2638: Extended NFPA Hazard Diamond - Revision history

FaviFake: /* The extended diamond */

2025-05-02T08:13:22Z

‎The extended diamond

FaviFake: /* Table of extended diamond */

2025-05-02T08:13:12Z

‎Table of extended diamond

172.71.146.44: /* Table of extended diamond */

2025-02-02T18:56:06Z

‎Table of extended diamond

172.70.90.108: /* Explanation */ Making it the proper template (again).

2024-11-14T12:17:20Z

‎Explanation: Making it the proper template (again).

CalibansCreations: /* Table of extended diamond */

2024-11-14T11:12:03Z

‎Table of extended diamond

CalibansCreations: /* Table of extended diamond */

2024-11-14T11:11:47Z

‎Table of extended diamond

108.162.242.112: /* Explanation */

2024-07-13T03:52:53Z

‎Explanation

1234231587678 at 17:08, 1 March 2024

2024-03-01T17:08:25Z

Jkshapiro: /* Explanation */ fix typo

2023-06-25T15:18:24Z

‎Explanation: fix typo

172.70.210.49: the purpose of Explainxkcd is to explain. When hypothetical examples are used to explain, the plausibility of those hypotheticals should not be so small as to deter from presentation of a useful explanation

2022-08-25T17:10:54Z

the purpose of Explainxkcd is to explain. When hypothetical examples are used to explain, the plausibility of those hypotheticals should not be so small as to deter from presentation of a useful explanation

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 But a few labs have apparently had accidents involving a soda machine or {{w|dropped ceiling}}. The latter may be a reference to {{w|1978 smallpox outbreak in the United Kingdom|the death of Janet Parker}}: One inquiry found that she was infected with {{w|smallpox}} when a sample traveled upward from a lab on the floor below hers; however, other investigations have challenged that finding. There are occasional instances of vending machines causing injury or death, usually caused by people trying to shake or tilt the machines to get product out and having the machine tip and fall on them.  On average, [https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/1996/CPSC-Soda-Vending-Machine-Industry-Labeling-Campaign-Warns-Of-Deaths-And-Injuries a couple of Americans per year] are killed in this way. Reagents obtained in this way tend to have more impurities than those usually used in labs, but are relatively safe to shake.
-===The extended diamond===
+===Extended diamond===
 {| class="wikitable"
 ! Square !! Color !! Comic text !! Explanation

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 But a few labs have apparently had accidents involving a soda machine or {{w|dropped ceiling}}. The latter may be a reference to {{w|1978 smallpox outbreak in the United Kingdom|the death of Janet Parker}}: One inquiry found that she was infected with {{w|smallpox}} when a sample traveled upward from a lab on the floor below hers; however, other investigations have challenged that finding. There are occasional instances of vending machines causing injury or death, usually caused by people trying to shake or tilt the machines to get product out and having the machine tip and fall on them.  On average, [https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/1996/CPSC-Soda-Vending-Machine-Industry-Labeling-Campaign-Warns-Of-Deaths-And-Injuries a couple of Americans per year] are killed in this way. Reagents obtained in this way tend to have more impurities than those usually used in labs, but are relatively safe to shake.
-===Table of extended diamond===
+===The extended diamond===
 {| class="wikitable"
 ! Square !! Color !! Comic text !! Explanation
 |-

@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 Randall's example substance apparently sells for tens of dollars per gram (which would be similar to most common illicit drugs).
 |-
-| Center Right || Dark Purple || How much of a hassle it is to dispose of (4) || While many things can be thrown in the trash with no additional procedures, substances that merit an NFPA 704 square often require additional procedures to avoid significant danger, damage to the environment, or hefty dumping fines. Biohazards that may carry diseases are often disposed of in special containers, and nuclear materials are notoriously difficult to safely dispose of. This square would be at least theoretically useful, though not as much as the actual disposal guidelines.
+| Center Right || Dark Purple || How much of a hassle it is to dispose of (4) || While many things can be thrown in the trash with no additional procedures, substances that merit an NFPA 704 square often require additional procedures to avoid significant danger, damage to the environment, or hefty dumping fines. Biohazards that may carry diseases are often disposed of in special containers, and nuclear materials are notoriously difficult to safely dispose of. This square would be at least theoretically useful, though not as much as the actual disposal guidelines; simply knowing it has a non-zero value would be enough for anyone with the slightest respect for safety to avoid throwing the substance into a normal trash can.
 If the numbering here follows the scheme of the real categories, Randall's example substance is about as hard to dispose of as it gets. This matches the substance's rating of 4 for Blue and 2 for Yellow. Presumably it requires highly specialized handling or processing, and may also very bulky or awkward to store.

