GHS Secondary Container Labels: What They Must Include and How to Generate Them

A secondary container is any workplace container a hazardous chemical is transferred into from the manufacturer’s original labeled container: spray bottles, buckets, jerry cans, squeeze bottles, and dispensing tanks. Under OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard at 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6), those workplace containers must be labeled, tagged, or marked unless a narrow portable immediate-use exemption applies. This guide tells you what counts, when a label is required, what it must say, who owns the work, and how to generate labels from the Safety Data Sheet instead of from memory.

Quick answer. If a hazardous chemical leaves its original container and is not used up in that shift by the person who poured it, it needs a workplace label. The employer may copy the GHS elements from the shipped container or use an alternative system that still identifies the product and conveys its hazards. The employer owns that duty, not the chemical manufacturer. The label is the short form of the SDS. If it leaves your hand or outlives your shift, label it.

Key takeaways

• A secondary container is any workplace container a hazardous chemical is transferred into from the manufacturer’s original container, including spray bottles, buckets, and dispensing tanks.
• Secondary containers must be labeled under 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6) unless they qualify for the portable immediate-use exemption in 1910.1200(f)(8).
• The immediate-use exemption applies only when the chemical is transferred from a labeled container and used entirely within the same work shift by the employee who transferred it, and it stays in that employee’s control.
• Employers may use either full GHS workplace labels or an alternative workplace labeling system, as long as it conveys the required hazard information with other information immediately available to employees.
• Labeling secondary containers is the employer’s legal responsibility, not the chemical manufacturer’s, and the method must be described in the written HazCom program under 1910.1200(e).
• Every secondary container label must trace back to the current Safety Data Sheet for that product, which is why label generation and SDS management belong in the same system.

In this guide

1. What is GHS and how does it relate to OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard?
2. What is a secondary container under OSHA?
3. Do secondary containers require GHS labels?
4. What information must a secondary container label include?
5. When does the portable/immediate-use container labeling exemption apply?
6. Can I use a workplace-specific labeling system on secondary containers?
7. Who is responsible for labeling secondary containers?
8. How does GHS labeling connect to Safety Data Sheets?
9. How do I create a compliant secondary container label?
10. How Helios Comply helps
11. Frequently asked questions

What is GHS and how does it relate to OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard?

GHS is the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, a worldwide framework for classifying hazards and communicating them the same way everywhere. OSHA adopted that framework into the Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200). GHS is not itself a U.S. law. Countries write it into their own rules. In the United States, HazCom is the rule that binds you.

OSHA first aligned HazCom with GHS in 2012, replacing the older performance-based labeling system with standardized label elements, a 16-section Safety Data Sheet format, and defined hazard classes and categories. The current text of 1910.1200(a)(1) states that the standard is intended to be consistent with GHS, primarily Revision 7. OSHA published a final rule updating HazCom on May 20, 2024. That rule took effect on July 19, 2024. The Department of Labor described the update as aligning primarily with GHS Revision 7, with clearer classification, updated physical hazard classes, and updated precautionary statements. During the transition period in paragraph (j), manufacturers, importers, distributors, and employers may comply with the updated section, the July 1, 2023 version, or both.

What GHS standardized is the vocabulary on the bottle and the sheet:

• Pictograms: black symbols on a white background inside a red diamond. OSHA Brief 3636 states that GHS uses nine pictograms and that OSHA enforces eight. The environmental pictogram is not mandatory under federal HazCom.
• Signal words: only Danger or Warning. Danger is the more severe. A label carries one signal word.
• Hazard statements: fixed phrasing that describes the nature and degree of the hazard.
• Precautionary statements: prevention, response, storage, and disposal instructions.

That vocabulary matters for secondary containers because the hazard language on a workplace label should match the GHS language on the shipped label and the SDS. GHS gives the words. HazCom gives the obligation. The obligation lands hardest on containers you fill yourself. For the rest of the standard in plain English, see 29 CFR 1910.1200 explained. For what the 2024 update changed on sheets and supplier labels, see OSHA HazCom and GHS SDS requirements after the 2024 rule update.

What is a secondary container under OSHA?

A secondary container is any container a hazardous chemical is transferred into from the manufacturer’s original (primary) container. Spray bottles, buckets, pails, jerry cans, squeeze bottles, beakers, dispensing tanks, and refilled sanitizer bottles are all secondary containers. OSHA does not use the phrase “secondary container” in the standard text. It addresses them as workplace containers in 1910.1200(f)(6).

The practical split is simple. A primary container is the one that arrived already labeled by the manufacturer, importer, or distributor under 1910.1200(f)(1). A secondary container is the one your shop filled. The standard calls that workplace labeling of containers other than shipped containers.

