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ChemicalStorageColorCodes

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Chemical Storage Color Codes

J.T.BakerStorageCodeColors
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ChemicalStorage

ByAnneMarieHelmenstine,
Ph.D.

ThisisanexampleofaNFPA704warningsign.Thefourcolored
quadrantsofthesignindicatethetypesofhazardspresentedby
amaterial.publicdomain

Thisisatableofchemical
storagecodecolors,as
devisedbyJ.T.Baker.These
arethestandardcolorcodesin
thechemicalindustry.Except
forthestripecode,chemicals
assignedacolorcode
generallymaybestoredsafely
withotherchemicalswiththe
samecode.However,there
aremanyexceptions,soitis
importanttobefamiliarwith
thesafetyrequirementsfor
everychemicalinyour
inventory.
J.T.BakerChemical
StorageColorCodeTable

Color StorageNotes
White

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Corrosive.Maybeharmfultoeyes,mucousmembranesandskin.Store
separatefromcombustibleandflammablechemicals.

Yellow Reactive/Oxidizer.Mayreactviolentlywithwater,airorotherchemicals.
Storeseparatefromcombustibleandflammablereagents.
Red

Flammable.Storeseparatelyonlywithotherflammablechemicals.

Blue

Toxic.Chemicalishazardoustohealthifingested,inhaledorabsorbed
throughtheskin.Storeseparatelyinasecurearea.

Green Reagentpresentsnomorethanamoderatehazardinanycategory.
Generalchemicalstorage.
Gray

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UsedbyFisherinsteadofgreen.Reagentpresentsnomorethana
moderatehazardinanycategory.Generalchemicalstorage.

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Orange Obsoletecolorcode,replacedbygreen.Reagentpresentsnomorethana
moderatehazardinanycategory.Generalchemicalstorage.

GrowCrystals

Stripes Incompatiblewithotherreagentsofthesamecolorcode.Storeseparately.

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Dangerous Household Chemicals

CommonHouseholdChemicalsThatMayBeDangerous
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ToxicChemicals

HealthandSafetySystems

ByAnneMarieHelmenstine,
Ph.D.
UpdatedJuly01,2015.

Manycommonhousehold
chemicalsaredangerous.
Theymaybereasonablysafe
whenusedasdirected,yet
containtoxicchemicalsor
degradeovertimeintoamore
dangerouschemical.Here'sa
listofsomeofthemost
dangeroushousehold
chemicals,includingthe
ingredientstowatchforand
thenatureoftherisk.
Theskullandcrossbonesisusedtoindicatethepresenceofa
poisonouschemical.Ifyouseethissymbolonahousehold
product,payattentiontothewarning.Silsor,WikipediaCommons

1. airfreshenersAirfresheners
maycontainanyofanumber
ofdangerouschemicals.
Formaldehydeirritatesthelungsandmucousmembranesandmaycause
cancer.Petroleumdistillatesareflammable,irritatetheeyes,skin,and
lungs,andmaycausefatalpulmonaryedemainsensitiveindividuals.Some
airfreshenerscontainpdichlorobenzene,whichisatoxicirritant.The
aerosolpropellantsusedinsomeproductsmaybeflammableandmay
causenervoussystemdamageifinhaled.

2. ammoniaAmmoniaisavolatilecompoundthatcanirritatetherespiratory
systemandmucousmembranesifinhaled,cancauseachemicalburnifitis
spilledonskin,andwillreactwithchlorinatedproducts(e.g.,bleach)to
producedeadlychloraminegas.
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ChemicalStorageColorCodes

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3. antifreezeAntifreezeisethyleneglycol,achemicalwhichispoisonousif
swallowed.Breathingitcancausedizziness.Drinkingantifreezecancause
seriousbrain,heart,kidney,andotherinternalorgandamage.Ethylene
glycolhasasweetflavor,soitisattractivetokidsandpets.Antifreeze
typicallycontainsachemicaltomakeittastebad,buttheflavorisnot
alwaysasufficientdeterrent.Thesweetsmellisenoughtolurepets.
4. bleachHouseholdbleachcontainssodiumhypochlorite,achemicalthat
cancauseirritationanddamagetotheskinandrespiratorysystemifinhaled
orspilledontheskin.Nevermixbleachwithammoniaorwithtoiletbowl
cleanersordraincleaners,asdangerousandpossiblydeadlyfumesmaybe
produced.
5. draincleanersDraincleanerstypicallycontainlye(sodiumhydroxide)or
sulfuricacid.Eitherchemicaliscapableofcausinganextremelyserious
chemicalburnifsplashedontheskin.Theyaretoxictodrink.Splashing
draincleanerintheeyesmaycauseblindness.
6. laundrydetergentLaundrydetergentscontainavarietyofchemicals.
Ingestionofcationicagentsmaycausenausea,vomiting,convulsion,and
coma.Nonionicdetergentsareirritants.Manypeopleexperiencechemical
sensitivitytodyesandperfumespresentinsomedetergents.
7. mothballsMothballsareeitherpdichlorobenzeneornaphthalene.Both
chemicalsaretoxicandknowntocausedizziness,headaches,andirritation
totheeyes,skin,andrespiratorysystem.Prolongedexposurecanleadto
liverdamageandcataractformation.
8. motoroilExposuretothehydrocarbonsinmotoroilcancausecancer.
Manypeopleareunawarethatmotoroilcontainsheavymetals,whichcan
damagethenervoussystemandotherorgansystems.
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9. ovencleanerThedangerfromovencleanerdependsonitscomposition.
WhatIstheMost
Someovencleanerscontainsodiumhydroxideorpotassiumhydroxide,
ChemicalStorage
Dangerous
WhatIsNFPA704or
2 HouseholdChemicals
3 theFireDiamond?
4 Flammable
ColorCodes
whichareextremelycorrosivestrongbases.Thesechemicalscanbe
Chemical?
deadlyifswallowed.Theycancausechemicalburnsontheskinorinthe
lungsifthefumesareinhaled.

