Hazard statements, also known as H-statements, are a mandatory element of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). Hazard statements are a collection of standard phrases that define the nature and severity of a hazard(s).
Hazard statements inform the reader about the potential risks of a chemical in a clear, concise, and uniform manner. By reading these statements, users can quickly identify the appropriate safety measures and precautions when dealing with hazardous chemicals.
Hazard statements are also identified by a code called H-Code. These codes start with the letter H and are followed by three digits. Please note that the H-Code is just for reference and is not intended to replace the hazard statement.
This article will give you a comprehensive overview of hazard statements. We will look into the different categories, the actual hazard statements given by GHS, and the method used to determine the right one. In the end, we will also provide some best practices for writing hazard statements on GHS-compliant labels. Triton also offers the leading label design software called Bartender which can assist in creating GHS-compliant labels.
So, without further ado, let’s get started!
GHS categorises hazard statements into three categories.
Physical hazard statements are the H200 series. They describe various physical effects, including flammability, combustibility, and explosiveness.
Health hazard statements are the H300 series. They describe a wide spectrum of health effects, like skin or eye irritants, systemic toxicity, and carcinogenicity.
Environmental hazard statements are the H400 series. They describe a broad range of adverse environmental effects, such as aquatic toxicity and bioaccumulation.
Please note that GHS keeps updating (deleting and adding) the list of hazard statements in the categories from time to time (generally every two years). So, keep an eye out for the latest updates.
At the time of writing, we have GHS Rev.9 purple book as the most recent version; thus, we have used it as a reference to provide the list of the latest hazard statements.
It’s important to determine the correct hazard statement for a given chemical. To do this, you must know the following two things.
GHS hazard classes and categories are mentioned in Section 2 (called Hazard Identification) of Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
Hazard class and hazard category also determine a GHS label’s signal word. Please refer to our GHS signal word guide for more information.
A hazard class is a general descriptor that groups different products based on the nature of the physical, health, or environmental hazard—for example, flammable solids, oxidizers, carcinogens, and acute oral toxicity.
A hazard category is a numerical representation of the degree or severity of the chemical hazard.
The hazard category ranges from 1 to 4, with 1 representing the highest risk.
Please note that these categories only compare hazard severity within the same hazard class, not across different hazard classes.
Code | Physical Hazard Statements | Hazard Class (With GHS Chapter) | Hazard Category | Signal Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|
H204
| Fire or projection hazard
| Explosives (chapter 2.1)
| 2B, 2C
| Warning
|
H206
| Fire, blast or projection hazard; increased risk of explosion if desensitising agent is reduced
| Desensitised explosives (chapter 2.17) | 1
| Danger
|
H207
| Fire or projection hazard; increased risk of explosion if desensitising agent is reduced
| Desensitised explosives (chapter 2.17) | 2, 3
| Category 2 – Danger,
Category 3 – Warning
|
H208
| Fire hazard; increased risk of explosion if desensitising agent is reduced
| Desensitised explosives (chapter 2.17)
| 4
| Warning
|
H209
| Explosive
| Explosives (chapter 2.1) | 1, 2A
| Danger
|
H210 | Very sensitive
| Explosives (chapter 2.1) | 1
| Danger
|
H211
| May be sensitive
| Explosives (chapter 2.1) | 1
| Danger
|
H220
| Extremely flammable gas | Flammable gases (chapter 2.2)
| 1A
| Danger |
H221
| Flammable gas | Flammable gases (chapter 2.2)
| 1B, 2
| Category 1B – Danger,
Category 2 – Warning
|
H222
| Extremely flammable aerosol
| Aerosols (chapter 2.3) | 1
| Danger
|
H223 | Flammable aerosol
| Aerosols (chapter 2.3) | 2
| Warning |
H224
| Extremely flammable liquid and vapour
| Flammable liquids (chapter 2.6)
| 1 | Danger |
H225
| Highly flammable liquid and vapour
| Flammable liquids (chapter 2.6)
| 2 | Danger
|
H226
| Flammable liquid and vapour
| Flammable liquids (chapter 2.6)
| 3
| Warning
|
H227 | Combustible liquid
| Flammable liquids (chapter 2.6)
| 4
| Warning |
H228 | Flammable solid
| Flammable solids (chapter 2.7)
| 1, 2
