DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

There are seven major clues for detecting the presence of hazardous materials. The relative risk to a person increases as the number increases:

Occupancy/location Container shapes Markings and colors Placards and labels Shipping papers Detection devices Your senses

(lowest risk) (medium risk) (highest risk)

IDENTIFYING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) System for Marking of Buildings

The NFPA has developed a marking system for fixed facilities known as the Fire Diamond. It is divided into four sections, each section is assigned a color which indicates a specific type of hazard. The four sections and the colors associated with each are:

Blue - Health Red - Flammability Yellow - Reactive White - Special information

Each colored section is marked numerically to include order of severity of hazard, the high the number, the greater the hazard.

Fire Hazard - Red 4 Flash Point below 73 F (Boiling Point below 100 F) 3 Flash Point below 73 F (Boiling point at/above 100 f) and/or at/above 73 F - not exceeding 100 F 2 Flash Point above 100 F, not exceeding 200 F 1 Flash Point above 200 F 0 Will not burn		Reactivity (Instability) - Yellow 4 May detonate 3 Shock and heat may detonate 2 Violent chemical change 1 Unstable if heated 0 Stable
HEALTH HAZARD - Blue 4 Deadly 3 Extreme Danger 2 Hazardous 1 Slightly Hazardous 0 Normal Material		Specific Hazard - White OX or OXY Oxidizer W (with line through it) Use no water

Department of Transportation (DOT) Placards and Labels

DOT placards are diamond shaped, 10 3/4" square. They are used on vehicles in transit. DOT labels are 4" X 4" square and are intended for use on small packages. They provide information four ways:

1. Color
2. Numbers
3. Symbols       Link to DOT Placards
4. Words

COLORS

Orange Red & White Red Yellow White Black & White Blue Yellow & White Green

Explosive Flammable Liquids or Gas Flammable Solid Oxidizer/Organic Peroxide Poison Corrosive Water Reactive Radioactive Non-Flammable Gas

NUMBERS

UN and NA Numbers

A four digit ID number called a UN (United Nations) or NA number is sometimes located across the center of a DOT placard. This number is also required to appear on the DOT shipping papers. A list of these numbers and their corresponding chemicals can be found in the DOT Guide Book.

United Nations Hazard Class or Division Numbers are found in the lower corner of a DOT placard. Labels are not required to have the UN number on them. These numbers serve to specifically identify the hazardous material in the DOT Emergency Response Guidebook. http://hazmat.dot.gov/gydebook.htm http://hazmat.dot.gov/ergcoord.htm

The nine United Nations Classes are:

Class 1 Explosives Division 1.1 - Mass explosion hazard Division 1.2 - Projection hazard Division 1.3 - Predominantly a fire hazard Division 1.4 - No significant blast hazard Division 1.5 - Very insensitive explosives

Class 2 Gases Division 2.1 - Flammable gases Division 2.2 - Nonflammable gases Division 2.3 - Poison gases Division 2.4 - Corrosive gases (Canadian)

Class 3 Flammable liquids Division 3.1 - Flashpoint below -18C (0 degrees F) Division 3.2 - Flashpoint -18C to 23C (73F) Division 3.3 - Flashpoint 23C to 61C (141F)

Class 4 Flammable Solids Division 4.1 - Flammable solids Division 4.2 - Spontaneously combustible Division 4.3 - Dangerous when wet

Class 5 Oxidizers/Organic Peroxides Division 5.1 - Oxidizers Division 5.2 - Organic peroxides

Class 6 Poisons Division 6.1 - Poisonous material Division 6.2 - Etiologic materials

Class 7 Radioactive Class 8 Corrosives Class 9 Miscellaneous