As of June 1, 2015, the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) will require pictograms on labels to alert users of the chemical hazards to which they may be exposed. There are nine pictograms under the GHS that are used to convey the health, physical and environmental hazards. The final HCS requires use of eight of these pictograms; the environmental pictogram is not incorporated within the standard, as environmental hazards are not within OSHA's jurisdiction. Each pictogram consists of a symbol on a white background framed within a red border and represents a distinct hazard(s). The use of the red border is mandatory, and the standard does not allow blank red border, i.e. each red borders printed on the label must have a symbol printed inside it.

The nine pictograms and their associated hazard classes can be found on OSHA's Hazard Communication page (http://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/index.html), see Pictograms or Frequently Asked Questions. A copy of this information can be found on our Resources page - see Program Tools and Guidance.

Detailed information about the HCS labeling requirements can be found in the A Guide to The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) developed by the United Nations and posted on OSHA's website (http://www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/ghs.html).