| Category 1 – Danger,
Category 2 – Warning
|
H229 | Pressurised container: may burst if heated
| Aerosols (chapter 2.3)
| 1, 2, 3
| Category 1 – Danger,
Category 2 – Warning,
Category 3 – Warning
|
H230
| May react explosively even in the absence of air | Flammable gases (chapter 2.2)
| 1A, chemically unstable gas A
| N/A
|
H231
| May react explosively even in the absence of air at elevated pressure and/or temperature
| Flammable gases (chapter 2.2)
| 1A, chemically unstable gas B
| N/A
|
H232
|
May ignite spontaneously if exposed to air | Flammable gases (chapter 2.2)
| 1A, pyrophoric gas
| Danger
|
H240
| Heating may cause an explosion
| Self-reactive substances and mixtures (chapter 2.8); and Organic peroxides (chapter 2.15) | Type A
| Danger |
H241
| Heating may cause a fire or explosion
| Self-reactive substances and mixtures (chapter 2.8); and Organic peroxides (chapter 2.15) | Type B
| Danger
|
H242
| Heating may cause a fire
| Self-reactive substances and mixtures (chapter 2.8); and Organic peroxides (chapter 2.15) | Types C, D, E, F
| Type C, D – Danger,
Type E, F – Warning
|
H250
| Catches fire spontaneously if exposed to air | Pyrophoric liquids (chapter 2.9); Pyrophoric solids (chapter 2.10)
| 1
| Danger
|
H251
| Self-heating; may catch fire
| Self-heating substances and mixtures (chapter 2.11)
| 1 | Danger
|
H252 | Self-heating in large quantities; may catch fire | Self-heating substances and mixtures (chapter 2.11) | 2 | Warning |
H260
| In contact with water releases flammable gases which may ignite spontaneously | Substances and mixtures which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases (chapter 2.12)
| 1 | Danger
|
H261
| In contact with water releases flammable gas | Substances and mixtures which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases (chapter 2.12)
| 2, 3 | Category 2 – Danger,
Category 3 – Warning
|
H270
| May cause or intensify fire; oxidizer
| Oxidising gases (chapter 2.4)
| 1 | Danger |
H271
| May cause fire or explosion; strong oxidizer | Oxidising liquids (chapter 2.13); Oxidising solids (chapter 2.14)
| 1 | Danger
|
H272
| May intensify fire; oxidizer
| Oxidising liquids (chapter 2.13); Oxidising solids (chapter 2.14) | 2, 3
| Category 2 – Danger,
Category 3 – Warning
|
H280
| Contains gas under pressure; may explode if heated
| Gases under pressure (chapter 2.5)
| Compressed gas Liquefied gas Dissolved gas
| Warning |
H281
| Contains refrigerated gas; may cause cryogenic burns or injury
| Gases under pressure (chapter 2.5)
| Refrigerated liquefied gas | Warning |
H282
| Extremely flammable chemical under pressure: May explode if heated
| Chemicals under pressure (chapter 2.3)
| 1 | Danger |
H283
| Flammable chemical under pressure: May explode if heated
| Chemicals under pressure (chapter 2.3)
| 2 | Warning |
H284
| Chemical under pressure: May explode if heated
| Chemicals under pressure (chapter 2.3)
| 3 | Warning
|
H290
| May be corrosive to metals
| Corrosive to metals (chapter 2.16)
| 1 | Warning |
Code | Health Hazard Statements | Hazard Class (With GHS Chapter) | Hazard Category | Signal Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|
H300
| Fatal if swallowed
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1)
| 1, 2
| Danger
|
H301
| Toxic if swallowed
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1)
| 3 | Danger |
H302
| Harmful if swallowed
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1)
| 4 | Warning |
H303
| May be harmful if swallowed
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1)
| 5 | Warning |
H304
| May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways
| Aspiration hazard (chapter 3.10)
| 1 | Danger
|
H305
| May be harmful if swallowed and enters airways
| Aspiration hazard (chapter 3.10)
| 2 | Warning |
H310
| Fatal in contact with skin
| Acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1)
| 1, 2
| Danger
|
H311
| Toxic in contact with skin
| Acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1)
| 3 | Danger
|
H312
| Harmful in contact with skin
| Acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1)
| 4 | Warning |
H313
| May be harmful in contact with skin
| Acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1)
| 5 | N/A
|
H314
| Causes severe skin burns and eye damage | Skin corrosion/irritation (chapter 3.2)
| 1, 1A, 1B, 1C | Danger
|
H315
| Causes skin irritation
| Skin corrosion/irritation (chapter 3.2) | 2 | Warning
|
H316
| Causes mild skin irritation
| Skin corrosion/irritation (chapter 3.2) | 3 | Warning
|
H317
| May cause an allergic skin reaction
| Sensitisation, skin (chapter 3.4)
| 1, 1A, 1B
| Warning
|
H318
| Causes serious eye damage
| Serious eye damage/eye irritation (chapter 3.3) | 1 | Danger