@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 | Bottom Left || Lilac || Number of federal agencies who want to know if you have any (3) || In many countries, including Randall's home country, the USA, the government has agencies dedicated to controlling or limiting the use of regulated substances, due to their use as drugs, weapons, harm to the environment, etc. While any given substance might be of interest to one agency, something that is both an environmental hazard and a chemical weapon component could interest, for example, the {{w|EPA}}, {{w|Chemical Safety Board}} and the FBI Counter-terrorism Division.
 |-
-| Bottom Right || Orange || How many times you have to scrub your hands after touching it before they stop smelling weird (1) || While the real NFPA 704 chart describes properties ranging from unsafe to potentially deadly, this square describes a minor but very real inconvenience. Some things are harder to wash off your hands than others, and, given that most people don't often work with dangerous substances,{{cn}} this would be a more common, but less relevant, concern for many people.
+| Bottom Right || Orange || How many times you have to scrub your hands after touching it before they stop smelling weird (1) || While the real NFPA 704 chart describes properties ranging from unsafe to potentially deadly, this square describes a minor but very real inconvenience. Some things are harder to wash off your hands than others, and, given that most people don't often work with dangerous substances,{{Citation needed}} this would be a more common, but less relevant, concern for many people.
 In this case, the substance, or its residue, seems to be fairly easy to wash off. This is seemingly incongruous with its ratings in the Blue and Black squares (see below), though it's possible that this substance simply doesn't have a strong odor.

@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 | Bottom Left || Lilac || Number of federal agencies who want to know if you have any (3) || In many countries, including Randall's home country, the USA, the government has agencies dedicated to controlling or limiting the use of regulated substances, due to their use as drugs, weapons, harm to the environment, etc. While any given substance might be of interest to one agency, something that is both an environmental hazard and a chemical weapon component could interest, for example, the {{w|EPA}}, {{w|Chemical Safety Board}} and the FBI Counter-terrorism Division.
 |-
-| Bottom Right || Orange || How many times you have to scrub your hands after touching it before they stop smelling weird (1) || While the real NFPA 704 chart describes properties ranging from unsafe to potentially deadly, this square describes a minor but very real inconvenience. Some things are harder to wash off your hands than others, and, given that most people don't often work with dangerous substances ,{{cn}} this would be a more common, but less relevant, concern for many people.
+| Bottom Right || Orange || How many times you have to scrub your hands after touching it before they stop smelling weird (1) || While the real NFPA 704 chart describes properties ranging from unsafe to potentially deadly, this square describes a minor but very real inconvenience. Some things are harder to wash off your hands than others, and, given that most people don't often work with dangerous substances,{{cn}} this would be a more common, but less relevant, concern for many people.
 In this case, the substance, or its residue, seems to be fairly easy to wash off. This is seemingly incongruous with its ratings in the Blue and Black squares (see below), though it's possible that this substance simply doesn't have a strong odor.

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Explanation==
-This comic depicts an extension of the National Fire Protection Association's {{w|NFPA 704|NFPA 704 Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response}} "fire diamond" emblematic insignia used to warn about the properties of hazardous substances inside a building, vehicle, room, cabinet, or container that are important during an emergency or accident, such as a fire, earthquake, spill or leak, bringing the diamond from 2x2 squares to 3x3 by adding five variously useful and humorous squares along the bottom edges. NFPA Hazard Diamonds have also been mentionned in [[868: Nolan Chart]].
+This comic depicts an extension of the National Fire Protection Association's {{w|NFPA 704|NFPA 704 Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response}} "fire diamond" emblematic insignia used to warn about the properties of hazardous substances inside a building, vehicle, room, cabinet, or container that are important during an emergency or accident, such as a fire, earthquake, spill or leak, bringing the diamond from 2x2 squares to 3x3 by adding five variously useful and humorous squares along the bottom edges. NFPA Hazard Diamonds have also been mentioned in [[868: Nolan Chart]].
 The numbers in a normal NFPA 704 diamond do not specify values of substances' properties, but rather broad categories designating characteristics of the substances of greatest interest to {{w|first responders}} and hazardous materials cleanup crews. Randall's expanded diamond breaks with this convention, with several squares (Lilac, Orange, and Black) denoting absolute values, and one square (Green) denoting an economic value. This could very easily lead to documentation update headaches, especially since the Green square is mostly determined by supply and demand, and the Lilac square is linked to political outcomes. See explanation for each field in the extended square below in the [[#Table of extended diamond|table]].

