The GHS Corrosion Pictogram: What It Means

Corrosion pictogram (GHS05): red diamond border with a black symbol on white — **GHS05 · Corrosion**
Used for skin corrosion, serious eye damage and metal corrosion.

Short answer: the corrosion pictogram — liquid dripping from two test tubes onto a hand and a metal bar — warns that a chemical causes severe skin burns, serious eye damage, or is corrosive to metals. It is one of the eight pictograms OSHA requires on chemical labels.

What the corrosion pictogram covers

OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard pictogram QuickCard (OSHA 3491, 2024 revision) lists three hazards:

Skin corrosion / burns
Eye damage
Corrosive to metals

Hazard statements and signal words

From Appendix C to 29 CFR 1910.1200, section C.4:

Hazard class	Category	Signal word	Hazard statement
Skin corrosion	1A to 1C	Danger	Causes severe skin burns and eye damage
Serious eye damage	1	Danger	Causes serious eye damage
Corrosive to metals	1	Warning	May be corrosive to metals

Note the last row: a chemical that is corrosive to metals but not to skin or eyes still gets the corrosion pictogram, with the signal word Warning. The milder skin and eye categories do not use this symbol: skin irritation (category 2, “Causes skin irritation”) and serious eye irritation (category 2A) use the exclamation mark, and eye irritation category 2B has no pictogram.

What it looks like

Appendix C to 29 CFR 1910.1200 defines every pictogram the same way: a square set at a point with a black hazard symbol on a white background and a red frame wide enough to be clearly visible (C.2.3.1), which is why pictograms look like red diamonds. A red frame with no symbol inside is not a pictogram and is not permitted on a label, and each pictogram may appear only once on a label even when several hazards call for it (C.2.3.4).

Corrosion vs. exclamation mark

Both can appear for effects on skin and eyes; the difference is severity. Corrosion means burns or serious, lasting eye damage; the exclamation mark means irritation. If the corrosion pictogram is on a label, the exclamation mark must not appear for skin or eye irritation (Appendix C, C.2.1.3).

Where you will see it at work

Strong acids and bases are the usual carriers — for example muriatic acid and many drain cleaners. Eye protection and an eyewash station matter most around these products; see eyewash station requirements.

Common products that carry the corrosion pictogram

Sodium hydroxide (lye) and sulfuric acid are the classic examples, and ammonia (ammonium hydroxide) carries it too. Some are less obvious: DOT 3 brake fluid shows it for serious eye damage, and Quikrete concrete mix because wet cement can burn skin. For a spray bottle or jug of a corrosive, the free GHS label maker prints a secondary container label with the right signal word.

Free, no signup: SDS search finds the manufacturer's safety data sheet for a product, and section 2 of that sheet lists exactly which hazards earned the pictogram. Then use the free GHS label maker to print a label with the right pictograms for a spray bottle or other secondary container.

Frequently asked questions

What does the corrosion pictogram mean?

It warns that a chemical causes severe skin burns and eye damage, causes serious eye damage, or may be corrosive to metals. Skin corrosion and serious eye damage carry the signal word Danger; corrosive to metals carries Warning.

Which pictogram means a chemical can burn your skin or damage your eyes?

The corrosion pictogram. It is used for skin corrosion (causes severe skin burns and eye damage) and serious eye damage. Milder skin and eye irritation uses the exclamation mark instead.

Can a label have both the corrosion pictogram and the exclamation mark?

Yes, but not for the same effect. If the corrosion pictogram is on the label, the exclamation mark must not also appear for skin or eye irritation. It can still appear for a different hazard, such as harmful acute toxicity or skin sensitization.

Why does a product that is only corrosive to metals show the corrosion pictogram?

OSHA's Appendix C assigns the corrosion pictogram to the corrosive-to-metals class as well, with the signal word Warning and the statement May be corrosive to metals.

This guide summarises the cited rules for general information and is not legal advice.

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