702 1-800-452-1261
The Dos and Don’ts of Chemical Labeling
Information on What’s Required to Make Your Lab Safe
In 1983, OSHA implemented the Hazard
Chemical Labels in Your
Communication Standard (Right-to-Know law). This
Laboratory
standard gives teachers, students and parents the
You may be wondering, “What about the chemicals
Right-to-Know about the hazards associated with the
I already have and the solutions I prepare for my
chemicals they are using in the classroom/laboratory.
lab?” GHS-formatted labels are the responsibility of
The standard requires chemical manufacturers to
the chemical manufacturer and distributor. You do
transmit this safety information to their customers by
not have to reproduce proper GHS-formatted labels,
the means of labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDSs).
and you don’t have to relabel any chemicals you
In March 2012, OSHA updated the Hazard
currently have in your storeroom. You must, however,
Communication Standard to incorporate the Globally
ensure that the hazards of any chemical are easy
Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of
to recognize and understand. We suggest the best
Chemicals, better known as GHS. GHS provides a set
approach to proper chemical-container labeling is to
of objective criteria for classifying the physical and
list these four items on the label:
health hazards of chemicals. Hazardous chemical
labels will be required to include pictograms, a
1. Chemical Name—Spell out the name correctly
signal word and specific hazard and precautionary
and completely. Avoid using abbreviations or
statements. The pictograms, signal words and hazard
chemical formulas.
statements will help you quickly identify and describe
2. Concentration— If the chemical is in solution,
the nature of the hazard(s). Precautionary statements
indicate the solution’s molarity or strength.
provide guidance to prevent accidents and avoid
3. How can the chemical hurt you?—List in clear
exposure to chemicals. There are eight pictograms,
terms how the chemical can hurt you and what
shown below. In addition to the pictograms, GHS
target organs will be affected. This information
requires the use of signal words, either Danger or
easily can be found on your SDS or in the Flinn
Warning, to heighten awareness of the relative risk
Scientific Catalog/Reference Manual. Avoid
when using certain chemicals. (Danger is the more
numerical or alphabetical codes. These codes are
severe warning!) Depending on their hazard rankings,
difficult to remember and could easily be mis in ter -
not all chemicals will have a pictogram or signal
preted. Use words that every one will understand.
word. GHS also assigns specific hazard statements to
4. Date Prepared—Knowing the date the chemical
chemicals and applicable precautionary statements
was prepared is very important, especially for
to prevent accidents and minimize exposure.
those chemicals that have a limited shelf life or
become more hazardous with age.
A well-written and designed chemical label will
reduce accidents and may even save lives. For
For example, let’s say you just pre pared a 6 M
more than 40 years, you have counted on Flinn
hydrochloric acid solution. The label should say:
Scientific labels to help you safely store, handle and
use laboratory chemicals. We naturally embraced
the opportunity to further improve chemical safety
by adding the GHS label elements while preserving
the indispensable Flinn storage, disposal, shelf-life
and hazard alert advice. See pages 24–25 for a
GHS-compliant Flinn Scientific label and a convenient
guide to using this information.
GHS Pictograms
Flinn
Online
Chemical Inventory Management System
The Flinn Online Chemventory™ is a cloudbased
laboratory chemical inventory system
that allows multiple users access to the
database from multiple locations and multiple
devices! Maintaining an accurate laboratory
chemical inventory has never been easier, more
flexible and more convenient.
Catalog No. Description
Price/
Database License
SE2998 Flinn Online
Chemventory™,
1-Year License
$ 99.00
SE2999 Flinn Online
Chemventory™,
3-Year License
199.00
SE3000 Flinn Online
Chemventory™,
5-Year License
349.00
Additional information may be required in your
state. A few states require the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) code on the label. Other states
may require the Chemical Abstract Services (CAS)
number to be on the label.
Finally, remember that this label may need to be
on the chemical container for years to come. Avoid
using grease pencils and writing directly on the
bottle. Always use a permanent marker on label
paper that has a good adhesive. Print clearly so
everyone can read and understand the label you have
prepared.
If you have questions regarding how to label
chemical containers, please call us toll free at 1-800-
452-1261. We’ll gladly help in any way we can.
Acutely toxic Oxidizer Gas under pressure Corrosive to skin or eyes
Copper(II) Chloride Ammonium Nitrate Oxygen Hydrochloric Acid
Explosive or Irritant to skin, eyes Flammable or Carcinogen, mutagen
self-reactive substance or respiratory tract self-reactive or reproductive toxin
Not in school science labs! Iodine Methyl Alcohol Formaldehyde
GHS pictogram stickers can be used to
create GHS labels. Attach these handy
stickers to chemical bottles to quickly
indicate hazards to the user. They come
in a package of eight sheets with 63
stickers per sheet.
Hydrocholoric Acid, 6 M solution
Corrosive to all body tissue, especially
skin and eyes. Avoid all body contact.
2020
GHS STICKERS
SEE PAGE 669
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