From toxic chemicals to flammable substances, hazardous products can be dangerous to your employees and the environment. It’s important you understand COSHH hazard pictograms or symbols and exactly what they mean
to protect your people from short or long-term health hazards and the surrounding environment
from harm.
These hazard pictograms can keep employees who are working with these substances safe and help you, as the employer, mitigate risks
faster with the proper training, controls, and processes in place.
Keep reading to uncover:
- How the GHS simplifies the labelling of chemicals
- What do the 9 COSHH hazard symbols mean?
- What are hazard statements, precautionary statements, and signal words?
- COSHH next steps
Chaos to clarity: how the GHS simplifies the labelling of chemicals
You might be thinking, what is GHS? GHS or the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, is an international standard
that is used to classify hazards and label hazardous chemicals.
Hazard pictograms must be included on COSHH labels of
chemical products as a requirement under the GHS. This standardised system provides a single source of truth so people can fully understand the risks certain substances pose, just by looking at the
pictogram.
What do the 9 COSHH hazard symbols mean?
There are 9 standard hazard pictograms which are used to depict potential hazards worldwide. Each black symbol is depicted within a red diamond with a white background. This is
different from the older symbols which were cast against an orange square.
You might be thinking, can I still use the old COSHH hazard symbols? The short answer is no. In 2015, the classification system changed to the new Classification, Labelling, and Package (CLP)
regulations and in order to stay compliant, you must use the new COSHH hazard pictograms.
It is your responsibility, as the employer, that all employees are aware of the COSHH hazard symbols and meanings
if they work with hazardous substances.
You can find an example of each below:
