GHS Signal Words: Danger vs. Warning

Free tool: make and print a GHS label for a secondary container for a spray bottle or drum — tick the hazard classes from the SDS and it fills in the signal word, pictograms and hazard statements. No signup.

Short answer: GHS labels use one of two signal words — Danger for the more severe hazards and Warning for the less severe. A shipped-container label must carry one, placed with the hazard statements and pictograms, and a label never shows both: if Danger applies, Warning does not appear.

What the standard says

OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200, defines the term in paragraph (c):

“Signal word means a word used to indicate the relative level of severity of hazard and alert the reader to a potential hazard on the label. The signal words used in this section are ‘danger’ and ‘warning.’ ‘Danger’ is used for the more severe hazards, while ‘warning’ is used for the less severe.”

Where it is required

Shipped containers — 1910.1200(f)(1) makes the signal word one of the six required label elements, and (f)(3) requires the signal word, hazard statements and pictograms to be located together on the label.
Workplace containers — under (f)(6) an employer may use the full label information, or the product identifier plus words, pictures or symbols giving at least general information about the hazards. So a signal word is not mandatory on every workplace label, though copying the manufacturer's label is the simplest way to comply. See secondary container labeling.

All six elements are explained in GHS label requirements.

Danger vs. Warning

The word is not chosen for tone. Appendix C to 1910.1200 specifies a signal word for each hazard class and category, so it follows from how the manufacturer classified the chemical. Two consequences are worth knowing:

One word per label. Appendix C, C.2.1.1: if the signal word “Danger” is included, “Warning” shall not appear. A chemical with one severe hazard and several milder ones shows Danger.
The pictogram tells you what kind of hazard; the signal word tells you how severe. For example, the hazard categories represented by the exclamation mark pictogram carry Warning, but a label with that pictogram can still say Danger because of a different hazard on the same label.

What about “Caution”?

Caution is not a signal word under OSHA's standard. It still appears on pesticide labels, which follow EPA's labeling rules rather than OSHA's, so the two systems are easy to confuse in a mixed chemical storeroom.

What employees need to know

Training under 1910.1200(h) covers how to read labels and safety data sheets. For the signal word, the practical point is simple: Danger means the more severe hazard, and the hazard statements next to it say exactly what that hazard is. See HazCom training requirements and GHS pictograms explained.

Free, no signup: section 2 of a safety data sheet shows the signal word, pictograms and hazard statements for the product — SDS search finds the sheet.

Frequently asked questions

What are the two GHS signal words?

Danger and Warning. OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard defines a signal word as a word that indicates the relative level of severity of a hazard: Danger is used for the more severe hazards and Warning for the less severe.

Is a signal word required on a chemical label?

Yes, on labels of shipped containers. 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(1) lists the signal word among the six required elements, with the product identifier, hazard statements, pictograms, precautionary statements and the responsible party's name, address and phone number, and (f)(3) requires the signal word, hazard statements and pictograms to be located together.

Does every workplace label need a signal word?

Not necessarily. Under 1910.1200(f)(6), an employer's workplace label, such as on a spray bottle, may carry either the full shipped-container label information or the product identifier plus words, pictures or symbols that give at least general information about the hazards.

Can a label show both Danger and Warning?

No. Appendix C to 1910.1200 says that if the signal word Danger is included, the signal word Warning shall not appear. A label shows one signal word, set by the most severe hazard on it.

Who decides whether a label says Danger or Warning?

The chemical manufacturer or importer, through hazard classification. The signal word is specified in Appendix C for each hazard class and category, so it follows from how the chemical is classified rather than from a judgment call.

Is Caution a GHS signal word?

No. OSHA's standard uses only Danger and Warning. You may still see Caution on pesticide labels, which follow EPA's labeling rules rather than OSHA's.

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

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