NFPA Rating Diamond
NFPA rating system is a standard developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) USA.
The rating system uses a diamond shape, called NFPA 704 Diamond, for indicating the various hazards like health, flammability, reactivity, and special hazards.
NFPA rating diamond is to help emergency response personnel understand the hazards they may encounter, when entering a lab or a room in a fire or other situations.
The rating is on a scale of 0-4, with 0 representing the least hazard and 4 the most hazard.
| Hazard | Colour | Rating | |
| Health Hazard | Blue Diamond | 4 | Danger- May be fatal on short exposure. Specialized protective equipment required. |
| 3 | Warning – Corrosive or toxic. Avoid skin contact or inhalation | ||
| 2 | Warning – May be harmful if inhaled or absorbed. | ||
| 1 | Caution – May be irritating | ||
| 0 | No unusual hazard | ||
| Flammability Hazard | Red Diamond | 4 | Danger – Flammable gas or extremely flammable liquid |
| 3 | Warning – Flammable liquid flash point below 100° F | ||
| 2 | Caution – Combustible liquid flash point of 100° F to 200° F | ||
| 1 | Combustible if heated | ||
| 0 | Not combustible | ||
| Reactivity Hazard | Yellow Diamond | 4 | Danger- Explosive material at room temperature |
| 3 | Danger – May be explosive if shocked, heated under confinement, or mixed with water | ||
| 2 | Warning – Unstable or may react violently if mixed with water | ||
| 1 | Caution – May react if heated or mixed with water but not violently | ||
| 0 | Stable – Not reactive when mixed with water | ||
| Special Hazard | White Diamond | W | Water reactive (Avoid use of water) |
| OX | Oxidizer | ||
| SA | Simple asphyxiant (nitrogen, helium, neon, krypton, or xenon) | ||
| Radioactive |
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