You see these containers in every chemical-handling trade:

• Cleaning crews pour diluted disinfectant into trigger sprayers. Helios maintains pre-populated SDS books for cleaning products for that exact inventory.
• Auto shops decant parts-washer solvent and brake cleaner. See solvent and brake cleaner work in auto shops.
• Construction and contractor crews keep fuel cans, adhesives, and thinners on the truck. See construction and contractor HazCom requirements.
• Food service fills sanitizer buckets and station bottles. See sanitizer buckets and food service chemical labeling.
• Healthcare and janitorial teams refill disinfectant bottles between shifts.
• Pest control mixes treatment solutions into tanks and jugs. FIFRA-labeled pesticides follow EPA labeling when that Act applies under 1910.1200(b)(5)(i). Mixed tanks still need a clear identity so technicians know what is in them. See mixed pesticide tank labeling.

Dilution does not automatically erase the hazard. Appendix A to 1910.1200 includes dilution bridging rules for classifying mixtures. A diluted product remains a hazardous chemical unless the dilution actually removes the classified hazard. The label must reflect what is in the bottle, not what was in the concentrate jug.

Stationary process containers are a related case, not the same as a spray bottle. Under 1910.1200(f)(7), employers may use signs, placards, process sheets, batch tickets, operating procedures, or other written materials instead of affixing a label to each stationary process container, if the alternative identifies the container and conveys the (f)(6) information, and if those materials stay readily accessible in the work area throughout each shift. Pipes and piping systems are not “containers” under the definition in paragraph (c).

What is not a secondary container: a sealed shipped container that still has its manufacturer label, and a consumer product used in the workplace for the purpose intended by the manufacturer with a duration and frequency of exposure no greater than ordinary consumer use, per 1910.1200(b)(6)(ix). Once you can identify the container, the question is whether it needs a label.

Do secondary containers require GHS labels?

Yes, unless the portable immediate-use exemption applies. Under 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6), every workplace container holding a hazardous chemical must be labeled, tagged, or marked. The employer may either reproduce the shipped-label hazard elements or use an alternative workplace labeling system that conveys the same hazard information with other information immediately available to employees.

Workplace labeling. Except as provided in paragraphs (f)(7) and (f)(8) of this section, the employer shall ensure that each container of hazardous chemicals in the workplace is labeled, tagged or marked with either:

(i) The information specified under paragraphs (f)(1)(i) through (v) for labels on shipped containers; or,

(ii) Product identifier and words, pictures, symbols, or combination thereof, which provide at least general information regarding the hazards of the chemicals, and which, in conjunction with the other information immediately available to employees under the hazard communication program, will provide employees with the specific information regarding the physical and health hazards of the hazardous chemical.

That is the full choice. Path (i) is a GHS-style workplace label. Path (ii) is the alternative system. Both are legal. Neither is optional if the container holds a hazardous chemical and the exemption does not apply.

Labels must be legible, in English, and prominently displayed on the container, or readily available in the work area throughout each work shift, under 1910.1200(f)(10). Other languages may be added. English must remain.

“In the workplace” is not limited to the storeroom. If the container holds the chemical, it needs a label in storage, on a cart, in a vehicle, and across job sites. The portable exemption is the only off-ramp, and it is narrow.

Hazard Communication ranked second on federal OSHA’s Top 10 most frequently cited standards for fiscal year 2025 (October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025). OSHA does not break that list down to unlabeled spray bottles, but workplace labeling is a core (f) duty, and inspectors can see an unlabeled bottle from across the room. For the labeling errors that show up on a walkthrough, see OSHA chemical labeling and signage rules. The exemption is narrower than most workplaces assume, which is the next section.

What information must a secondary container label include?

A full GHS-aligned secondary container label carries six elements: product identifier, signal word, hazard pictogram(s), hazard statement(s), precautionary statement(s), and supplier identification. Under the alternative workplace labeling option in (f)(6)(ii), the minimum is the product identifier plus words, pictures, or symbols conveying at least general hazard information for that chemical, with specific physical and health hazard information immediately available through the HazCom program.

Shipped containers require all six elements under 1910.1200(f)(1). Workplace labels under (f)(6)(i) require the first five of those elements (product identifier through precautionary statements). Supplier identification is required on shipped labels. OSHA’s June 20, 2017 letter of interpretation states that paragraph (f)(6)(ii) does not require the manufacturer’s name and address, precautionary statements, or hazard statements. Many employers still put supplier information on workplace labels because it speeds SDS lookup.

