GB Emergency Action Code
EAC Protective Equipment Letter
Decode the protective-equipment letter—the second character of a GB EAC/Hazchem code.
How this is calculated
How the protective equipment letter is read
The GB Emergency Action Code carried on an orange plate is a domestic code used by the emergency services, not part of the ADR code set. Its second character is a letter, and that letter states the protective equipment a responder should wear.
The letters split into two groups. P, R, W and X call for whole-body chemical protective clothing with liquid-tight connections. S, T, Y and Z call for structural firefighting kit with self-contained breathing apparatus.
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Take the second character only
The first character is a digit naming the firefighting medium, and any trailing E is a separate public-safety warning. This tool reads only the protective equipment letter.
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P, R, W and X — chemical protective clothing
Whole-body chemical protective clothing with liquid-tight connections, described as Type 3.
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S, T, Y and Z — structural firefighting kit
Structural firefighting kit worn with self-contained breathing apparatus.
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The letter also carries a spillage instruction
Within each group, the letters differ in whether the spillage may be diluted or must be contained. That distinction is not decoded here.
What this tool does not decide: This decodes one character. It does not decode the firefighting-medium digit, the dilute-or-contain instruction, or the E suffix, and it is not a substitute for the Instructions in Writing carried with the load.
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