Chemicals are a natural part of everyday life in many businesses – from industrial production and laboratories to construction sites and agriculture. With chemicals also comes a responsibility: to protect employees, customers and the environment. That’s why you see the little red hazard symbols on bottles, containers and safety data sheets.
Here we go through what the hazard symbols mean, how they should be handled in practice, and what laws and regulations apply.
What is a hazard symbol?
A hazard symbol (also known as a hazard pictogram and hazard label) is a pictorial icon that highlights the risk of chemicals that may expose the user to health, environmental, fire or explosion hazards. The hazard symbols are designed to be understandable for everyone. In other words, you don’t need to know chemistry to understand that a picture of a flame means “flammable”. This makes it easy to identify potential hazards, regardless of situation and language.
Where are the hazard symbols located?
The hazard symbols must be clearly marked on the product being used, and can be found on the packaging or in the safety data sheet (SDS). Sometimes the workplace may also have its own lists of hazard symbols on cabinets, containers or other storage areas, for example when storing chemicals in large quantities.
What do the hazard symbols mean?
Previously, orange hazard symbols were used, but from 2015 these were replaced by red and white diamonds. Each symbol represents a specific type of chemical hazard:
Acute toxicity<br>
May cause life-threatening injuries if swallowed, in contact with skin or inhaled.
Etsende
Kan forårsake etseskader på hud og øyne eller alvorlige øyeskader. Brukes også for kjemikalier som kan etse på metaller. Brukesogså for kjemikaliersomkanetsepametaller.
Helsefare<br>
Kan gi irritasjon på hud, øyne og luftveier, allergiske hudreaksjoner, døsighet og svimmelhet.
Chronic health hazard<br>
May cause cancer, genetic damage, reduced fertility, birth defects, inhalation allergy, chemical pneumonia or other serious health effects.
Environmental hazard<br>
Can be acute or long-term toxic, and/or cause long-term damage because the substance is persistent and bioaccumulative. Must be handled so that the product, either in use or as waste, does not harm nature.
Explosive
May explode on impact, friction, sparks or heat.
Oxidising
May cause fire or contribute to the combustion of other materials.
Flammable<br>
Can ignite easily and burn violently. Some chemicals produce flammable gas in contact with water or self-ignite in air.
Gas under pressure<br>
Container with pressurised gas or extremely low temperature. May explode in case of external fire.
How to handle hazard symbols?
Hazardous chemicals in Norway must be labeled with a hazard label in Norwegian that provides information about hazards and necessary precautions. Among other things, the label must contain a hazard symbol, warning words and hazard and safety phrases (H and P phrases).
If you notice a hazard symbol on a product, you must take extra precautions. This may involve:
Always read the hazard label before use
Check SDS for more information
Follow the instructions carefully
Use the right protective equipment
Ensure sufficient ventilation
Avoid mixing incompatible chemicals
Wash hands, clothes and equipment thoroughly after use
If swallowed or poisoned, contact Poison Control or emergency services
Laws and regulations
International regulations
Norway follows the European regulations, the CLP regulation (Classification, Labelling, and Packaging), which is based on the global system GHS (Globally Harmonized System and Classification and Labelling of Chemicals), but is adapted to the EU/EEA.
In addition, the REACH regulation applies, which regulates how chemicals in Europe must be registered and assessed before they can be used or sold.
Norwegian regulations
In addition to the international regulations, the following also apply:
The Norwegian Environment Agency: Primarily responsible for the CLP and REACH regulations in Norway. Provides guidance on classification and labeling, and supervises manufacturers.
Labor Inspection Authority: Responsible for chemicals in the workplace, including HSE, protective equipment and training.
Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB): Responsible for handling flammable, explosive and pressurised substances.
Hazard symbols are not just little red icons on a label. They are the key to understanding and following chemical regulations. When employees know the symbols, read the labels and follow the instructions, they contribute to a safer working day in line with national and international requirements.
In addition, the hazard symbols provide a common recipe for how chemicals should be described and labeled, no matter where in the world they are used. This makes communication easier, provides a better overview in the workplace and ensures that everyone speaks the same “language” about chemicals.