|
H319
| Causes serious eye irritation
| Serious eye damage/eye irritation (chapter 3.3) | 2/2A
| Warning |
H320
| Causes eye irritation
| Serious eye damage/eye irritation (chapter 3.3) | 2B
| Warning
|
H330
| Fatal if inhaled
| Acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1) | 1, 2
| Danger
|
H331
| Toxic if inhaled
| Acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1)
| 3 | Danger |
H332
| Harmful if inhaled
| Acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1)
| 4 | Warning |
H333
| May be harmful if inhaled
| Acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1)
| 5 | Warning
|
H334
| May cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled
| Sensitisation, respiratory (chapter 3.4) | 1, 1A, 1B
| Danger |
H335 | May cause respiratory irritation
| Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure; Respiratory tract irritation (chapter 3.8); | 3 | Warning |
H336
| May cause drowsiness or dizziness
| Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure; Narcotic effects (chapter 3.8)
| 3
| Warning |
H340
| May cause genetic defects (you have to state the route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard)
| Germ cell mutagenicity (chapter 3.5)
| 1, 1A, 1B
| Danger
|
H341 | Suspected of causing genetic defects (you have to state the route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard) | Germ cell mutagenicity (chapter 3.5)
| 2 | Warning
|
H350
| May cause cancer (you have to state the route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard)
| Carcinogenicity (chapter 3.6) | 1, 1A, 1B | Danger
|
H351 | Suspected of causing cancer (you have to state the route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard)
| Carcinogenicity (chapter 3.6) | 2 | Warning |
H360
| May damage fertility or the unborn child (you have to state the specific effect if known)(you have to state the route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard)
| Reproductive toxicity (chapter 3.7)
| 1, 1A, 1B
| Danger
|
H361
| Suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child (you have to state the specific effect if known)(you have to state the route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard)
| Reproductive toxicity (chapter 3.7)
| 2 | Warning
|
H362
| May cause harm to breast-fed children
| Reproductive toxicity, effects on or via lactation (chapter 3.7) | Additional category
| N/A
|
H370
| Causes damage to organs (you have to state all organs affected, if known) (you have to state the route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard)
| Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure (chapter 3.8)
| 1 | Danger
|
H371
| May cause damage to organs (you have to state all organs affected, if known)(you have to state the route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard)
| Specific target organ toxicity, single exposure (chapter 3.8)
| 2 | Warning |
H372 | Cause damage to organs (you have to state all organs affected if known) through prolonged or repeated exposure (you have to state the route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard)
| Specific target organ toxicity, repeated exposure (chapter 3.9) | 1 | Danger
|
H373
| May cause damage to organs (you have to state all organs affected if known) through prolonged or repeated exposure (you have to state the route of exposure if it is conclusively proven that no other routes of exposure cause the hazard)
| Specific target organ toxicity, repeated exposure (chapter 3.9) | 2 | Warning |
H300 + H310
| Fatal if swallowed or in contact with skin
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1) | 1, 2
| Danger
|
H300 + H330
| Fatal if swallowed or if inhaled
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1)
| 1, 2
| Danger |
H310 + H330 | Fatal in contact with skin or if inhaled
| Acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1) | 1, 2
| Danger
|
H300 + H310 + H330
| Fatal if swallowed, in contact with skin or if inhaled | Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1), acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1) | 1, 2
| Danger
|
H301 + H311 | Toxic if swallowed or in contact with skin
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1)
| 3 | Danger
|
H301 + H331 | Toxic if swallowed or if inhaled
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1) | 3 | Danger
|
H311 + H331
| Toxic in contact with skin or if inhaled
| Acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1)
| 3 | Danger
|
H301 + H311 + H331
| Toxic if swallowed, in contact with skin or if inhaled | Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1), acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1) | 3 | Danger
