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Interpreting
the NFPA Rating System
The
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) diamond is an
easily reconizable system for identifying the health and
physical hazards associated with specific chemicals. It
was originally developed to aid fire fighters responding
to emergencies in industrial settings where
dangerous chemicals were present. Today,
it is used in RTK labels and HazCom programs in a variety
of work environments.
The
NFPA Diamond uses color codes to identify Health risks (in
blue), Flammability (in red), Instability (in yellow), and
Special Hazards (in white). It rates the severity of the
hazard on a scale of 0 to 4 with 4 being the most severe.
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Fire
Hazard (Red)
Flash Points
4
- Below 73 F
3 - Below 100 F
2 - Below 200 F
1 - Above 200 F
0 - Will not burn
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Health
Hazard
(Blue)
4
- Deadly
3 - Extreme Danger
2 - Hazardous
1 - Slightly Hazardous
0 - Normal Material
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Instability
(Yellow)
4
- May Dentonate
3 - Shock and Heat May Detonate
2 - Violent Chemical Change
1 - Unstable if Heated
0 - Stable
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Specific
Hazard
(White)
Oxidizer
---- OXY
Acid ---- ACID
Alkalai ---- ALF
Corrosive ---- COR
Use No Water ---- 
Radiation Hazard ---- 
Polymerizes ---- P
No special hazard ---- 
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Related
links
OSHA
HazCom Standard {HCS 1910.1200}
NFPA - National Fire
Protection Association
Free NFPA Diamond Guide
For
more information
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This guide is intended for general information purposes
only. This guide is not a substitute for review of applicable
government regulations and standards. |
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