ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

NFPA 704

NFPA 704 is a special symbol that helps people understand how dangerous different chemicals can be. It looks like a box that has four different colored sections inside of it. Each color represents a different type of danger, and each number represents the degree of danger on a scale of 0-4.

The blue section is for health hazards, which means how much a chemical can affect your body if you touch it, breathe it in, or swallow it. The higher the number in the blue section, the more dangerous the chemical is to your health.

The red section is for fire hazards, which means how easily a chemical can catch on fire and how big the fire can get. The higher the number in the red section, the more dangerous the chemical is to start a fire.

The yellow section is for reactivity hazards, which means how easily a chemical can react to other things and cause explosions or dangerous reactions. The higher the number in the yellow section, the more dangerous the chemical is to react.

The white section is for special hazards, which means anything else that might be important to know about the chemical. For example, if the chemical can give off dangerous gas or if it needs to be kept away from water.

When you see a NFPA 704 symbol, you can use it to help you understand how dangerous a chemical is and how to stay safe. It's important to know how to store, use, and dispose of chemicals properly to avoid accidents and protect yourself and others around you.