GHS is the United Nations’ system for classifying chemical hazards and standardizing labels and Safety Data Sheets. In the U.S., OSHA enforces GHS elements through its Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom 2012 and later updates).
GHS standardizes hazard classification criteria, label elements (signal words, statements, pictograms), and the 16-section Safety Data Sheet format.
Different countries may adopt different GHS revisions and optional categories, so the same chemical can carry different classifications or labels in different markets.
What GHS stands for and why it exists
GHS stands for the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. The United Nations developed it to reduce confusion that arose when the same chemical received different hazard classifications and labels in different countries. The system provides consistent rules so a chemical's hazards are classified and communicated the same way regardless of origin.
A UN body—the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)—publishes the formal text, commonly called the "Purple Book." The UN sub-committee that oversees GHS typically reviews and updates it roughly every two years. Nations then decide which revision to adopt and how to translate GHS provisions into law.
GHS sets three practical, workplace-facing elements:
GHS itself is not U.S. law. OSHA enforces GHS elements through the Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200. OSHA's 2012 rule (HazCom 2012) adopted GHS concepts and required employers to implement labels, maintain SDSs, and train employees. OSHA updated the standard again in 2024 to align with a newer GHS revision (Revision 7), which changed some hazard classifications but not the core system.
Practical obligations for U.S. employers
Employers must label hazardous chemical containers using the applicable GHS elements, keep SDSs readily accessible to employees during each shift, and train employees on new label elements and pictograms. Hazard Communication consistently appears on OSHA's list of frequently cited standards, so these obligations carry regulatory significance.
Why classifications and labels can still differ
For pictogram images and exact meanings, consult guides that show all nine GHS pictograms. For regulatory compliance in the U.S., consult OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard and relevant guidance on SDS access, labeling, and training.
GHS creates a common language for chemical hazard classification and communication. The UN publishes the framework, and national regulators make it enforceable. In the U.S., OSHA's HazCom is the legal mechanism that requires employers to use GHS label elements and the 16-section SDS format.
GHS is a classification and labeling framework published by the United Nations and revised roughly every two years. It has no force of law on its own. In the United States the enforceable rule is OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200, which adopts most of GHS Revision 7 along with selected elements of
GHS pictograms are the nine standardized symbols the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) uses to communicate chemical hazards on labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Each pictogram is a black symbol on a white background inside a red diamond border, and each one represents a sp
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