ChemicalWeapons
andWarfareAgents

10. ratpoisonRatpoisons(rodenticides)arelesslethalthantheyusedtobe,
butremainpoisonoustopeopleandpets.Mostrodenticidescontain
warfarin,achemicalwhichcausesinternalbleedingifingested.
11. windshieldwiperfluidWiperfluidistoxicifyoudrinkit,plussomeofthe
poisonouschemicalsareabsorbedthroughskin,soitistoxictotouch.
Swallowingethyleneglycolcancausebrain,heart,andkidneydamage,and
possiblydeath.Inhalationcancausedizziness.Themethanolinwiperfluid
canbeabsorbedthroughtheskin,inhaled,oringested.Methanoldamages
brain,liver,andkidneysandcancauseblindness.Theisopropylalcohol
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ChemicalStorageColorCodes

actsasacentralnervoussystemdepressant,causingdrowsiness,
unconsciousness,andpotentiallydeath.

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What Is NFPA 704 or the Fire Diamond?

WhatIsNFPA704ortheFireDiamond?
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DiamondInformation

ByAnneMarieHelmenstine,
Ph.D.
UpdatedNovember29,2014.

ThisisanexampleofaNFPA704warningsign.Thefourcolored
quadrantsofthesignindicatethetypesofhazardspresentedby
amaterial.ThisistheNFPA704forsodiumborohydride.public
domain

YouprobablyhaveseenNFPA
704orthefirediamondon
chemicalcontainers.The
NationalFireProtection
Association(NFPA)inthe
UnitedStatesusesastandard
calledNFPA704asa
chemicalhazardlabel.NFPA
704sometimesiscalleda"fire
diamond"becausethe
diamondshapedsign
indicatesflammabilityofa
substanceandalso
communicatesessential
informationabouthow
emergencyresponseteams
shoulddealwithamaterialif

thereisaspill,fireorotheraccident.

UnderstandingtheFireDiamond
Therearefourcoloredsectionsonthediamond.Eachsectionislabelled
withanumberfrom04toindicatethelevelofhazard.Onthisscale,0
indicates"nohazard"while4means"severehazard".Theredsection
indicatesflammability.Thebluesectionindicateshealthrisk.Yellow
indicatesreactivityorexplosivity.Thewhiteissectionisusedtodescribe
anyspecialhazards.

MoreSafetySignHelp
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ChemicalStorageColorCodes

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ChemicalStorageColorCoding
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Symbol Meaning
and
Number

Example

Blue0 Doesnotposeahealthhazard.Noprecautionsare
necessary.

water

Blue1 Exposuremaycauseirritationandminorresidualinjury.

acetone

Blue2 Intenseorcontinuednonchronicexposuremayresultin
incapacitationororresidualinjury.

ethylether

Blue3 Briefexposuremaycauseserioustemporaryormoderate chlorinegas

residualinjury.
Blue4 Verybriefexposuremaycausedeathormajorresidual
injury.

sarin,carbon
monoxide

Red0 Willnotburn.

carbon
dioxide

Red1 Mustbeheatedinordertoignite.Flashpointexceeds90C mineraloil

or200F
Red2 Moderateheatorrelativelyhighambienttemperatureis
requiredforignition.Flashpointbetween38Cor100F
and93Cor200F

dieselfuel

Red3 Liquidsorsolidsthatreadilyigniteatmostambient
temperatureconditions.Liquidshaveaflashpointbelow
23C(73F)andboilingpointatorabove38C(100F)or
flashpointbetween23C(73F)and38C(100F)

gasoline

Red4 Rapidlyorcompletelyvaporizesatnormaltemperatureand hydrogen,

pressureorreadilydispersesinairandreadilyburns.
propane
Flashpointbelow23C(73F)
Yellow Normallystableevenwhenexposedtofirenotreactive
0
withwater.

helium

Yellow Normallystable,butmaybecomeunstableelevated
1
temperatureandpressure.

propene

Yellow Changesviolentlyatelevatedtemperatureandpressureor sodium,

2
reactsviolentlywithwaterorformsexplosivemixtureswith phosphorus
water.
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ChemicalStorageColorCodes

Yellow Maydetonateorundergoexplosivedecompositionunder
3
theactionofastronginitiatororreactsexplosivelywith
waterordetonatesundersevereshock.

ammonium
nitrate,
chlorine
trifluoride

Yellow Readilyundergoesexplosivedecompositionordetonates
4
atnormaltemperatureandpressure.

TNT,
nitroglycerine

White oxidizer
OX

hydrogen
peroxide,
ammonium
nitrate

White Reactswithwaterinadangerousorunusualway.
W

sulfuricacid,
sodium

White simpleasphyxiantgas
SA

Only:
nitrogen,
helium,neon,
argon,
krypton,
xenon

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ChemicalStorageColorCodes

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