A four section multicolor “square-on-point” (diamond/placard) is used to address
the health, flammability, instability and special hazards presented by short-term, acute exposures that could occur during fires, spills or other similar emergencies
.
What do the colors mean on a NFPA 704 placard?
The National Fire Association (
NFPA
) has developed a
color
-coded number system called
NFPA 704
. The system uses a
color
-coded
diamond
with four quadrants in which numbers
are
used in the upper three quadrants to signal the degree of health hazard (blue), flammability hazard (red), and reactivity hazard (yellow).
What does the NFPA diamond tell you?
The system addresses
the health, flammability, instability, and special hazards
presented from short-term, acute exposures that could occur as a result of a fire, spill, or similar emergency.
What is a 704 placard?
NFPA 704 Placards are required for any business or commercial building that has a
quantity of hazardous materials equal
to or greater than a total weight of 500 pounds solid, 55 gallons liquid, 200 cubic feet of gas or where a radioactive product is used, stored or handled.
How do you read a 704 diamond NFPA?
Within the diamond is a number (with the exception of the white diamond). The number corresponds to the level of danger a chemical poses. The lower the number, the lower the hazard. The numbers range from zero to four, with zero representing no hazard at all, and four representing an extreme hazard.
What does NFPA mean?
The
National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) is a global self-funded nonprofit organization, established in 1896, devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards.
What is the white section of the NFPA diamond?
The white diamond, appearing at the bottom of the label,
conveys Special Hazard information
. This information is conveyed by use of symbols that represent the special hazard.
What do the colors on a placard mean?
First, the color of the placard indicates in which group of hazardous material the contents reside:
RED – indicates a flammable material
.
GREEN – indicates nonflammable substance
.
YELLOW – indicates an oxidizer
.
BLUE
– indicates dangerous when wet.
What is the safety symbol for corrosive?
The exclamation mark pictogram
is used for the following classes and categories: Acute toxicity – Oral, Dermal, Inhalation (Category 4) Skin corrosion/irritation – Skin irritation (Category 2) Serious eye damage/eye irritation – Eye irritation (Category 2 and 2A)
What does the NFPA color code white indicate?
Instability can vary from minor chemical changes to explosive reactions. The last section of the NFPA color code is white. This area is often blank, as it is intended for
special hazards beyond health, flammability, or instability
and does not apply to a majority of hazardous materials.
What is the shape of an NFPA 704 placard?
A four section multicolor “
square-on
-point” (diamond/placard) is used to address the health, flammability, instability and special hazards presented by short-term, acute exposures that could occur during fires, spills or other similar emergencies.
Where do we use the DOT placard system?
Often they are placed
on the exterior of transport vehicles
. They must be on all 4 sides – placards need to be displayed on all four sides of a transport vehicle or bulk packaging.
What does the R stand for in ERG?
Emergency Response Guide. What does the R stand for in ERG?
Safety of responders
.
What does Level 4 flammability hazards indicate?
Level 4 – Materials that
are easily capable of explosive decomposition at normal temperatures and pressure
.
How do you read a NFPA label?
The red-colored section of the NFPA Diamond is located at the top
or twelve o’clock
position of the symbol and denotes a material’s flammability and susceptibility to catching fire when exposed to heat. Flammability is graded on a 0 to 4 scale, and a lower rating is safer.
Is the NFPA diamond still used?
Their answer:
Yes, OSHA will continue to allow NFPA
and/or HMIS rating systems on labels and SDSs as supplemental information. However, the rules for labeling and placement on the SDSs still apply. See below for a detailed discussion on how one can use NFPA and/or HMIS rating systems on labels and SDSs.
