HMIS - hazardous materials identification system

North American product labelling system developed by the national paint and coatings association (NPCA) and similar in many respects to the NFPA 704 system
NOTE: HMIS labels always appear as a rectangle-shaped block of four colour bars with a blue “health” bar on top, a red “flammability” bar below that, followed by a yellow “reactivity” bar and a white “PPE” bar. At times there may be additional space on the label for other information, including product name, supplemental warnings, manufacturer information or additional information. HMIS is touted by its owner as “designed to aid employers and their employees in day-to-day compliance with OSHA’s hazard communication standard.” The rating criteria used for categories of flammability and reactivity is identical to that used by NFPA 704. The ratings in the health category differ as HMIS is also concerned with chronic as well as acute health hazards. The presence of an asterisk indicates a chronic health hazard. Recently, the label was redesigned to give the asterisk a box of its own on the label. In older labels (which are expected to be prevalent for many years), the mark is combined with the numerical rating value.

Application Area: Freight, Logistics and Commercial Vehicle Operations