Frequently Asked Questions on NFPA 704

StandardSystemfortheIdentificationoftheHazardsofMaterialsforEmergencyResponse
1. WhatisNFPA704?
NFPA704providesasimple,readilyrecognized,easilyunderstoodsystemforidentifyingthespecifichazards
ofamaterialandtheseverityofthehazardthatwouldoccurduringanemergencyresponse.Thesystem
addresses the health, flammability, instability, and special hazards presented from shortterm, acute
exposuresthatcouldoccurasaresultofafire,spill,orsimilaremergency.
2. Howdoesthe704labeldifferfromotherhazardousmateriallabels?
Thereareseveralwidelyusedsystemsforlabelinghazardousmaterials.Eachhasaspecificpurposeanditis
importanttorecognizethedifferencesbetweeneach.Table1providesabriefsummaryofthepurposeand
useofthreecommonlabelingsystemsusedforhazardousmaterials.Notethatyoumayseemorethanone
label on a container depending on the situation. (See Question 11 for additional information on the
differencesbetweenOSHAHazCom2012classificationsandNFPA704ratings)

LabelType

Purpose

NFPA704Diamond
www.nfpa.org/704

Providesinformation
abouthazardsthat
occurduring
emergencyresponse

TypicalLabelLocation

Outsidebuildings,on
doors,ontanks,visible
toemergency
respondersduringspill
orfire
DOTPlacard
Providesinformation
Tankcars,cargotanks,
www.dot.gov/
abouthazardsto
portabletanks,bulk
transportationworkers packages,vehiclesor
andemergency
containerscontaining
responders
nonbulkpackages
OSHAHazCom2012 Providesinformation
Pipes,drums,and
www.osha.gov/
abouthazardsto
containersofmaterials
workersusing
thatareusedinthe
chemicalsunder
workplace
normalconditionsof
use

LabelExample

Table1.NFPA,DOTandOSHAPlacardandPictograms
3. WhenamIrequiredtousetheNFPA704ratingsystem?
NFPA704labelsarerequiredwhenanotherFederal,stateorlocalregulationorcoderequirestheiruse.
NFPA704doesnotspecifywhenacontainer,tankorfacilitymustlabelwiththe704diamond.Ittellsyou
HOWtolabelwhenanothercode,standardoranAHJ(AuthorityHavingJurisdiction,suchasthelocalfire
department)requiressuchlabeling.
SomeofthemorewidelyadoptedandusedNFPAcodesthatrequire704labelsforspecificoccupancies,
storage,andhazardousmaterials,include:

NFPA1,FireCode
NFPA30,FlammableandCombustibleLiquidsCode
NFPA45,StandardonFireProtectionforLaboratoriesUsingChemicals
NFPA55,CompressedGasesandCryogenicFluidsCodes
NFPA400,HazardousMaterialsCode
Inaddition,somefacilitieschoosetoutilizetheNFPA704placardsregardlessofactualrequirementsinorder
toprovideadditionalinformationonthehazardsofthematerialsonsite.

4. WhyshouldIusetheNFPA704ratingsystem?
NFPA704labelsprovideanappropriatesignaloralertfortheprotectionofemergencyresponsepersonnel,
assistinplanningforeffectivefireandemergencycontroloperations,includingcleanup.Itcanalsoassistall
designatedpersonnel,engineers,plant,andsafetypersonnelintakinginventoryandevaluatingtherelative
hazardsofmaterialsintheirfacility.

