All,
Welcome to
the world of the GHS clashing with the NFPA. This is an
illustration of what we will all experience for a long
period of time to come: the “inverted” nature of the NFPA
and GSH rating systems. The episode below almost
certainly refers to an NFPA fire rating of 4 – the highest
(most dangerous) level in their 0-4 rating system.
As we are
coming to learn about the GHS, their rating system has “1”
as the most hazardous rating, and larger numbers are less
hazardous. But, the system will have different “end point
values” for the most hazardous category for different
kinds of hazards. Thus, Flammable Gases will be 1-2, but
Acute Toxicity is 1-5. Reproductive Toxicity is 1A, 1B,
and 2. And Organic Peroxides are A-G. Wow.
This is all
explained at:
http://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/ghs.html and nicely
synopsized in one of my favorite books (!) in Table
3.2.1.1 on page 3-27 in “Laboratory Safety for Chemistry
Students,” Hill and Finster, Wiley, 2010.
Dave
Here’s a tidbit from today’s “Chemical
Safety Headlines from Google:”
----------------
FIRE CAUSES MINOR EXPLOSIONS AT
DISTRIBUTING COMPANY http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/21975892/2013/04/15/fire-causes-minor-explosions-at-distributing-company
Tags: us_AZ, industrial, explosion,
response, aerosol
PHOENIX -
A shipping container caught fire at a
distributing company near Grande Avenue and McDowell Road on
Sunday night.
According to Phoenix Fire Department,
minor explosions occurred after a Conex box outside Star
Distributing Company caught fire.
A Conex box is a sturdy container
commonly used on trains and at some businesses.
Placards on
the outside of the box read that whatever was inside had a
level four hazardous threat, the highest level possible.
Crews were able to quickly contain the
fire. They used saws to cut holes into the box and found it
was full of aerosol cans.
Phoenix Fire Cpt. Jonathan Jacobs says
the fire caused the cans to heat up and explode.
The auto parts distributing company is
located in a primarily industrial area and no homes were
threatened.
-----------------------
From the images and news video on the
website, it’s an NFPA placard. Even news media are
accustomed to the current NFPA placarding scheme. It’ll be
interesting if NFPA flips their numbering scheme.
Debbie M. Decker, CCHO
Safety Manager
Department of Chemistry
University of California, Davis
1 Shields Ave.
Davis, CA 95616
(530)754-7964
(530)304-6728
dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu
Birkett's
hypothesis: "Any chemical reaction
that
proceeds smoothly under normal conditions,
can
proceed violently in the presence of an idiot."
