Free GHS Label Maker: Print Secondary Container Labels
Make an OSHA-style GHS label for a spray bottle, jug or drum in a minute, then print it on plain paper, on Avery 5164/8164 label sheets (6 per sheet) or on a 4×6 label printer. Prefer to write labels by hand? Download the blank GHS label template (PDF). Free, no signup, nothing leaves your browser.
Type the product name, tick the hazard classes from section 2 of the product's safety data sheet, and print. The signal word, pictograms and hazard statements are filled in from OSHA's Appendix C tables.
Watch: a secondary container label in under a minute
What OSHA requires on a workplace label
For containers in your workplace, 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6) lets an employer use either the full shipped-container label information, or the product identifier plus “words, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof, which provide at least general information regarding the hazards of the chemicals”, as long as employees also have the specific hazard information through your hazard communication program (the safety data sheet and training). Labels must be legible, in English, and prominently displayed (f)(10). The “Workplace” option prints the identifier, signal word, pictograms and hazard statements; “Full label” adds the precautionary statements and supplier details that shipped containers carry under (f)(1).
How the label is assembled, from Appendix C: only one signal word appears, and Danger replaces Warning (C.2.1.1); each pictogram appears only once (C.2.3.4); and the exclamation mark is dropped where the skull and crossbones covers acute toxicity, where corrosion covers skin or eye effects, or where the health hazard symbol covers respiratory sensitization (C.2.1.2–C.2.1.4). Explosives, self-reactives, organic peroxides and a few rarer classes are not in this tool — copy those label elements straight from the SDS.
GHS label template: what is required and what is optional on a workplace label
For a secondary container under 1910.1200(f)(6) you have two compliant choices. Option A copies the full shipped label; option B is the shorter workplace label. This template prints either; the blank write-on version is an option B label.
| Label element | Option A — full label (f)(6)(i) | Option B — workplace label (f)(6)(ii) |
|---|---|---|
| Product identifier (the name on the SDS) | Required | Required |
| Signal word (Danger or Warning) | Required | Optional — one way to give general hazard information |
| Hazard statements | Required | Optional, but you need words, pictures or symbols that give at least general information about the hazards |
| Pictograms | Required (red-bordered diamonds) | Optional — the clearest way to give that general hazard information |
| Precautionary statements | Required | Optional |
| Supplier name, address and phone | Required | Optional |
| Environment pictogram (aquatic toxicity) | Optional (not mandatory under OSHA) | Optional |
Either way the label must be legible, in English (other languages may be added) and prominently displayed (f)(10), and with option B employees must also have the specific hazard information through the SDS and their training. Write the product identifier exactly as it appears on the SDS so anyone can match the bottle to its sheet.
OSHA container labeling: which rule covers which container
- Containers as they arrive from the supplier keep the manufacturer's label, with the product identifier, signal word, hazard statements, pictograms, precautionary statements and supplier details (f)(1). Don't remove or deface it (f)(9).
- Secondary containers you fill (spray bottles, buckets, jugs, drums you decant into) need a workplace label under (f)(6): the full label information, or the product identifier plus general hazard information. That's what this tool prints.
- A portable container used straight away by the person who filled it, and by nobody else, is exempt (f)(8). Once it outlasts that person's use, or is left for someone else, it needs a label.
- Stationary process containers such as tanks and vats can use signs, placards, process sheets or batch tickets instead of a label, as long as they carry the same information (f)(7).
Secondary container labeling questions
What has to be on a secondary container label?
Under 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6), a workplace container must carry either the full shipped-container label information (product identifier, signal word, hazard statements, pictograms and precautionary statements) or the product identifier plus words, pictures, symbols or a combination that give at least general information about the hazards, with the specific information available to employees through the hazard communication program.
Where do I find the hazard classes to put on a label?
In section 2 of the product's safety data sheet, which lists the hazard classification, signal word, hazard statements, pictograms and precautionary statements.
Can a label show both Danger and Warning?
No. Under Appendix C to 29 CFR 1910.1200, if the signal word Danger is included, Warning must not appear.
Do secondary containers need GHS pictograms?
Not necessarily. Under 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6) a workplace label can carry the product identifier plus words, pictures, symbols or a combination that give at least general information about the hazards. Pictograms are the clearest way to do that, which is why they are the usual choice, but they must match the hazards on the safety data sheet.
Does a container need a label if it is used straight away?
Not if it qualifies for the portable-container exemption in 1910.1200(f)(8): a container the chemical is transferred into from a labeled container, intended only for the immediate use of the employee who made the transfer. OSHA reads this narrowly; a spray bottle that is left for the next shift or used by someone else needs a label.
Can workplace labels be in Spanish?
Labels must be in English and legible, under 1910.1200(f)(10). You may add the information in other languages as well, for example Spanish alongside the English, if that helps your employees.
More: secondary container labeling · GHS label requirements · the 9 GHS pictograms · Danger vs. Warning
Pictogram artwork: public-domain GHS symbols (Wikimedia Commons). This tool is for general information and is not legal advice.
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