From toxic chemicals to flammable substances, hazardous products can be dangerous to your employees and the environment. It’s important you understand hazard pictograms and exactly what they mean to protect your people from short or long-term health hazards and surrounding environments from harm. This 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:
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 the label of a chemical product, as a requirement under the GHS. This standardized system provides a single source of truth so people can fully understand the risks certain substances pose, just by looking at the pictogram.
There are 9 standard pictograms which are used to depict potential hazards worldwide. Each black symbol is depicted within a red diamond with a white background. It is your responsibility as the employer that all employees are trained and taught how to recognize each of the pictograms if they work with hazardous substances.
You can find an example of each below:
Now, let’s get into more detail about exactly what these hazardous symbols mean:
This hazard pictogram indicates gases which are stored under pressure, such as ammonia. The symbol depicts a gas cylinder because this is a common example of something that is found at certain organizations. To protect your employees, make sure these cylinders are always checked to avoid a potential leak.
Showing an environment with chemicals that are harmful to species living in water, this pictogram indicates substances which are dangerous for the environment. Make sure all employees carefully use chemicals with this label and dispose of them in the proper way.
The skulls and crossbones is a familiar symbol to most of us, as this is used to indicate something that is toxic if ingested, inhaled, or absorbed. Provide the proper training on such chemicals so employees are aware and can take the proper steps to avoid harm.
In addition to toxic substances, there are several which can cause health hazards irritating the skin and eyes, respiratory tract, and more. This pictogram shows a picture of an exclamation mark. Health hazards are a serious risk to your people, so ensure they all are trained to properly use such chemical products and are given the necessary personal protective equipment.
This pictogram shows a flame which means this substance is flammable. Substances that can ignite or catch on fire can be very dangerous to your teams, so provide training on how to deal with these products.
This pictogram, showing a circle which appears to be on fire, indicates that this chemical product can react with others and release oxidizing substances. This is dangerous because such chemicals can cause fires or explosions.
Chemical products that have the potential to explode can cause serious risks to your employees. This pictogram shows a bomb exploding, so it’s up to you to provide the necessary training to employees so they know how to handle such a substance.
Certain substances have the potential to cause serious damage to the health of your people. This pictogram, showing someone with internal damage, is usually found on chemical products that can affect internal organs, fertility, and more.
Chemicals that can be extremely harmful to your skin or objects around you are labelled corrosive. This pictogram depicts skin and specific materials that are damaged because of this substance. All employees must learn how to properly use such products and be given the necessary PPE.
With a multitude of harmful substances in the world, it can be difficult to properly shield your employees from all the dangers they may pose.
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