5.Howistheratingdisplayed?
Thesystemischaracterizedbythe"diamond"thatisactuallya"square
onpoint"shape.Itidentifiesthehazardsofamaterialandthedegreeof
severity of the health, flammability, and instability hazards. Hazard
severity is indicated by a numerical rating that ranges from zero (0)
indicatingaminimalhazard,tofour(4)indicatingaseverehazard.The
hazardsarearrangedspatiallyasfollows:healthatnineo'clockposition,
flammability at twelve o'clock position, and instability at three o'clock
position. In addition to the spatial orientation that can be used to
distinguish the hazards, they are also colorcoded as follows: blue for
health,redforflammability,andyellowforinstability.Theshadesofred,
blueandyellowarenotregulated,butshouldbecontrastingcolors.The
hazardratingsmayhavecoloredbackgroundswithcontrastingcolored
numeralsorcolorednumeralswithawhitebackground.
(SeeSection4.1.5andFigure9.1(a)ofNFPA704)
Thesixo'clockpositiononthesymbolrepresentsspecialhazardsandhasawhitebackground.Thespecial
hazardsinuseincludeW,OXandSA.W,indicatesunusualreactivitywithwaterandisacautionaboutthe
useofwaterineitherfirefightingorspillcontrolresponse.OX,indicatesthatthematerialisanoxidizer.SA,
indicatesthatthematerialisasimpleasphyxiantgas(nitrogen,helium,neon,argon,kryptonorxenon.)
(See8.2.1through8.2.4ofNFPA704)

5. Whatothersymbolscangointhespecialhazardsquadrantofthe"diamond"?
TheonlyauthorizedsymbolsaretheW,OX,andSAsymbolsdescribedabove.Thenumberofsymbolsiskept
to a minimum for emergency visibility and simplicity reasons. Many people ask about placing additional
symbolssuchas"corr"forcorrosiveor"acid"foracids,butthesehazardsarealreadytakenintoaccountin
thehealthratingthatislocatedinthebluesectionofthesymbol.

6. WhoprovidesNFPA704ratingsandcanIfindthoseratingsintheStandard?
Whilethesystemissimpleinapplication,thehazardevaluationshouldbeperformedbypersonswhoare
technicallycompetentandexperiencedintheinterpretationofthehazardcriteriaassetforthinChapters
58oftheNFPA704standard.Aqualifiedindividualcandeterminetheratingsforamaterialbycomparing
datafromthemanufacturersuppliedsafetydatasheets(SDSs)tothecriterialocatedinNFPA704.Though
itisnotrequired,someSDSsincludetheNFPA704diamondsymbolwithratings,andsomeSDSprovidethe
NFPA704ratingnumberswithintextoftheSDS.(SeeQuestion7)
WhilethecriteriaarelocatedinNFPA704,theactualratingsforspecificchemicalsarenotincludedinthe
document. The NFPA Fire Protection Guide to Hazardous Materials includes two withdrawn NFPA
documentsthatcontainhazardpropertyinformationbasedonpreviouseditionsofNFPA704andinclude
NFPAratingsfornumerouschemicals.Thisinformationcanbeusedforguidance,howeverultimatelythe
userisresponsibleforratingmaterialsusingtheSDSandthecriterialocatedinthelatesteditionofNFPA
704.

7.WhatinformationontheSDSdoIusetoratemyhazardousmaterials?
TheratingscanbedeterminedbyusingtheinformationfoundonaHazCom2012compliantSafetyData
Sheet(SDS)andcomparingittothecriteriaprovidedinNFPA704.ThefollowingsectionsoftheSDSsshould
bereviewedwhendeterminingtheratings:
HealthSections2,4,8,9,11
FlammabilitySections2,3,9
InstabilitySections5,7,10
SpecialHazardsSections5,9,10,11
Caution!!DoNOTusethehazardcategorynumbersgiveninsection2ofHazCom2012compliantSDSsas
hazardratingstobeplacedon704labels!(SeeQuestion11foradditionalinformation).

