International symbols warn people that the contents of containers are dangerous. Hazard pictograms alert us to the presence of a hazardous chemical. The pictograms help us to know that the chemicals we are using might cause harm to people or the environment. The CLP hazard pictograms are very similar to those used in the old labelling system and appear in the shape of a diamond with a distinctive red border and white background. One or more pictograms might appear on the labelling of a single chemical.
Hazard symbols have come a long way from the rudimentary drawings used to designate poison in the early 1800s. As a result of updated OSHA chemical labeling requirements, 2016 marks the first full year of adoption of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) in the U.S.
The GHS system, part of OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), consists of nine symbols, or pictograms, providing recognition of the hazards associated with certain substances. Uses of eight of the nine are mandatory in the U.S., the exception being the environmental pictogram. Each pictogram covers a specific type of hazard and is designed to be immediately recognizable to anyone handling hazardous material. In addition to pictograms, labels are required to include a signal word (“danger” or “warning”), a brief hazard statement and a precautionary statement outlining ways to prevent exposure.
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