A private non-profit organization, is the leading authoritative source of technical background, data, and consumer advice on fire protection, problems and prevention. Their web site ishttp: //www.nfpa.org/. The primary goal of NFPA is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating scientifically-based consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. Additional Info: NFPA has over 300 codes worldwide which are for sale through their web site. These codes cover every conceivable topic including basic fire safety, the National Electrical Code, and life safety. These codes are developed and updated through an open process, ensuring their broad acceptance. MSDS Relevance: While NFPA codes cover several aspects of flammable materials pertinent to MSDS's, perhaps the most significant is the NFPA 704 Hazard Identification ratings system (the familiar NFPA "hazard diamond" shown on the right) for health, flammability, and instability. The NFPA's Fire Protection Guide to Hazardous Materials, 2010 edition includes NFPA 704, "Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response" as well as pertinent information from a variety of other NFPA publications (including NFPA 704 ratings for over 3,000 specific chemicals, information not included with NFPA 704). What do the numbers and symbols on an NFPA fire diamond mean? The diamond is broken into four sections. Numbers in the three colored sections range from 0 (least severe hazard) to 4 (most severe hazard). The fourth (white) section is left blank and is used only to denote special fire fighting measures/hazards. At first glance, the HMIS® and NFPA labeling systems appear quite similar. Both have four sections colored blue, red, yellow and white. HMIS® uses colored bars, while NFPA uses colored diamonds. HMIS® attempts to convey full health warning information to all employees while NFPA is meant primarily for fire fighters and other emergency responders. Some employers use hybrids of the two systems. For example, they will use an NFPA hazard diamond, but the white section is used to denote both personal protective equipment (PPE)and/or special hazards. Both the NFPA and NPCA discourage mixing of the two systems in this manner. OSHA permits one to use any labeling system as long as it meets their labeling performance requirements. Thus, if you use a hybrid system at your location, your employees must be properly trained in using it and be made aware of these potential conflicts. require a particular labeling system's code on the material safety data sheet“. (See this official OSHA interpretation). OSHA does have specific labeling requirements that must be fulfilled, but there is no specified format or code system required. See also: Combustible, Flammable, Health Hazard, Smoke