What Does GHS Stand For? Chemical Labels and Pictograms

What does GHS stand for? On a chemical label or in a safety class, GHS is short for Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. It is a set of shared rules, written at the United Nations, for deciding how dangerous a chemical is and how to warn people about it on labels and safety sheets.

Before the system existed, one country might call a cleaner "toxic" while another called the same product "harmful," with different symbols and wording. GHS gives everyone the same red diamonds, the same two signal words and the same style of hazard sentences, so a worker in a warehouse can read a drum label from almost any supplier.

Quick facts

Stands for
Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals
Type
Initialism, said G H S
Written by
The United Nations
Used in
Workplace chemical labels, safety data sheets, shipping, safety training
In the US
Built into the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard
Other meaning
GHS is also the currency code for the Ghana cedi
Related terms
SDS, PPE, hazard communication

GHS stands for a shared chemical warning system

The long name can be broken into three ideas:

What each part of the GHS name covers
Part of the name	What it means in practice
Globally Harmonized	Countries agree to use the same rules instead of their own versions
Classification	Sorting a chemical by the kind of danger it poses: fire, health or environment
Labelling of Chemicals	Showing that danger the same way on containers and in paperwork

The spelling "Labelling" with two Ls is the official UN form. American writers often type "Labeling," and both point to the same system. It is not a law by itself. Each country chooses to adopt it into its own rules, and many have, including the United States.

What does GHS stand for on the job?

Most adults meet GHS at work. In the United States, the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard follows GHS, so employers that use hazardous chemicals must keep labeled containers, keep a safety sheet for each product and train workers to read both. The safety sheet is the SDS, a 16 section document that GHS also standardizes.

At a new job orientation: "Before you touch the floor stripper, find its GHS label and SDS." The trainer means: check the warning symbol, the signal word and the first aid steps before you start.

Schools, labs, farms, auto shops and cleaning crews all use the same format, so the skill carries over from one job to the next.

The parts of a GHS label

A label that follows the system has six elements:

Product identifier: the chemical or product name.
Signal word: "Danger" for more severe hazards or "Warning" for less severe ones. Only one appears.
Pictograms: black symbols inside red-bordered diamonds.
Hazard statements: set phrases such as "Causes serious eye irritation."
Precautionary statements: what to do, such as "Wear eye protection" or "Store in a well ventilated place."
Supplier information: the name, address and phone number of the maker or importer.

The precautionary lines often tell you what PPE to put on, so read them before you open the container.

The nine GHS pictograms

GHS uses nine symbols. Each one flags a group of hazards.

Flame: flammable liquids, gases and solids.
Flame over circle: oxidizers that can feed a fire.
Exploding bomb: explosives and some reactive chemicals.
Gas cylinder: gases under pressure.
Corrosion: chemicals that burn skin, damage eyes or eat metal.
Skull and crossbones: acute toxicity that can kill or seriously harm.
Exclamation mark: irritants, skin sensitizers and milder toxicity.
Health hazard: a person with a star on the chest, for cancer, breathing and long term organ risks.
Environment: a dead fish and tree, for harm to water life.

US workplace rules require the first eight. The environment symbol is part of GHS but is optional under the OSHA standard.

Other things GHS can mean

Context usually settles it.

GHS outside chemical safety
Field	Stands for	Example
Money and travel	Ghana cedi (currency code)	"The fare was quoted in GHS."
Schools	A school name, such as a local high school	"GHS plays at home Friday."
Chemical safety	Globally Harmonized System	"Check the GHS pictogram first."

When the letters appear beside a red diamond, a signal word or an SDS, they mean the labeling system. The business acronyms hub lists other job and office terms.

Quick tips for reading GHS warnings

Look at the signal word first. "Danger" means stop and read everything.
Count the diamonds. Several symbols mean several separate hazards.
Use the SDS for detail. The label is a summary, and the sheet explains first aid, spills and storage.
Do not remove or cover a label when you move a chemical into a new bottle. The new container needs its own label.
Ask a supervisor when a symbol is new to you.

This page gives general information. Follow your employer's training, the product SDS and the safety rules for your workplace.

Questions people ask

What does GHS stand for in safety training?

Its full name is Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. In training it refers to the standard label format, the pictograms and the safety data sheets you will see at work.

Is GHS the same as OSHA?

No. GHS is the international system written at the United Nations. OSHA is the US agency that enforces workplace safety, and its Hazard Communication Standard puts GHS into US rules.

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

Both are signal words. Danger is used for the more severe hazards, and Warning for less severe ones. A label shows only one, the stronger one that applies.

How many pictograms does GHS have?

There are nine. US workplaces must use eight of them, while the environment symbol is optional under the OSHA standard.

How do you say GHS?

Say each letter: G H S. The three letters stay separate when spoken, and print usually drops the periods.