Hazard statement

Hazard statements put the hazard into plain words. Rather than just showing a symbol, the label says what the product can do, for example that it is a highly flammable liquid, that it causes skin irritation, or that it is harmful to aquatic life.

The wording is fixed so that every supplier uses the same phrase for the same classification. Labels may use the code, the text, or both, though the text is what workers actually read. The first digit of the code groups them: 2 for physical hazards, 3 for health hazards, 4 for environmental hazards.

Combined codes appear when more than one statement applies. A label may list several hazard statements in order of the classification, and the SDS repeats them in Section 2 so you can see all of them together.

Hazard statements are different from precautionary statements, which use P-codes and say what to do to prevent or respond to harm. A hazard statement says what the problem is; a precautionary statement says how to avoid it.

Each statement is tied to a hazard category, so a more severe category carries a stronger statement.