8.WhereshouldIposttheNFPA704placardsatmyfacilityandhowmanyplacardsshouldIuse?
It is important to note that the placard is meant to provide quick hazard information for emergency
responders.Itshouldbevisibleincaseofanemergencywheretherespondersarelikelytoenter.Ifthere
arenumerousareaswheretheresponderscouldenterthefacility,thereshouldbenumerousplacards.The
placementandquantityshouldbedecidedusingafacilitysbestjudgmentcoupledwiththeadvicefrom
yourAuthorityHavingJurisdiction.Ataminimumtheplacardshouldbepostedonthetwoexteriorwallsof
afacilityorbuilding,eachaccesstoaroomorarea,oreachprincipalmeansofaccesstoanexteriorstorage
area.Section4.3ofNFPA704providesguidanceonlocationsforposting.
9.WhatsizeplacardisrequiredforNFPA70?
Thesizeoftheplacardisdependentonthedistanceatwhichthehazardratingsmustbelegible.Chapter
9ofNFPA704providesguidanceonboththesizeofthehazardratingsrelativetothesizeoftheplacardto
bepostedandtheminimumsizeofratingsbasedonthedistanceatwhichtheratingsarelegible.

10.IfIhavemanychemicalsinastorageroomorifIhavemixturesofchemicals,whatratings
shouldIuseontheNFPA704placard?

Section4.2.3.3ofNFPA704providesthreedifferentmethodstoratemultiplechemicals.Inaddition,
professionaljudgmentmuststillbeusedtoincreaseordecreasetheratingtomoreaccuratelyassessthe
degreeofhazard,perhapsduetoquantities,orsynergisticeffectsofthechemicals,etc.Theratingsfora
chemicalthatcontainsmultipleingredientsshouldbeobtainedfromdataforthemixtureaspresentedon
theSDS.

11.HowdoOSHAsHazardCommunicationClassificationNumbersdifferfromNFPA704Ratings?
TheNFPA704standardandOSHAsHazardCommunicationstandardweredevelopedfordifferent
purposes.NowthatOSHAhasadoptedGHSbothsystemsinvolvenumbersleadingtomanyquestions
abouthowthetwonumberssystemsrelate.
TheNFPA704standardiswidelyusedandrecognizedbyfireandemergencyrespondersandsafety
personnelforidentifyingthehazardsofshortterm/acuteexposuretomaterialsunderconditionsoffire,
spill,orsimilaremergencies.OSHAsHazardCommunicationStandard(HCS)providesinformationfor
workersexposedtomaterialsprimarilyundernormalconditionsofuse.
WithOSHAsrecentincorporationoftheGloballyHarmonizedSystem(GHs)intoitsHCS,itisimportantto
realizethattheGHSnumbersarenotrelativeratingsofhazardsbutratherusedforthepurposeof
classifyinghazardsintocategoriesforproperlabelingandtraininginformation.TheseGHSnumbersARE
NOTrelativehazardratingsandinfacthaveaninversenumbersystemswith1beingthemosthazardous
and4beingtheleasthazardous.Itisimportanttounderstandthedifferencesbetweenthetwosystems.
Formoreinformation,NFPAandOSHAhavedevelopedaQuickCardtoexplainthetwosystemsand
theirdifferences.Thedownloadablecardcanbefoundhere.

12.WherecanIgetNFPA704relatedmaterials?
The2012editionofNFPA704canbeaccessedforfreebygoingtowww.nfpa.org/704.InadditionNFPA
704andtheFireProtectionGuidetoHazardousMaterials,2010editioncanbepurchasedbyclickingon
theProductsandTrainingtabatthewww.nfpa.org/704pageorbycalling(800)3443555.

13.Ihaveadditionalquestions?
NFPAmembersandcodeenforcersmaysubmitquestionstotechnicalstaffbyphoneat18003445555or
submitquestionsonlinebygoingtowww.nfpa.org/704andclickingontheTechnicalQuestionstab.

ResponsestoFAQsarepreparedbyNFPAtechnicalstafftoassistusersinreadingandunderstandingNFPAcodesandstandards.The
responses,however,arenotFormalInterpretationsissuedpursuanttoNFPARegulations.Anyopinionsexpressedarethepersonal
opinionsoftheauthor(s),anddonotnecessarilyrepresenttheofficialpositionoftheNFPAoritsTechnicalCommittees.Inaddition,
theresponsesareneitherintended,norshouldbereliedupon,toprovideprofessionalconsultationorservices.