Recently, a subscriber asked the following question:
The NFPA 704 had us label the outside doors of our facilities so that first responders are aware of the dangers of HAZMAT in our facility. With the requirement of GHS now in full effect, should those labels be removed and replaced with GHS placards?
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This was our response:
The NFPA label and the HazCom GHS-compliant label each has a specific purpose and it is important to recognize the differences between each.
The NFPA 704 diamond provides information to first responders and are typically located outside buildings, on doors, or on tanks, and visible to emergency responders during spill or fire.
HazCom GHS labels that are on chemical containers provide information about hazards to workers using hazardous chemicals under normal conditions of use.
If workers understand the context and purpose of the different systems, then there should be no confusion. A detailed GHS label affixed to a chemical container by a supplier for the purpose of communicating the contents and hazards to workers handling hazardous chemicals has very little to do with a simplified visual warning system designed to alert fire-fighters as to the relative degree of danger of the area that they may encounter during a fire or emergency release. Two different purposes, so two different systems.
Do not use the HazCom hazard category numbers as hazard ratings on the NFPA 704 label. First responders are trained in the NFPA ratings.