Safety - Field Sampling: Principles and Practices in Environmental Analysis - page 87

label (HMIS). This label not only provides the types of hazards involved but also the
severity of the hazard. The numbers can range from 0 to 4, indicating an increasing level
of hazard in each of the four small diamonds. The specific type of hazard is indicated by
both the position and the color of the interior diamond: the upper left diamond is blue and
is an indicator of the health hazard [3]; the upper right is red and is fire hazard [2]; the
lower right is yellow and indicates the reactivity; and the lower white

FIGURE 4.1 Examples of safety signs. Upper left: hazard warning label; upper
right: hazardous material system label (see also Figure 4.2), and
bottom: shipping label. Next page: explanation of label.

Explanation of Hazardous Material System Label (cont.)
Diamond Hazard danger designations

1—None
2—Mild
3—Extreme
4—Deadly

Health hazard hazard Blue (#3)