Workplace label

Containers arriving from a supplier carry a full GHS label with six elements: product identifier, signal word, hazard statements, pictograms, precautionary statements and supplier identification. Inside the workplace, containers are decanted, mixed or moved, so employers sometimes need their own labels. These are workplace labels.

OSHA HazCom, 29 CFR 1910.1200, allows some flexibility for them. The label must carry the product identifier and words, pictures or symbols that together give general information about the hazards. Employers may reproduce the GHS label elements, or use other systems such as an NFPA 704 diamond or an HMIS label if the system meets the requirements and workers are trained to understand it. Whatever system is chosen, it should be applied consistently.

The workplace label also covers stationary equipment such as tanks and pipe systems, where a single sign may be used for a whole area. Pipe labeling follows separate practices in many sites. Labels must be legible, in English, and prominently displayed, and they must be updated when new hazard information appears from the supplier.

Workplace labels tie into other parts of the program. They link to the SDS binder, the chemical inventory and HazCom training. A worker reading a label should know what to do next, such as looking up the SDS, using Personal protective equipment (PPE) and avoiding certain storage. The label for a transferred amount is often called a Secondary container label, which is the most common use.