Flammability hazard ranking

Flammability can be ranked using the Flammability Hazard Ranking (NFPA, 2007) as shown in Table 14.3. 

Gases with a health hazard, flammability, or reactivity ranking of 3 or 4 (toxic or highly toxic) should also be used and dispensed from a ventilated gas cabinet. The cylinder and any fittings subject to leakage should be enclosed by the cabinet. ... 

Different materials pose different hazards, including thermal radiation, explosion overpressure, and toxic and flammable vapor clouds. Some materials pose only one hazard, while others may pose all four. For the purposes of ranking facilities you will need to estimate the laigest area affected by the potential hazards. You can arrive at such an estimate by calculating the greatest downwind distance to a particular level of hazatd. The following thresholds are commonly applied ... 

Facilities can be ranked based on the sum of the maximum hazard distances for each release. Only one hazard distance should be used for each release, even if there is the potential for more than one hazard (thermal radiation, explosion overpressure, toxic cloud and flammable vapor cloud). The highest-ranked facility will be the one whose potential releases would reach the greatest total distance. 

Chemical Exposure Index (CEI) (Chemical Exposure Index, 1994 Mannan, 2005, pp. 8/22-8/26.) The CEI provides a method of rating the relative potential of acute health hazard to people from possible chemical release incidents. It may be used for prioritizing initial process hazard analysis and establishing the degree of further analysis needed. The CEI also may be used as part of the site review process. The system provides a method of ranking one risk relative to another. It is not intended to define a particular containment system as safe or unsafe, but provides a way of comparing toxic hazards. It deals with acute, not chronic, releases. Flammability and explosion hazards are not included in this index. To develop a CEI, information needs include... 

This system recognizes the hazards of a material in terms of three principal categories, namely "health," "flammability," and "reactivity" and ranks the severity numerically ranging from "four (4)," indicating a severe hazard, to "zero (0)," indicating no special hazard. The information is displayed in the NFPA 704 diamond, which is shown in Figure 6.27. For more information, you should consult the NFPA Fire Protection Guide on Hazardous Materials. 

In 1981 lieu et al at the University of Pittsburgh reported on studies comparing the flammability-toxicity of polyphosphazene and polyurethane foams, using the newly proposed Potential Hazard Index (PHI). In these studies polyphosphazene ranked less hazardous than polyurethane foams. Toxic gases evolved by polyphosphazene included CO, HCN, and NO2, with relative proportions dependant on which formulation was under study (12). 

Flammability The 704 System ranks level or degree of hazard by assigning a number, 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4. Zero represents materials that offer little or... 

Hazard Based—where all chemicals of a certain class are ranked the same (e.g., acute toxics, flammability rating, ecotoxics)... 

E. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes are part of the system created by the NFPA for identifying and ranking the potential fire hazards of materials. The system has three principal categories of hazard health (H), flammability (F), and reactivity (R). Within each category, hazards are ranked from four (4), indicating a severe hazard, to zero (0), indicating no... 

A system of labeling established by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to provided a readily identifiable means to ascertain material hazards. The system identifies fire hazards in three main areas health, flammability, and reaction or instability. The relative ranking in severity of each hazard category is indicated... 

The health rating is provided on the left at the 9 o clock position and is colored blue. The flammability rating is provided at the top or 12 o clock position and is colored red. The reactivity hazard is provided on the right at the 3 o clock position and is colored yellow. The relative rankings for each hazard are indicated in each quadrant. Special hazard identifiers are provided in the bottom quadrant at the 6 o clock position, which is usually white. Special hazard qualifiers generally include radioactivity, explosives, corrosive, water reactive, oxidizer, etc. The NFPA fire hazard identification scheme is somewhat limited as it only identifies relative potential hazards with the individual material. It does not identify the material itself or all of its potential reactions with other materials. See Figure C.3 for a depiction of this placard. See also Chemical Hazard Label Hazardous Materials Identification System (HMIS ) NFPA 704, Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response. 

Hazardous Production Material (HPM) is a solid, liquid or gas that has a degree-of-hazard rating in health, flammability or reactivity of Class 3 or 4 as ranked by UFC Standard No. 79-3, and which is used directly in research, laboratory or production processes which have as their end-product materials which are not hazardous. 

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