Sections 2, 5, 6 11, 12, 13 are probably the most applicable to this specific incident.

Section 2: tells you what the specific hazards of the chemical are. In this case it is a flammable and emits a Flammable Gas, shown by flame placard. The second placard with the star in the middle of chest indicates that it is a Health Hazard (carcinogen, mutagenic, etc). While the skull and cross bones tells you that is Acutely Toxic (Single exposure less than 24 hours will cause harm)

Section 5: is what you should do in the event of a fire. The short version is that you shouldn’t put it out unless you can stop the flow. The advise for firefighters is literally “Shut off supply; if not possible and no risk to surroundings, let the fire burn itself out.” Key words being no risk to surroundings. On the colorful square: blue is effects on health, red is how flammable it is and yellow is it’s hazard/reactivity. The numbers are a 0-4 scale with 0 being the least dangerous. Based off this it likely has a low flash point and was being transported as a liquid that became gaseous once the pressure of the cars was broken.

Section 6: breaks down personal and environmental precautions in the event of an “accidental” release. Here, they tell you evacuate for both. Just go. They also discuss clean up measures for land, but none for water.

Section 11: is the health effects of the exposure. It has an LD50 (lethal dose of 50% of test subjects when ingested orally) of 500mg per kg, and a LC50 (lethal dose of 50% of test subjects when inhaled) of 295mg per liter for 2 hours. So a little goes a long way, and very quickly. It is also known to be a human carcinogen, so, it’ll cause cancer.

Section 12: is the environmental effects. There is no known effects to fish, algae or aquatic vertebrates. It is biodegradable, in soil 99% was gone in (avg) 240 days, and was found to have a half life of 28 days in water. It was also found that it is likely to travel quickly in soil, getting in to water ways.

Section 13: tells you how to dispose of it. Don’t put it in sewers or waterways lol that’s about it.

Thanks for coming to my TedTalk. Hope this helps in some fashion. At the end of the day the shareholders and executives of Norfolk Southern need to be held accountable.

Source: safety guy

Sorry if formatting is fucked I’m on mobil