NFPA 704

From HBM's Nuclear Tech Wiki
NFPA 704
An example
NFPA 704 four-colored diamondHealth 1: Exposure would cause irritation but only minor residual injury. E.g. turpentineFlammability 2: Must be moderately heated or exposed to relatively high ambient temperature before ignition can occur. Flash point between 38 and 93 °C (100 and 200 °F). E.g. diesel fuelInstability 3: Capable of detonation or explosive decomposition but requires a strong initiating source, must be heated under confinement before initiation, reacts explosively with water, or will detonate if severely shocked. E.g. hydrogen peroxideSpecial hazard W: Reacts with water in an unusual or dangerous manner. E.g. sodium, sulfuric acid
1
2
3
W

NFPA 704 is a standardized system developed by the ⁠National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) that uses a color-coded "fire diamond" to quickly inform first responders of the specific hazards of a material and the severity of those hazards during an emergency.

The hazard diamond is divided into four colored quadrants. Each of the top three quadrants uses a numerical scale ranging from 0 (minimal hazard) to 4 (severe hazard):

  • Blue - Left, shows health hazards
  • Red - Top, shows flammability
  • Yellow - Right, shows instability/reactivity
  • White - Bottom, shows special hazards (such as OX, for oxidizers, or a W with a strike-through to show dangerous hydroreactivity)
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