Work a typical example. A cleaning crew dilutes a quaternary ammonium disinfectant into a trigger sprayer. Open the current SDS. Section 1 gives the product identifier. Section 2 gives the signal word, pictograms, hazard statements, and precautionary statements. If Section 2 lists Danger, the corrosion pictogram, and “Causes serious eye damage,” that is what belongs on the spray bottle. Do not copy the concentrate label if the working solution has a different classification. Do not write “quat” on masking tape and call it done.

Element by element:

• Product identifier: the name or number used on the label and the SDS. Paragraph (c) requires that identifier to permit cross-references among the written program’s chemical list, the label, and the SDS. Match it exactly.
• Signal word: only Danger or Warning. OSHA Brief 3636: if one hazard warrants Danger and another warrants Warning, only Danger appears.
• Pictograms: black symbol, white background, red diamond. OSHA Brief 3636 lists nine GHS pictograms and states OSHA enforces eight. The eight cover health hazard, flame, exclamation mark, gas cylinder, corrosion, exploding bomb, flame over circle (oxidizer), and skull and crossbones. The ninth, environment (dead fish and tree), is optional under federal OSHA. A red diamond with no symbol is not a pictogram and is not permitted on a shipped label. For the nine GHS pictograms and what each hazard class requires, use the GHS label guide.
• Hazard statements: standardized phrases assigned by hazard class and category. All applicable statements belong on a full GHS label. They may be combined where appropriate.
• Precautionary statements: prevention, response, storage, and disposal. OSHA Brief 3636 allows combining similar statements and dropping a statement that is demonstrably inappropriate.
• Supplier identification: name, U.S. address, and U.S. telephone number of the manufacturer, importer, or other responsible party on shipped labels. Recommended on workplace labels even when (f)(6)(ii) does not require it.

Element	Full GHS workplace label (f)(6)(i)	Alternative workplace label (f)(6)(ii)
Product identifier matching the SDS	Required	Required
Signal word (Danger or Warning)	Required	Optional; recommended
Hazard pictogram(s)	Required	Optional if other words, pictures, or symbols convey general hazards
Hazard statement(s)	Required	Not required if specific hazard information is immediately available another way
Precautionary statement(s)	Required	Not required under (f)(6)(ii), per OSHA’s June 20, 2017 letter
Supplier name, U.S. address, and U.S. phone	Not required on workplace labels; required on shipped labels	Not required; recommended for SDS lookup
Other words, pictures, or symbols for general hazards	May be added as supplementary information	Required in some combination with the product identifier
Immediate access to specific physical and health hazards	SDS still required under (g)	Required, in conjunction with the HazCom program

Even where the minimum is allowed, full GHS elements reduce inspector ambiguity and employee confusion. An in-house color code that only the day shift understands will fail the first time a temp or a contractor picks up the bottle. Standardize on full GHS labels unless you have a trained, documented reason not to.

When does the portable/immediate-use container labeling exemption apply?

The exemption in 1910.1200(f)(8) applies only when a hazardous chemical is transferred from a labeled container into a portable container intended for the immediate use of the employee who performs the transfer. If any of those conditions fail, the container must be labeled.

The employer is not required to label portable containers into which hazardous chemicals are transferred from labeled containers, and which are intended only for the immediate use of the employee who performs the transfer.

Paragraph (c) defines immediate use: “the hazardous chemical will be under the control of and used only by the person who transfers it from a labeled container and only within the work shift in which it is transferred.” That is the whole test. Three questions:

1. Was it transferred from a properly labeled container?
2. Will the same employee who transferred it use it up during this same work shift?
3. Does it stay in that employee’s control the whole time?

If any answer is no, label it. What breaks the exemption: leaving the container overnight, handing it to a coworker, setting it down unattended, storing it in a vehicle or cart, or holding it across a shift change. A one-hour job still needs a label if anyone else might pick the bottle up, or if leftover product will sit until tomorrow.

OSHA’s June 20, 2017 letter on labeling of secondary containers does not expand this exemption. That letter answers a different question: whether pre-printed bottles with a chemical name, an NFPA diamond, and hazard pictograms can satisfy (f)(6)(ii). OSHA said yes, if other information immediately available to employees supplies the specific physical and health hazards. The letter also says SDSs used for that purpose must be immediately available in the work area throughout each shift, not stored in a locked office. It does not say an unlabeled bottle is acceptable because someone “meant” to use it later.

Most workplaces should default to labeling rather than relying on the exemption. Proving those three conditions during an inspection is harder than sticking a label on the bottle. If you must label, you get to choose the format, which is the next question.

Can I use a workplace-specific labeling system on secondary containers?

