GHS Label Requirements: What Must Be on a Chemical Label

Short answer: a chemical label shipped from a manufacturer, importer, or distributor must carry six required elements under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard at 29 CFR 1910.1200(f): the product identifier, a signal word ("Danger" or "Warning"), hazard statement(s), pictogram(s), precautionary statement(s), and supplier identification (name, address, and phone number). That is the label you receive on the drum, jug, or case. Containers you fill in your own facility follow a separate, more flexible workplace-labeling rule. SDSentry ($24.99 per location per month) keeps your safety data sheets and print-ready GHS labels in one per-location library, so the right elements end up on every container. Here is what each element is and how the shipped label differs from a workplace label.

Where the requirement comes from

The label rules live in OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200. Paragraph (f) covers labels and other forms of warning. It places the duty to create the compliant label on the chemical manufacturer, importer, or distributor — the party that ships the container. As an employer receiving those chemicals, your job is to keep the manufacturer label legible and intact, and to label any containers you fill yourself. The six elements below are what a correct shipped label must show.

The six required label elements

1. Product identifier

The product identifier is how the chemical is named on the label, and it must match the identifier used in section 1 of the safety data sheet. Keeping the two in sync is what lets a worker pick up a container, read the name, and find the matching SDS. If your inventory, your labels, and your SDSs all use the same identifier, an inspector — and your staff — can trace any container back to its hazard information.

2. Signal word: Danger vs. Warning

GHS uses exactly two signal words. "Danger" is reserved for the more severe hazard categories; "Warning" is used for the less severe ones. A label carries only one signal word. When a chemical has several hazards that would call for different words, the more severe word wins: if any classified hazard requires "Danger," the label shows "Danger" and the word "Warning" does not appear.

3. Hazard statements

Hazard statements (H-statements) are standardized sentences assigned to each hazard class and category. Because the wording is standardized, the same hazard reads the same way across products and manufacturers. All hazard statements that apply to the chemical must appear on the label, so a single product can list several.

4. Pictograms

A pictogram is a symbol on a white background inside a red diamond border. OSHA's HazCom Standard recognizes nine pictograms — covering hazards such as flammables, corrosives, acute toxicity, health hazards, oxidizers, gases under pressure, explosives, environmental hazard, and a general irritant/harmful category. Only the pictograms that match the chemical's classified hazards appear on its label. For a plain-English rundown of each symbol, see our GHS pictograms explained guide.

5. Precautionary statements

Precautionary statements (P-statements) describe recommended steps to minimize or prevent harm. They generally fall into four groups: prevention, response (including first aid), storage, and disposal — for example, "Wear protective gloves" or "IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes." These pair with the hazard statements to tell a worker both what the danger is and what to do about it.

6. Supplier identification

Finally, the label must identify who is responsible for the product: the name, address, and telephone number of the chemical manufacturer, importer, or distributor. This gives anyone handling the chemical a direct way to reach the source for more information in an emergency.

Manufacturer label vs. workplace label

The six-element rule applies to the shipped container — the label the manufacturer, importer, or distributor puts on the drum, pail, or bottle that arrives at your door. Once you transfer that chemical into a container of your own — a spray bottle, bucket, or jug — OSHA gives employers a more flexible choice for that workplace container. You can reproduce the full GHS label, or use a workplace labeling system that shows the product identifier plus words, pictures, or symbols conveying the hazards, as long as employees can still reach the full hazard information through the SDS and shipped labels. We walk through that in our secondary container labeling under GHS guide, including the immediate-use exception. Note that workplace labeling does not relax the duty to keep the original manufacturer label on the incoming container legible and intact.

What changed under HCS 2024

OSHA updated the Hazard Communication Standard in 2024 to align it more closely with a newer revision of GHS. The update refines hazard classifications and label content rather than rewriting the six core elements. Among the changes are updated precautionary statement text, new allowances for small-package labeling where a full label will not physically fit, and a "released for shipment" provision that addresses labeling for product already packaged and awaiting shipment when a classification changes. The compliance dates are being phased in for manufacturers and employers; we cover the timeline in our OSHA HazCom 2026 deadline guide. Because the specific small-package and shipment provisions have detailed conditions, confirm exactly what applies to a given product against the current rule.

How SDSentry keeps labels correct

The hard part for a small employer is consistency — making sure the label, the SDS, and the inventory all line up. SDSentry holds a per-location SDS library and generates print-ready GHS labels straight from each product's hazard data, so the signal word, pictograms, and hazard and precautionary statements come from the same source as the safety data sheet on file. Relabeling a batch of containers takes minutes, and the product identifier matches across every place it appears. It is a flat $24.99 per location per month with unlimited users and a 14-day free trial.

Generate GHS labels free for 14 days →

Educational information about OSHA Hazard Communication and GHS labeling, not legal or compliance advice. OSHA updated the HazCom Standard in 2024; verify the current label requirements that apply to you at osha.gov/hazcom and with a qualified safety professional.