Since its implementation in 2015, OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard has made OSHA-compliant hazard pictograms part of the visual landscape in U.S. workplaces. But are you sure your employees know what all the signal words or symbols mean?

As OSHA Brief 3636 explains, HazCom pictograms are “quick visual notations to alert the user, providing immediate recognition of the hazard information.”

“Pictograms are graphic symbols used to communicate specific information about the hazards of a chemical. On hazardous chemicals being shipped or transported from a manufacturer, importer or distributor, the required hazard communication standard pictograms consist of a red square frame set at a point with a black hazard symbol on a white background, sufficiently wide to be clearly visible. A square red frame set at a point without a hazard symbol is not a pictogram and is not permitted as a chemical label.”

“The hazard communication pictograms OSHA has adopted improve worker occupational safety and health, conform with the GHS, and are used worldwide....It is important to note that the OSHA pictograms do not replace the diamond-shaped labels that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requires for the transport of chemicals, including chemical drums, chemical totes, tanks or other containers.”

Download HazCom Signage from HSI

Ensure that your workers have safety training and a visual reference key for the hazard pictograms available throughout your facilities, wherever they may encounter OHSA-labeled containers. SafeTec has created downloadable PDFs featuring the HazCom pictograms that you can easily customize with your company name and logo, contact information for your EHS team or emergency hotline phone numbers.

To download your free PDFs, click the button below.