|
H302 + H312 | Harmful if swallowed or in contact with skin
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1)
| 4 | Warning
|
H302 + H332 | Harmful if swallowed or if inhaled
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1) | 4 | Warning
|
H312 + H332
| Harmful in contact with skin or if inhaled | Acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1) | 4 | Warning
|
H302 + H312 + H332
| Harmful if swallowed, in contact with skin or if inhaled
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1), acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1)
| 4 | Warning
|
H303 + H313
| May be harmful if swallowed or in contact with skin
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1)
| 5 | Warning
|
H303 + H333
| May be harmful if swallowed or if inhaled | Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1)
| 5 | Warning
|
H303 + H333 | Harmful if swallowed, in contact with skin or if inhaled
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1), acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1)
| 4 | Warning
|
H303 + H313
| May be harmful if swallowed or in contact with skin
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1) | 5 | Warning |
H303 + H333 | May be harmful if swallowed or if inhaled
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1)
| 5
| Warning
|
H313 + H333 | May be harmful in contact with skin or if inhaled
| Acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1) | 5 | Warning
|
H303 + H313 + H333
| May be harmful if swallowed, in contact with skin or if inhaled
| Acute toxicity, oral (chapter 3.1), acute toxicity, dermal (chapter 3.1) and acute toxicity, inhalation (chapter 3.1)
| 5
| Warning |
H315 + H320
| Causes skin and eye irritation | Skin corrosion/irritation (chapter 3.2) and serious eye damage/eye irritation (chapter 3.3) | 2 (skin)/2B (eye)
| Warning |
Code | Environmental Hazard Statements | Hazard Class (With GHS Chapter) | Hazard Category | Signal Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|
H400
| Very toxic to aquatic life
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment, acute hazard (chapter 4.1) | 1 | Warning |
H401 | Toxic to aquatic life
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment, acute hazard (chapter 4.1) | 2 | N/A
|
H402
| Harmful to aquatic life
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment, acute hazard (chapter 4.1)
| 3 | N/A
|
H410
| Very toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term hazard (chapter 4.1)
| 1 | Warning |
H411 | Toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term hazard (chapter 4.1)
| 2 | N/A
|
H412
| Harmful to aquatic life with long-lasting effects
| Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term hazard (chapter 4.1)
| 3 | N/A
|
H413 | May cause long-lasting harmful effects to aquatic life | Hazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term hazard (chapter 4.1)
| 4 | N/A
|
H20 | Harms public health and the environment by destroying ozone in the upper atmosphere
| Hazardous to the ozone layer (chapter 4.2)
| 1 | Warning |
Code | Hazard Statements |
|---|---|
EUH001
| Explosive when dry
|
EUH006 | Explosive with or without contact with air (please note that EUH006 was deleted in the 4th adaptation to technical progress of CLP)
|
EUH014
| Reacts violently with water
|
EUH018
| When in use may form a flammable/explosive vapour-air mixture
|
EUH019 | When in use may form explosive peroxide
|
EUH029 | Contact with water liberates toxic gas
|
EUH031
| Contact with acids liberates toxic gas
|
EUH032
| Contact with acids liberates very toxic gas
|
EUH044 | Risk of explosion if heated under confinement
|
EUH059 | Hazardous to the ozone layer (please note that EUH059 was superseded by GHS Class 5.1 in the 2nd adaptation to technical progress of CLP)
|
EUH066 | Repeated exposure may cause skin dryness or cracking
|
EUH070
| Toxic by eye contact
|
EUH071
| Corrosive to the respiratory tract
|
EUH201 | Contains lead. Should not be used on surfaces liable to be chewed or sucked by children
|
EUH201A | Contains lead (used for warning)
|
EUH202 | Contains cyanoacrylate. Bonds skin and eyes in seconds. Keep out of the reach of children
|
EUH203
| Contains chromium (VI). May produce an allergic reaction
|
EUH204 | Contains isocyanates. May produce an allergic reaction
|
EUH205
| Contains epoxy constituents. May produce an allergic reaction
|
EUH206
| Do not use it together with other products. May release dangerous gases like chlorine
|
EUH207
| Contains cadmium. Dangerous fumes are formed during use. See information supplied by the manufacturer. Comply with the safety instructions
|
EUH208 | Contains (name of sensitising substance). May produce an allergic reaction
