On this page 5 sections
GHS hazard pictograms are the nine black-on-white symbols inside a red diamond that you find on chemical bottles, tins and drums. In Great Britain they come through the GB CLP Regulation, and each one flags a type of danger: flammable, corrosive, toxic, harmful to the environment and so on. They belong on the container. The warning on a store room door is a different system altogether: a yellow triangle from ISO 7010. Mixing the two up is the most common mistake we see, so we will start there. This is general information, not legal advice.
Two systems, two jobs #
Think of it as “what is in my hand” versus “what is behind this door”.
- On the product: the supplier prints GHS hazard pictograms on the label and in the safety data sheet. You do not add these yourself; they describe that specific product.
- On the wall, door, cupboard or cage: a workplace warning sign, which follows the safety sign colours and shapes system: black symbol, yellow triangle, black border.
So an acid store might carry a yellow corrosive triangle on its door, while every bottle on the shelves inside shows the red-diamond corrosive pictogram. Same hazard, told in the right place for the person who needs it. ISO 7010 has matching warning symbols for many hazards, such as W002 for explosive material, W009 for biological hazard and W023 for corrosive substances, and W001, the general warning sign, used with words when no specific symbol fits.
The nine GHS hazard pictograms, one by one #
| Code and picture | What it warns about | Where you might see it |
|---|---|---|
| GHS01: a bomb bursting apart | Explosive. Heat, a jolt or rubbing could set it off | Fireworks, some ammunition, a few reactive chemicals |
| GHS02: a flame | Flammable. Lights easily, whether gas, aerosol, liquid or solid | Petrol, thinners, aerosol paint, lighter refills |
| GHS03: flame sitting on a ring | Oxidising. Gives off oxygen, so it can start a fire or make one fiercer | Oxygen, some bleaching products, some pool treatments |
| GHS04: a gas bottle | Pressurised gas. Heat can make the container burst, and very cold gas can burn skin | Cylinders of oxygen, nitrogen and other gases |
| GHS05: liquid dripping onto a hand and a metal surface | Corrosive. Eats skin, eyes and metal | Battery acid, drain unblocker, strong acids and alkalis |
| GHS06: skull and crossbones | Acutely toxic. A small dose can poison or kill | Certain pesticides and industrial chemicals |
| GHS07: exclamation mark | Lower-level harm: irritation, skin allergy, drowsiness | Lots of cleaning products, some glues |
| GHS08: a figure with a burst shape on the chest | Serious longer-term harm, such as cancer, breathing problems, fertility or organ damage | Some solvents, some fuels, some dusts |
| GHS09: a bare tree and a dead fish | Environmental. Toxic to life in rivers and seas | Some pesticides, oils and biocides |
Reading the rest of the label
Next to the pictograms you will find a signal word, “Danger” for the more serious hazards and “Warning” for the less serious, plus hazard statements and precautions. A single product can carry several pictograms at once, and you should expect that on things like solvents.
The old orange squares
Older tins at the back of the shed may still wear the previous system: black symbols on orange squares. Suppliers moved away from those over a number of years, and new stock no longer uses them. If you are still using something with an orange label, ask for its up-to-date safety data sheet, since the product may have been reclassified in the meantime.
What COSHH asks, in plain terms #
COSHH stands for the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. The name sounds narrow, but it reaches well past bottles: dust from cutting, fumes from welding, vapour from solvents, mists, gases and biological agents all count. If your people work with any of that, or are exposed to it, the duties land on you as the employer.
Boiled down, the job has a clear shape. Work out what hazardous stuff is on site, whether you buy it in or your process creates it. Judge who could be harmed and how badly. Stop the exposure if you can; if that is not reasonably practicable, bring it under adequate control. Keep those controls working and in use, and check exposure or health where the rules call for it. Have a plan for spills and emergencies. And make sure staff know the risks and what to do, through information, instruction and training.
The HSE’s COSHH pages have the full detail and free guidance written for particular trades. Asbestos and lead sit under their own separate rules. Signs fit into the wider picture of safety sign regulations: a sign warns about a risk that is left over, it does not replace the controls.
Putting warning signs in the right places #
- Chemical cupboards and stores: on the door at eye level, so it is read before anyone opens up. A caution chemical store sign is the usual general-purpose choice.
- A specific hazard: name it where a sign exists, for example a corrosive sign or danger acid sign on an acid store, or a risk of explosion sign where an explosive atmosphere could build up.
- Trained staff only: add a no-admittance sign. Dangerous chemicals no admittance signs come in slim door sizes from 200 × 50 mm.
- Labs, clinics and waste areas: a caution biological hazard sign where biological agents are handled.
- Battery charging and gas areas: these have their own signs in our range, as the risks are specific.
- Outdoor cages and yards: choose Dibond so the sign stays readable through the weather.
When a substance stops being stored, take its sign down. Stale warnings train people to walk past all warnings.
Getting signs made #
Our chemical and hazard signs come in A4 (210 × 297 mm), A3, A2 and A1 (594 × 841 mm) on most designs, in 3 mm Foamex, 3 mm Dibond aluminium composite or self-adhesive vinyl. Vinyl suits smooth cupboard doors and metal cabinets, Foamex suits indoor walls, Dibond suits outdoor stores. They dispatch in 4 working days on Standard or 2 on Express, and each product page shows the ISO code.
To be clear about our part: we make signs, not GHS container labels, and we cannot tell you which GHS hazard pictograms apply to a product. That comes from the supplier’s safety data sheet and your COSHH assessment. Know the hazard but cannot find the sign? Contact us.