Which statement about NFPA 704 labeling is true?

• A. It uses a system of four rating categories
• B. It uses only two rating categories
• C. It uses three rating categories
• D. It uses five rating categories

Answer: (A)

NFPA 704 labeling conveys hazard information using four rating categories: health, flammability, reactivity, and special hazards. Each category gets a number from 0 to 4, where higher numbers mean greater hazard, and the white area indicates special hazards with symbols or letters. This four-category structure is what lets responders quickly assess the overall risk and determine appropriate protection and response actions. The agent’s health impact, its flammability risk, its potential to react dangerously, and any special hazards (like oxidizers or reactive water) are all captured in separate sections, rather than combining them into fewer or more categories. So the statement that it uses four rating categories is the accurate description of the NFPA 704 system.