1. LABORATORY SAFETY Chemical Hazard Label Chemistry
Shoemaker High School

2. NFPA CHEMICAL HAZARD LABEL
FLAMMABILITY
HEALTH
REACTIVITY
(STABILITY)
SPECIAL

3. NFPA CHEMICAL HAZARD LABEL
Least
Serious 4
Most 4 2 3 4
Flammable vapor which burns readily
Substance is stable

4. Health Hazard
Very short exposure could cause death or serious residual injury even though prompt medical attention was given.
Short exposure could cause serious temporary or residual injury even though prompt medical attention was given.

5. Health Hazard Intense or continued exposure could
cause temporary incapacitation or
possible residual injury unless
prompt medical attention is given.
Exposure could cause irritation but
only minor residual injury even if no
treatment is given.
Exposure under fire conditions would offer
no hazard beyond that of ordinary
combustible materials.2

6. Instability Readily capable of detonation or of
explosive decomposition or
reaction at normal temperatures
and pressures.
Capable of detonation or explosive
reaction, but requires a strong
initiating source or must be heated
under confinement before initiation,
or reacts explosively with water.

7. Instability Normally unstable and readily undergo violent
decomposition but do not detonate.
Also: may react violently with water or
may form potentially explosive mixtures with
water.
Normally stable, but can become unstable at
elevated temperatures and pressures
or may react with water with some release
of energy, but not violently.
Normally stable, even under fire exposure
conditions, and are not reactive with water.

8. Special Hazards This denotes an oxidizer, a chemical which can
greatly increase the rate of combustion/fire.
This denotes gases which are simple asphyxiants.
Under the 2012 and earlier editions of NFPA 704 the
only gases for which this symbol was explicitly
permitted were nitrogen, helium, neon, argon,
krypton, and xenon. The 2017 edition (now current),
the symbol can also be used for liquified carbon
dioxide vapor withdrawal systems or areas where
large amounts of Dry Ice are used in confined
spaces. The use of this hazard symbol appears
to be optional.

9. Special Hazards Unusual reactivity with water. This indicates
a potential hazard using water
to fight a fire involving this material.
When a compound is both
water-reactive and an oxidizer,
the W/bar symbol should go in this
quadrant and the OX warning is placed
immediately below the NFPA diamond.

10. Flammability Will rapidly or completely vaporize
at normal pressure and
temperature, or is readily
dispersed in air and will burn readily.
Liquids and solids that can be
ignited under almost
all ambient conditions.

11. Flammability Must be moderately heated or exposed to relatively high
temperature before ignition
can occur.
Must be preheated before
ignition can occur.
Materials that will not burn.

12. NFPA CHEMICAL HAZARD LABEL
(Label for Diborane, B2H6)
Burns readily.
May detonate with heat or ignition.
Severe health risk.
Avoid water.

13. NFPA CHEMICAL HAZARD LABEL
Complete Label for Phosphine (phosphorus hydride, PH3)

14. SDS Safety Data Sheet On file for all purchased chemicals.
Includes all information shown on a chemical label and more.
Different formats are used by different chemical companies.

15. SDS