What images belong on GHS pesticide labels?

This blog has commented multiple times on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals, also known as GHS, a set of standards promoted by the Environmental Protection Agency that could dictate the types of labels chemical manufacturers apply to their products. OptiMedia Labs features solutions for creating appropriate labels that fit seamlessly onto potentially hazardous products and provide the right amount of information to users.

According to ChemSafetyPro, pesticide labels are most likely to make use of certain design features under the GHS rules. A diagram included with the source shows how these pieces relate to each other: a “signal word” like DANGER or WARNING can be placed near the product identifier and above the supplementary precautionary information, which includes protective steps to follow in the event of chemical exposure.

While the EPA only uses two pictograms for chemical labels, the GHS adds more, including a total of five that the government deems relevant for pesticides. These are black images surrounded by a red diamond against a white background.

Three of these images refer to specific types of harm (corrosion, environmental damage and flammability) while two are more general: the exclamation mark signifies that a less severe chemical will be harmful if exposed to the skin or swallowed, while the skull and crossbones means that an agent will be toxic or fatal if inhaled, swallowed or brought into contact with the skin.

Pesticides are one of the three types of chemical regulated by the GHS. To safely render important pictograms and hazard warnings correctly, chemical producers can use the BarTender label software to make accurate and easily visible pictograms, as well as other necessary label elements. Learn more by visiting the GHS Label Software section of our website to decide which printers would work best alongside this software.