The University of Memphis Hazard Identification System

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This hazard identification placarding system was been developed by The University of Memphis Environmental Health and Safety Office. Placards are typically found on laboratory entrances. Similar to HMIS, this method of hazard identification conveys information on health, flammability, and reactivity hazards. In addition to these three hazards, this system provides specific hazard information and also provides emergency telephone numbers.

The three colored boxes on the left of the placard correspond to health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow). Inside each colored box is a number representing the degree of hazard associated with that category. A 4 indicates the highest degree of hazard while 0 indicates the lowest degree of hazard.

Emergency Notification Information

To the right of those colored boxes is the emergency notification information. This area contains the room location, University Police Services' emergency number (678-HELP), and personnel to be notified in an emergency (usually a laboratory director or supervisor).

Special Hazard Information

Finally, beneath all that information is the special hazards area. In this location, you can find specific hazard information relating to materials found within the lab.

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