Hazard-labels Memes

The NFPA 704 fire diamond uses numbers 0-4 to rate hazards, but someone's gotten a little confused about that "W" symbol in the white section. That W doesn't stand for "Won" (the Korean currency)—it actually means the substance reacts dangerously with water. But honestly, seeing "₩" (the won symbol) there would be hilarious. "Caution: This chemical costs 4,000 won to handle safely." For those unfamiliar: the NFPA diamond is that colorful hazard label you see on chemical containers. Blue = health hazard, red = flammability, yellow = reactivity, and white = special hazards. The W specifically warns that water will make things go boom (or at least very badly). Think alkali metals like sodium—toss that in water and you get a nice little explosion. The rating system goes from 0 (basically harmless) to 4 (run for your life), making this a maximum-danger flammability situation with a water-reactive bonus.