Located in Ottawa, CANUTEC is the Canadian Transport Emergency Centre, a facility operated around the clock by Transport Canada to assist emergency-response personnel in handling dangerous-goods emergencies. Their bilingual advisory staff are specialists in emergency response and experienced in interpreting technical information and providing advice, and have access to a massive database of relevant guidance.

Although they don’t dispatch spill-response teams themselves, CANUTEC’s experts can provide over-the-phone (voice or fax) information including chemical, physical, and toxicological properties and incompatibilities of dangerous goods; health hazards and first aid; fire, explosion, spill, or leak hazards; and remedial actions for the protection of life, property, and the environment.

Federal regulations require that CANUTEC be contacted regarding any incident involving radioactive materials or infectious substances, and various provincial or municipal regulations may suggest or require contact in certain other circumstances.

However, calling CANUTEC does not replace the spill-reporting process demanded by these authorities as per their individual legislation.CANUTEC’s phone number for emergency situations is 613/996-6666 (call collect), or cellular *666.

For any other purposes, use 613/992-4624 to phone, or fax at 613/954-5101. CANUTEC is on the Web at www.canutec.gc.ca.