Anatomy of a GHS Label: The Six Parts and Nine Pictograms

Short answer: A GHS label carries six parts: a signal word (Danger or Warning), product name or identifiers, hazard statements, hazard pictograms, precautionary statements, and manufacturer name, address and phone. Pictograms are red diamond symbols that convey health, physical and environmental hazards. A single label may use one to five of them. The nine basic universal pictograms cover acute toxic, environmental, corrosive, explosive, severely toxic, oxidizing, gas pressure, health danger and flammable hazards.

This article is educational and is not legal advice. Use the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard and your compliance advisor for decisions about your site.

What GHS is (and who uses it in the USA)

GHS, or the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, is an international system to standardize the way hazardous materials are classified and labeled. It includes criteria for classifying and rating the hazards of chemicals, as well as standard language and symbols to identify those hazards.

The EPA, OSHA and the U.S. Department of Transportation have adopted GHS for use in the USA. When someone asks what a GHS label must include, they are usually asking about this shared anatomy: the six parts and the pictogram set.

The six parts of a GHS label

1. Signal word

The signal word shows the relative level of hazard. "Danger" is used for the most severe instances. "Warning" is less severe. A label uses one signal word, not both.

2. Product name or identifiers

This is the product name and other identifiers that tie the container to the correct chemical and safety data sheet. Without clear identifiers, the rest of the label is hard to use.

3. Hazard statements

Hazard statements are phrases that describe the nature of the hazard and often the degree. They are the plain-language description of what can go wrong if the chemical is mishandled.

4. Symbols (hazard pictograms)

Pictograms convey health, physical and environmental hazard information with red diamond symbols. A label may use a combination of one to five symbols. They are meant to be recognized quickly, even across languages.

5. Precautionary statements

These phrases are tied to each hazard statement. They describe general prevention, response, storage or disposal precautions. They tell people what to do, not only what the hazard is.

6. Manufacturer info

Company name, address and phone. This is how someone reaches the party responsible for the product information on the label.

Taken together, these six parts are the core of GHS label requirements. Your compliance team decides how workplace and secondary container labels apply this structure under your written hazard communication program. For employer timing on workplace labels, see OSHA HazCom November 20, 2026: workplace and secondary container labels.

The nine basic universal pictograms

The sell-sheet pictogram key lists nine basic universal pictograms:

Letter	Pictogram meaning
A	Acute Toxic
B	Environmental
C	Corrosive
D	Explosive
E	Severely Toxic
F	Oxidizing
G	Gas Pressure
H	Health Danger
I	Flammable

Training teams often start here: can people on the floor name the symbol they see? If a storage question comes up (for example, which aerosols count as flammable), the flame pictogram is one clue, but the full label and the current SDS still need to match.

Why the anatomy matters on workplace and secondary containers

Shipping labels leave the dock. On the plant floor, chemicals move into drums, spray bottles, totes and other secondary containers. Those workplace labels are what operators read every day.

If a safety data sheet is updated and the workplace label is not, the six parts can drift out of sync. Signal words, hazard statements and pictograms should still match the current SDS. A faded or peeling label fails for a different reason: the anatomy is correct on paper, but no one can read it in the room.

For more background on GHS and why durable labels matter, read GHS Labeling: OSHA Updates and Why Your Labels Matter. For a plant-floor checklist, see Secondary container label checklist. For containers shipped over water, see BS5609 Section 2 and 3 chemical labels.

How CIS helps

CIS knows the details that go into GHS compliant labels and works with you to make sure your labels meet specification and certification requirements. Our pictogram and chemical labels are designed to comply with the Globally Harmonized System.

Tell us what containers you label and where they live, and we will help you pick labels that carry the right anatomy and stay readable.

Request a quote: keaton@innovationandsupply.com | 770.561.5285 | innovationandsupply.com

FAQ

• What are the six parts of a GHS label?

Signal word, product name or identifiers, hazard statements, hazard pictograms, precautionary statements, and manufacturer name, address and phone.

• What is the difference between Danger and Warning on a GHS label?

"Danger" is used for the most severe hazards. "Warning" is less severe. A label uses one signal word.

• How many GHS pictograms can appear on one label?

A label may use a combination of one to five red diamond pictograms.

• What do the nine basic GHS pictograms mean?

Acute Toxic, Environmental, Corrosive, Explosive, Severely Toxic, Oxidizing, Gas Pressure, Health Danger and Flammable.

• Who has adopted GHS in the USA?

The EPA, OSHA and the U.S. Department of Transportation have adopted GHS for use in the USA.

• Do workplace and secondary container labels need the same six parts?

Your written hazard communication program and compliance advisor decide what each workplace label must carry. As a practical check, workplace labels should stay aligned with the current SDS.