Big Changes for Hazmat Incident Reports?

Big Changes for Hazmat Incident Reports?

PHMSA Proposes Major Update to Hazardous Materials Incident Reporting Form

If you have ever had to complete a DOT Form 5800.1 following a hazardous materials incident, you know that the form asks for a lot of information—and some of it reflects transportation practices and technologies that have changed considerably over the years.

On September 21, 2026, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) published a notice requesting comments on proposed revisions to DOT Form 5800.1, Hazardous Materials Incident Report.

The form is used to report certain hazardous materials transportation incidents to PHMSA under 49 CFR §171.16. PHMSA is proposing new data elements, clarification of existing fields, removal or simplification of other information, and a more modern layout intended to make the form easier to complete and the resulting incident data more useful.

When Is a Hazardous Materials Incident Report Required?

The Hazardous Materials Regulations require certain incidents occurring during transportation to be reported. Under 49 CFR §171.15, certain serious incidents require immediate notification to the National Response Center as soon as practical, but no later than 12 hours after the incident. Under 49 CFR §171.16, a detailed written incident report may also be required. When applicable, DOT Form 5800.1 must generally be submitted within 30 days of discovery of the incident. PHMSA uses the information collected through these reports to identify transportation risks, analyze incidents and improve hazardous materials safety.

What Is PHMSA Proposing?

What Is PHMSA Proposing? This isn’t simply a cosmetic redesign of the form.

PHMSA is proposing to collect additional information that better reflects today’s hazardous materials transportation environment while eliminating or reorganizing information that is no longer as useful.

More Information About Battery Incidents

One particularly important area involves battery incidents. The proposed form would improve PHMSA’s ability to collect information about incidents involving batteries, including events involving lithium-ion battery thermal runaway. With the continued growth of lithium battery transportation by highway, air, rail and vessel, better information about these incidents can help regulators understand where failures are occurring and what circumstances contributed to them.

Better Reporting for Intermodal Incidents

The proposed revisions would also improve reporting of intermodal transportation incidents and provide additional flexibility when traditional transportation information is unavailable. For example, PHMSA is considering alternatives such as GPS coordinates and flight information to more accurately identify where and how an incident occurred.

Making the Form Easier to Complete

Another goal is to reduce unnecessary reporting burden. PHMSA proposes reorganizing the form so that filers can more easily identify which sections apply to their particular incident rather than working through information that may have no relevance to the event. That could be particularly helpful for companies dealing with incidents involving different modes of transportation, undeclared hazardous materials, packaging failures or specialized battery shipments.

Why the Incident Data Matters

PHMSA uses DOT Form 5800.1 information to produce hazardous materials incident statistics and analyze incidents by factors such as transportation mode, packaging type, location and consequences. Improving the information collected on the form should ultimately provide regulators and industry with a clearer picture of where transportation risks are occurring.

Keep Using the Current DOT Form 5800.1

PHMSA has released a draft revised form for public comment, but the draft does not replace the currently approved DOT Form 5800.1. Companies must continue using the existing form and following the current incident-reporting requirements in 49 CFR §§171.15 and 171.16 until the revised form receives the necessary approval and PHMSA announces its implementation. The current requirements also remain unchanged regarding who must report an incident. Under §171.16, the person in physical possession of the hazardous material when the reportable incident occurs is generally responsible for filing the detailed report.

Have Your Say!

PHMSA is accepting comments on the proposed revisions through December 21, 2026. Organizations that regularly complete DOT Form 5800.1—or that have experience reporting complicated battery, packaging, intermodal or undeclared-hazardous-material incidents—may want to review the draft form carefully. The people who actually complete these reports often know better than anyone which questions provide useful information and which ones create confusion.

What Should Companies Do Now?

For now, continue using the existing DOT Form 5800.1. But keep an eye on this one. Once finalized, the new form could mean changes to incident-reporting procedures, employee training, internal investigation forms and the information companies need to capture immediately following a hazardous materials transportation incident.

Need help navigating hazardous materials compliance? ICC’s Regulatory Experts and training solutions can help.  Contact us today!

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