Did you know that all hazardous chemicals must have a safety data sheet? A safety data sheet can be the difference between control and chaos if an accident occurs. Find out what a safety data sheet is, why it is so important, and common challenges for businesses.
What is a safety data sheet (SDS)?
A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is a document (digital or hard copy) that provides an overview of how chemicals should be handled, used and stored. All SDSs follow a standard 16-point layout so that the information is easy to find, no matter what chemical you are working with.
What is the difference between a safety data sheet and a chemical inventory?
A safety data sheet (SDS) provides information about a specific chemical, while a substance register provides an overview of all the chemicals in the company, and thus consists of several SDSs.
Why do we need safety data sheets?
SDSs are needed to handle chemicals safely, protect employees from health hazards and describe procedures for first aid, fire and spills. Not only that, but updated SDSs are required by law through the Regulations for the Performance of Work, REACH and CLP, and are an important part of a company’s health, safety and environment (HSE) work.
A safety data sheet is always structured according to a fixed 16-point template. This makes it easy to find the right information, no matter what chemical you are working with.
Identification (name of the substance/product and supplier)
Hazard identification (health, fire and environmental hazards)
Composition (content and hazardous components)
First aid measures (what to do in case of accidents)
Firefighting measures (suitable extinguishing media and protective measures)
Measures in the event of a spill (handling of spills and leaks)
Handling and storage (safe procedures and storage requirements)
Exposure controls/protective equipment (limit values and protective equipment)
Physical/chemical properties (appearance, smell, boiling point, etc.)
Stability/reactivity (conditions that may cause hazardous reactions)
Toxicology (effects on health)
Ecology (impact on the environment)
Disposal consideration (waste management)
Transport (UN number and transport requirements)
Regulations (laws and regulations that apply)
Other information (additional info and update date)
Who is responsible?
The supplier’s responsibility
The supplier is responsible for preparing and supplying safety data sheets in Norwegian when a hazardous chemical is marketed in Norway. The SDS must be free, up-to-date and available to professional users. Among other things, the data sheet must contain Norwegian limit values and the Poisons Information Center’s emergency number. In the event of new information or regulatory changes, the supplier must update the SDS and send it to customers who have received the product in the last 12 months.
The employer’s responsibility
Procedures must be established to ensure that safety data sheets are of satisfactory quality, meet the requirements of the regulations and are updated when new information or versions become available. The employer is responsible for checking the SDS when new chemicals are used, ensuring that the data sheets are up to date, and obtaining missing information from the supplier if they are incomplete.
If an error is discovered, the employer must check whether a newer version is available and contact the supplier for an update. It is particularly important to ensure that special Norwegian requirements are taken care of in the SDS, for example that chapter 8 contains Norwegian administrative limit values, that chapter 15 refers to relevant Norwegian regulations, and that any Norwegian product registration number (PRN) is listed there.
Known challenges
Difficult to keep SDS up to date
Many companies find it challenging to keep their chemical inventory and SDS documentation up to date. When the company uses chemicals from several manufacturers and suppliers, it quickly becomes challenging to keep track of all the changes they make to their SDS.
There are no fixed deadlines for updating data sheets, and changes can therefore be made at any time. SDSs must be revised as soon as there is new information about hazards or regulations. This requires good routines to ensure that the SDS is always updated in relation to the chemicals the company actually uses.
Safety information must be easily accessible and understandable for employees
It is a legal requirement that employees have easy access to safety data sheets for the chemicals they work with. In practice, this can be challenging if the data sheets are stored in digital systems that employees have not been adequately trained in, behind passwords, or only exist in paper archives.
Most people who handle chemicals at work are not chemists, and it can be challenging for employers to provide ongoing and necessary training in how an SDS should be understood and used.
A good SDS provides an overview, creates security and ensures compliance with legal requirements. When companies take safety data sheets seriously, both HSE work and emergency preparedness are strengthened. So make sure you have a system that makes it easy to keep all safety data sheets up to date and available, so that safety information becomes a natural part of your daily work with chemicals.
