Hazardous Materials

Restrained or contained hazardous materials are all around us. Disasters have the potential of releasing these materials into the environment, putting the public and disaster workers in danger. For example:

• Floods carry toxins and corrosives for great distances.


• Earthquakes, fires, and explosions can disable containment facilities.


• Once released, hazardous materials can react together in ways never intended by their users.

Awareness of the risks posed by hazardous materials can improve your safety. SAP evaluators are never expected to identify hazardous materials. But a general understanding of various marking systems will give you a better idea of types of materials you are working near.

Hazardous material containers should be labeled to disclose their identity and associated hazards. This is not always the case for several reasons:

• Optional labeling for some hazardous materials


• Improperly placed labels


• Labeling regulations not enforced


• Incorrect labels

Since there are more labeling conventions than we can cover here, let’s look at the three most commonly-used systems in the United States. Click the links below for explanations and examples.

National Fire Protection Association 704M System used for materials within facilities that manufacture, process, use, or store hazardous materials.

Department of Transportation System used to label hazardous materials during transport.

National Paint and Coatings Association System used to label hazardous materials within manufacturing plants and facilities.