Yes. OSHA permits alternative workplace labeling under 1910.1200(f)(6)(ii): a product identifier plus words, pictures, symbols, or a combination that conveys at least general hazard information. The system must be consistent, understood by employees, backed by training, and described in the written hazard communication program.

In practice, alternative systems look like color coding, in-house numbering, symbol sets, or barcodes and QR codes paired with a posted key. OSHA Brief 3636 states that employers may continue to use rating systems such as NFPA 704 diamonds or HMIS for workplace labels as long as they are consistent with HazCom and employees have immediate access to the specific hazard information. An employer using NFPA or HMIS labeling must, through training, ensure employees are fully aware of the hazards of the chemicals used. Those rating systems are allowed as part of a system. They are not enough on their own if workers cannot get the full hazard information.

OSHA’s June 20, 2017 letter is the working example. Pre-printed secondary bottles that carried a chemical name, an NFPA diamond, and health and physical hazard pictograms, without manufacturer address or hazard statements, were acceptable under (f)(6)(ii) because the product identifier and symbols provided general hazard information and the SDS supplied the rest, immediately. The letter also quotes OSHA’s inspection instruction: an employer who relies on an alternative system instead of labels with complete health-effects information bears the burden, in any enforcement action, of showing employee awareness equal to or better than full health-effects labels.

Where alternative systems fail inspection: no posted legend, temporary employees untrained on the code, and multi-employer sites where a contractor cannot read the host’s numbering. Under 1910.1200(e)(2)(iii), host employers must tell other employers on site what labeling system is in use. Under 1910.1200(f)(9), you still may not remove or deface incoming shipped labels unless you immediately mark the container with the required information.

For small and mid-sized employers, standardize on full GHS labels. They travel across sites and employers without extra training overhead. A color code that works in one shop becomes a translation problem the moment you send a crew to a customer’s building.

Who is responsible for labeling secondary containers?

The employer is responsible. Chemical manufacturers, importers, and distributors must label shipped containers under 1910.1200(f)(1). Once a chemical is transferred into a workplace container at your facility, labeling is the employer’s duty under 1910.1200(f)(6), regardless of who physically performs the transfer.

You can train employees to apply labels at the point of transfer. You cannot hand the legal obligation to the person holding the pitcher. OSHA 3695, the Small Entity Compliance Guide for employers that use hazardous chemicals, puts it in the downstream-flow picture: manufacturers classify and prepare labels and SDSs; employers receive labeled containers and then keep workplace containers labeled, keep SDSs, and train workers.

The written program in 1910.1200(e) must describe how you will meet the labeling criteria in paragraph (f), the SDS criteria in paragraph (g), and the training criteria in paragraph (h). It must include a list of hazardous chemicals known to be present, using a product identifier referenced on the SDS. If you use an alternative workplace labeling system, the program is where that system has to live in writing. OSHA 3695 includes a sample program. OSHA states that sample is not a standard and creates no new legal obligations. Adapt it. Do not paste a generic template and stop. For the setup sequence, see the written HazCom program and GHS labeling guide.

Multi-employer worksites are common in construction and contracting. Under 1910.1200(e)(2), if you produce, use, or store hazardous chemicals so that another employer’s employees may be exposed, your program must also cover how those other employers get on-site SDS access, what precautionary measures they need, and what labeling system you use. Each employer remains responsible for its own employees. Hosts still have to make the system readable to people who do not work there every day. See construction and contractor HazCom requirements.

Assign a named HazCom program administrator. Make point-of-transfer labeling a documented work practice, not a suggestion. Training under 1910.1200(h) must cover how to read labels and how your system works, at initial assignment and when a new chemical hazard enters the work area. Software can print the label. It cannot walk the floor for you.

How does GHS labeling connect to Safety Data Sheets?

The label is the short form of the SDS. Every element on a compliant secondary container label comes from the Safety Data Sheet for that product: the product identifier from Section 1, and the signal word, pictograms, hazard statements, and precautionary statements from Section 2. If the SDS is missing or outdated, the label cannot be verified.

Label element	SDS section	What you pull
Product identifier	Section 1, Identification	The identifier used on the label, plus common names. OSHA Brief 3514 requires the same product identifier on the label and in Section 1.
Supplier identification	Section 1, Identification	Name, address, and phone of the manufacturer, importer, or other responsible party, plus emergency phone.
Signal word	Section 2, Hazard identification	Danger or Warning.
Pictogram(s)	Section 2, Hazard identification	The assigned GHS symbols, which may appear as graphics or as named symbols.
Hazard statement(s)	Section 2, Hazard identification	The standardized statements for each classified hazard.
Precautionary statement(s)	Section 2, Hazard identification	Prevention, response, storage, and disposal statements.
Classification (for dilution checks)	Section 2, Hazard identification	Hazard class and category, which may change when you dilute or mix.