|
EUH209 | Can become highly flammable in use
|
EUH209A | Can become flammable in use
|
EUH210 | Safety data sheet available on request
|
EUH211 | Hazardous respirable droplets may be formed when sprayed. Do not breathe spray or mist
|
EUH212 | Hazardous respirable dust may be formed when used. Do not breathe dust
|
EUH401 | To avoid risks to human health and the environment, comply with the instructions when using
|
Code | Hazard Statements |
|---|---|
AUH001 | Explosive when dry
|
AUH006 | Explosive with or without contact with air
|
AUH014
| Reacts violently with water
|
AUH018 | When in use may form flammable/explosive vapour/air mixture
|
AUH019
| When in use may form explosive peroxides
|
AUH029 | Contact with water liberates toxic gas
|
AUH031
| Contact with acid liberates toxic gas
|
AUH032
| Contact with acid liberates very toxic gas
|
AUH044
| Risk of explosion if heated under confinement
|
AUH066 | Repeated exposure may cause skin dryness and cracking
|
AUH070 | Toxic by eye contact
|
AUH071 | Corrosive to the respiratory tract
|
Please refer to the classifying hazardous chemicals national guide by Safe Work Australia for more information.
New Zealand has its own hazard substance classification codes which can be found at the Environmental Protection Authority (Te Mana Rahui Taiao) website.
Once you have determined the appropriate hazard statement for the chemical, you must ensure that it is correctly represented on the product label. Please note that GHS has made it compulsory to mention all applicable hazard statements (and not H-codes) on the label.
GHS does not provide a specific format or layout for hazard statements. Also, hazard statements are standardised elements, meaning they should appear in the same way (text-wise) as they are on the GHS hazard statement list.
However, GHS does allow users to merge similar hazard statements to reduce redundancies & repetitiveness, save space and improve overall readability & clarity as required. The key here is to make logical combinations such that the message of the hazard is not changed or confused in any way.
Here are some best practices for writing hazard statements on GHS-compliant labels. Please remember that these practices are recommended by our expert label-designing team and are not officially endorsed by GHS.
Hazard statements should be placed in such a way that they are easy to read, understand and interpret. They should not be crowded or overshadowed by other GHS elements.
In general, hazard statements are placed right below the signal word but above the precautionary statements.
The hierarchy & ordering of hazard statements is extremely important.
We recommend placing the most severe hazard statement on top, followed by the less severe ones. This ensures that the users are aware of the most severe hazard at first glance.
Make sure the font style and size you use are legible and easily readable from a reasonable distance.
We recommend using sans serif fonts such as Calibri, Arial, or Helvetica. The font size will depend on the size of the label, but in general, always use a font size that is no less than 10pt.
We also recommend using Bold to make the hazard statements stand out from the rest of the informative elements on the label.
Always use a similar font size, type & style for all hazard statements (unless specified). This is important as it helps provide visual consistency and increases the label’s readability.
Proper colour & contract play a major role in making hazard statements more visible & readable. We recommend using contrasting colours, such as black text on a white background or white text on a black background.
As hazard statements are text-based, only dark colours like navy blue, black, green, and red will make them stand out and more visually appealing. We strongly advise against the use of lighter colours or pastel shades like yellow & orange as they are not very easily visible.
Please refer to our best practices for designing perfect labels and barcode guide for more tips and tricks for creating top-not labels.
GHS hazard statements are just one part of a comprehensive labelling system, but they play an important role in communicating information about chemical hazards. When used properly, these statements can ensure workers’ safety and reduce the risks associated with hazardous products.
We hope this article has given you a better understanding of GHS hazard statements and how to use them on labels.
Check out our article on GHS label requirements for a complete guide to labelling hazardous materials according to the Globally Harmonized System.
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