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 This comic depicts an extension of the National Fire Protection Association's {{w|NFPA 704|NFPA 704 Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response}} "fire diamond" emblematic insignia used to warn about the properties of hazardous substances inside a building, vehicle, room, cabinet, or container that are important during an emergency or accident, such as a fire, earthquake, spill or leak, bringing the diamond from 2x2 squares to 3x3 by adding five variously useful and humorous squares along the bottom edges.
-The numbers in a normal NFPA 704 diamond do not specify values of substances' properties, but rather broad categories designating characteristics of the substances of greatest interest to {{w|first responders}} and hazardous materials cleanup crews. Randall's expanded diamond breaks with this convention, with several squares (Lilac, Orange, and Black) denoting absolute values, and one square (Green) denoting an economic value. This could very easily lead to documentation update headaches, especially since the Green square is mostly determined by supply and demand, and the Lilac square is linked to political outcomes. See explanation for each field in he extended square below in the [[#Table of extended diamond|table]].
+The numbers in a normal NFPA 704 diamond do not specify values of substances' properties, but rather broad categories designating characteristics of the substances of greatest interest to {{w|first responders}} and hazardous materials cleanup crews. Randall's expanded diamond breaks with this convention, with several squares (Lilac, Orange, and Black) denoting absolute values, and one square (Green) denoting an economic value. This could very easily lead to documentation update headaches, especially since the Green square is mostly determined by supply and demand, and the Lilac square is linked to political outcomes. See explanation for each field in the extended square below in the [[#Table of extended diamond|table]].
 The only easily identifiable substance which could likely meet the specific insignia numbers shown in the comic is {{w|thionyl chloride}} (SOCl<sub>2</sub>), a chlorinating reagent and solvent regulated as a chemical weapons precursor and sometimes used in the production of methamphetamine, which would also be represented with the '''<s>W</s>''' symbol inside the white square, indicating reactivity with water.

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 The numbers in a normal NFPA 704 diamond do not specify values of substances' properties, but rather broad categories designating characteristics of the substances of greatest interest to {{w|first responders}} and hazardous materials cleanup crews. Randall's expanded diamond breaks with this convention, with several squares (Lilac, Orange, and Black) denoting absolute values, and one square (Green) denoting an economic value. This could very easily lead to documentation update headaches, especially since the Green square is mostly determined by supply and demand, and the Lilac square is linked to political outcomes. See explanation for each field in he extended square below in the [[#Table of extended diamond|table]].
-The only easily identifiable substance which could likely meet the specific insignia numbers shown in the comic is {{w|thionyl chloride}} (SOCl<sub>2</sub>), a chlorinating reagent and solvent regulated as a chemical weapons precursor and sometimes used in the production of methamphetamine, which would also be represented with the '''<s>W</s>''' symbol inside the white square, indicating reactivity with water. <small>But if '''(Special Hazard)''' is the literal "Special Notice" classification in use then something far more exotic may be involved.</small>
+The only easily identifiable substance which could likely meet the specific insignia numbers shown in the comic is {{w|thionyl chloride}} (SOCl<sub>2</sub>), a chlorinating reagent and solvent regulated as a chemical weapons precursor and sometimes used in the production of methamphetamine, which would also be represented with the '''<s>W</s>''' symbol inside the white square, indicating reactivity with water.
 The title text (which references "scary stories" of the Black square) refers to {{w|dimethylmercury}} and {{w|prions}}. Dimethylmercury, C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>6</sub>Hg, is an organic form of mercury with an NFPA score of 4-4-3 (contact can be fatal, will burn below 73° F (22 °C), will combust if put under pressure). In 1997, an American chemist, {{w|Karen Wetterhahn}}, died 298 days after a few drops of C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>6</sub>Hg on her latex gloves were absorbed into her hand through the gloves, causing fatal mercury poisoning. Despite her having followed all safety protocols of the time, it was not then understood that the chemical was so toxic, nor that latex was so permeable to it. Prions are misfolded proteins that are responsible for a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including {{w|mad cow disease}} and {{w|chronic wasting disease}} in non-human animals and {{w|Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease}} in humans. These would indeed be the kind of substances that would scare those working with them in their labs; if an accident occurred, the results could be calamitous. See for example the case of [https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/07/second-lab-worker-with-deadly-prion-disease-prompts-research-pause-in-france/ Émilie Jaumain], a lab technician who died after accidentally coming into contact with prions in mouse tissue.
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 | Top Right || Yellow || Instability (2) || Denotes how stable the substance(s) are when exposed to water, heat, shock, air, or other substances. 2 indicates that "Normally unstable and will readily undergo violent decomposition but does not detonate. Also: may react violently with water or may form potentially explosive mixtures with water."
 |-
-| Center || White || (Special Hazard) || The standard's "Special Notice" field may contain a symbol denoting additional information about the substance(s), e.g., '''OX''' for {{w|oxidizer}}s, '''SA''' for simple {{w|asphyxiant}} gases such as nitrogen and helium, and <s>'''W'''</s> for substances which react dangerously with water. <small>Since the other squares in Randall's diamond contain values instead of descriptions, "'''(Special Hazard)'''" could conceivably be the special notice symbol for the substance depicted, instead of a description of the square's purpose.</small>
+| Center || White || (Special Hazard) || The standard's "Special Notice" field may contain a symbol denoting additional information about the substance(s), e.g., '''OX''' for {{w|oxidizer}}s, '''SA''' for simple {{w|asphyxiant}} gases such as nitrogen and helium, and <s>'''W'''</s> for substances which react dangerously with water.
 |-
 !colspan=5| After this point, all squares are made up by Randall.