Hazard warnings symbols
20 hazard warnings symbols, each with what it looks like and what it actually requires.
| Symbol | Looks like | Means |
|---|---|---|
| Exploding bomb (GHS01) | A bomb bursting with fragments flying out, black on white inside a red diamond. | Explosive, self-reactive, or an organic peroxide that can explode. |
| Flame (GHS02) | A single flame rising from a horizontal line, black on white in a red diamond. | Flammable — or a substance that heats up, ignites in air, or gives off flammable gas when wet. |
| Flame over circle (GHS03) | A flame sitting on top of a circle, black on white in a red diamond. | Oxidising — it will feed a fire, including one that has nothing else to burn with. |
| Gas cylinder (GHS04) | An upright gas cylinder in outline, black on white in a red diamond. | Gas under pressure — compressed, liquefied, refrigerated or dissolved. |
| Corrosion (GHS05) | Two test tubes pouring liquid, one onto a hand and one onto a bar of metal, both being eaten away. | Causes severe skin burns and eye damage, or corrodes metal. |
| Skull and crossbones (GHS06) | A human skull above two crossed bones, black on white in a red diamond. | Acute toxicity — fatal or toxic in small amounts by swallowing, skin contact or inhalation. |
| Exclamation mark (GHS07) | A bold exclamation mark, black on white in a red diamond. | Irritant, skin sensitiser, harmful if swallowed or inhaled, or may cause drowsiness — the lower-severity hazards. |
| Health hazard (GHS08) | A human torso in silhouette with a white starburst on the chest radiating outwards. | Serious long-term health effects — cancer, genetic damage, harm to fertility or the unborn child, organ damage, asthma from inhalation, or fatal if swallowed and it enters the airways. |
| Environment (GHS09) | A dead fish floating beside a leafless tree, black on white in a red diamond. | Hazardous to the aquatic environment — toxic to fish and other water life. |
| Orange explosive (E) | An exploding bomb, black on an orange-yellow square, sometimes with the letter E. | Explosive, under the old European system. |
| Orange oxidising (O) | A flame over a circle, black on an orange-yellow square, sometimes with the letter O. | Oxidising agent, under the old European system. |
| Orange flammable (F, F+) | A flame, black on an orange-yellow square, with the letter F or F+. | Highly flammable (F) or extremely flammable (F+), under the old European system. |
| Orange toxic (T, T+) | A skull and crossbones, black on an orange-yellow square, with the letter T or T+. | Toxic (T) or very toxic (T+), under the old European system. |
| Orange harmful or irritant (Xn, Xi) | A diagonal cross like a letter X, black on an orange-yellow square, with Xn or Xi beside it. | Harmful (Xn) or irritant (Xi), under the old European system. |
| Orange corrosive (C) | Liquid pouring from two tubes onto a hand and a bar of metal, black on an orange-yellow square, with the letter C. | Corrosive, under the old European system. |
| Orange dangerous for the environment (N) | A dead fish and a leafless tree, black on an orange-yellow square, with the letter N. | Dangerous for the environment, under the old European system. |
| NFPA 704 fire diamond | A diamond of four smaller diamonds: blue on the left, red on top, yellow on the right, white at the bottom, each holding a number from 0 to 4 or a code. | A US placard telling emergency responders how a stored chemical behaves in a fire. |
| Biohazard | Three interlocking incomplete circles arranged around a central ring, usually black on orange or on yellow. | Biological material that can cause disease — blood, cultures, clinical waste. |
| Radiation trefoil | Three black wedges radiating from a central circle, on a yellow background. | Ionising radiation — a radioactive source or a device producing radiation. |
| Laser radiation | A black starburst with a straight beam radiating from it, inside a yellow triangle with a black border. | Laser radiation — do not look into the beam. |
- Exploding bomb (GHS01) Explosive, self-reactive, or an organic peroxide that can explode.
- Flame (GHS02) Flammable — or a substance that heats up, ignites in air, or gives off flammable gas when wet.
- Flame over circle (GHS03) Oxidising — it will feed a fire, including one that has nothing else to burn with.
- Gas cylinder (GHS04) Gas under pressure — compressed, liquefied, refrigerated or dissolved.
- Corrosion (GHS05) Causes severe skin burns and eye damage, or corrodes metal.
- Skull and crossbones (GHS06) Acute toxicity — fatal or toxic in small amounts by swallowing, skin contact or inhalation.
- Exclamation mark (GHS07) Irritant, skin sensitiser, harmful if swallowed or inhaled, or may cause drowsiness — the lower-severity hazards.
- Health hazard (GHS08) Serious long-term health effects — cancer, genetic damage, harm to fertility or the unborn child, organ damage, asthma from inhalation, or fatal if swallowed and it enters the airways.
- Environment (GHS09) Hazardous to the aquatic environment — toxic to fish and other water life.
- Orange explosive (E) Explosive, under the old European system.
- Orange oxidising (O) Oxidising agent, under the old European system.
- Orange flammable (F, F+) Highly flammable (F) or extremely flammable (F+), under the old European system.
- Orange toxic (T, T+) Toxic (T) or very toxic (T+), under the old European system.
- Orange harmful or irritant (Xn, Xi) Harmful (Xn) or irritant (Xi), under the old European system.
- Orange corrosive (C) Corrosive, under the old European system.
- Orange dangerous for the environment (N) Dangerous for the environment, under the old European system.
- NFPA 704 fire diamond A US placard telling emergency responders how a stored chemical behaves in a fire.
- Biohazard Biological material that can cause disease — blood, cultures, clinical waste.
- Radiation trefoil Ionising radiation — a radioactive source or a device producing radiation.
- Laser radiation Laser radiation — do not look into the beam.