or misleading incident claims.
10. Unchallenged errors in reports can trigger unnecessary inspections.
11. Incident data can reveal recurring trends or systemic issues.
12. Early awareness supports proactive improvements in packaging and training.
13. Routine monitoring strengthens compliance readiness and internal oversight.
14. A few minutes of database review can prevent costly enforcement surprises.
15. Staying informed is a simple but powerful compliance advantage.

When it comes to hazardous materials transportation, ignorance is not bliss—it’s a compliance risk. Many shippers assume they’ll be informed if their shipment is involved in an incident, but that’s rarely the case. Most incident reports are filed by the carrier, and shippers may never hear about them unless they actively look.

Why You Might Not Hear About an Incident

Under federal rules, the person in physical possession of the hazardous material at the time of the incident is responsible for reporting it to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). In most cases, that’s the carrier, not the shipper. Unless the carrier tells you—or you have a proactive monitoring process—you may never know a shipment had an issue.

The PHMSA Incident Database

The PHMSA incident database is a public resource you can check anytime (see Oracle Analytics Interactive Dashboards – Hazmat Incident Report Search). You can search by:

• Date of incident
• Mode of transport
• Hazard class
• Most useful for shippers: Section 11 – Shipper/Offeror Name

At Hazmat Safety Consulting (HSC), we recommend our clients regularly search for their company name to stay ahead of potential enforcement visits and to spot trends in incident data.

A Real-World Example

One of our clients found an incident report claiming a hazmat leak. The “leak” turned out to be a flavoring packet that was not hazardous at all. If they hadn’t checked the database, that incorrect report could have gone unchallenged—potentially flagging them for a needless inspection.

The Compliance Advantage

Staying informed offers multiple benefits:

• Correct inaccurate reports before they lead to unnecessary investigations.
• Spot root causes and address them proactively.
• Identify opportunities for improvement—from packaging upgrades to employee training.

Bottom line: A few minutes of database monitoring can save you from costly enforcement actions and strengthen your overall safety program.

Questions about your specific situation? Book a call with our expert today!