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Codes for MSDS

Material safety data sheets (MSDS) provide information to workers to help them work safely with materials. MSDS exist for many products, from herbicides to printer cartridges. The National Fire Prevention Agency (NFPA) is a nonprofit worldwide organization that provides codes and standards used in material safety data sheets. Updated every three to five years, the NFPA codes provide workers and emergency personal with the information needed to handle and respond to emergencies involving hazardous materials in a safe manner. These hazard codes may be located in any one of the 16 sections found in a typical MSDS.

  1. Health

    • Health hazard codes deal with the potential of a material to cause personal injury from skin or eye contact, breathing or ingestion. The degree of hazard is on a scale of 0 to 4, with higher numbers indicating increasing hazard. All ratings are under emergency conditions only (such as a fire), and do not refer to the hazard presented when the material is properly stored and handled. Materials that may be lethal under emergency conditions have the NFPA code 4. Materials that can cause serious or permanent injury have the code 3. Materials that can cause temporary incapacitation or lingering injury have the code 2. Materials that can cause significant irritation have the NFPA code 1. Materials that would offer no hazard beyond ordinary burning materials have the NFPA code 0.

    Flammability

    • Flammability hazard codes address the degree of susceptibility of materials to burning. The degree of hazard is on a scale of 0 to 4, with higher numbers indicating increasing hazard. Liquids or gases that vaporize and burn in room air and normal room temperature are a 4. Liquids and solids that can burn under almost all room temperatures are a 3. Materials that must be moderately heated before burning are a 2. Materials that must be preheated before burning are a 1. Materials that will not burn under normal fire conditions are a 0 (stone or sand for example).

    Instability

    • Instability hazard codes look at the probability of materials releasing violent energy. The degree of hazard is on a scale of 0 to 4, with higher numbers indicating increasing hazard. Materials that can explode at normal temperatures and pressures are a 4. Materials that can explode but first require a strong initiating source or confined heating are a 3. Materials that easily undergo violent chemical change at high pressure or temperature are a 2. Materials that are normally stable but can become chemically unstable at high temperatures or pressures are a 1. Materials that are normally stable even under fire conditions are a 0.

    Special Hazard Codes

    • Special hazard codes look at materials with oxidizing properties or materials that are reactive in the presence of water. Code OX represents materials with oxidizing properties, materials that can increase the intensity of a fire. Code SA indicates a "simple asphyxiant", a gas that can cause unconsciousness or death through suffocation. Gases coded as SA are argon, helium, krypton, neon, nitrogen and xenon. The letter "W" with a horizontal line through its center denotes materials that react violently or explosively with water, indicating a possible hazard when using water to fight a fire.

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