Employees need the full sheet during an exposure or a spill. OSHA Brief 3514 states that employers must keep SDSs readily accessible for all hazardous chemicals in the workplace, and that electronic access is acceptable if employees have immediate access without leaving their work area and a backup exists for a power outage or other emergency. That is the same “immediately available” idea OSHA used in the 2017 secondary-container letter. For the access test, see what readily accessible really means. For the 16-section map, see Safety Data Sheets explained. Physical SDS and MSDS binder books remain a valid backup when a network drops.

Version drift is the quiet failure. When a manufacturer reformulates and Section 2 changes classification, existing secondary container labels become wrong. OSHA does not require an annual SDS rewrite. The update duty on preparers starts when they learn significant new hazard or protective-measure information. Your job is to notice the revised sheet and relabel workplace containers that no longer match it. Build a review cadence around incoming SDS revisions, not around a calendar myth.

QR codes on labels that open the current SDS are a supplement, not a substitute for required label elements and not a substitute for accessible SDSs. Helios Comply generates QR access for employee SDS lookup. The code does not replace the product identifier or the hazard information on the bottle. Keeping labels and SDSs in one system is what makes the final step practical.

How do I create a compliant secondary container label?

Work from the SDS, not from memory. Pull the product identifier from Section 1 and the signal word, pictograms, hazard statements, and precautionary statements from Section 2, print them on a durable chemical-resistant label, and apply it at the moment of transfer. Software that holds your SDS library can generate the label from that data so the bottle and the sheet cannot drift apart.

1. Identify the chemical and confirm you have the current SDS.
2. Confirm whether the container is exempt under (f)(8). If you have any doubt, label it.
3. Pull the six GHS elements from Sections 1 and 2. If you use the alternative system, still capture the product identifier and general hazards, and keep the SDS immediately available.
4. Account for dilution or mixing. Classify the contents of the container, not the concentrate on the shelf.
5. Print on durable stock that will survive solvent, water, abrasion, and, for outdoor or vehicle work, UV exposure. 1910.1200(f)(10) requires workplace labels to remain legible.
6. Apply the label at the point of transfer, before the bottle leaves the filling station.
7. Document the method in the written program.
8. Re-check workplace labels when an SDS revision changes Section 2.

Handwritten labels are legal if they are legible and complete. They are also slow, inconsistent, and the usual source of missing elements. A Sharpie on masking tape fails as soon as someone grabs the bottle with a wet glove.

Helios Comply is built for the software path. AI-assisted SDS digitization and auto-classification pull hazard data from uploaded sheets. GHS secondary container label generation builds the label from that library. Multi-location management keeps the same product labeled the same way across sites. Offline access and QR codes keep employees connected to the full SDS when the shop Wi-Fi dies. That does not replace your written program, your floor walk, or your training. It removes the design work and the guesswork.

Sector notes:

• Cleaning companies working from pre-populated SDS books for cleaning products should treat every refillable sprayer as a labeled workplace container.
• Contractors and HVAC or electrical crews labeling on the truck need durable stock and offline SDS access, not a binder left at the shop.
• Food service sanitizer stations need labels that match the working solution in the bucket, not the concentrate jug in the closet.

Walk-the-floor audit checklist:

1. Pick up every spray bottle, bucket, jug, and tank in the work area. Can you name the product from the label?
2. Does the product identifier match the SDS and the chemical list in the written program?
3. If you use full GHS workplace labels, are the signal word, pictograms, hazard statements, and precautionary statements present and readable?
4. If you use an alternative system, is the legend posted, and can a new hire explain it?
5. Is any container relying on “I’ll use it this shift” sitting unattended, shared, or left overnight?
6. For diluted products, does the label describe the working solution?
7. Scan one QR code or open one SDS. Can an employee reach the current sheet without a locked office?

Fix what fails before an inspector does the same walk.

How Helios Comply helps

The hard part of secondary container labeling is not the rule. It is producing a correct label every time someone pours a bottle, across shifts and sites, from the current SDS rather than from habit.

Helios Comply keeps a cloud SDS library, generates GHS secondary container labels from those records, and gives employees QR-code, mobile, and offline access to the matching sheet. AI-assisted digitization turns a paper binder into structured hazard data you can print from. Multi-location controls keep each site’s bottles tied to that site’s inventory. Audit-ready reports show what is in the library when you need to prove it.

What Helios does not do: write your HazCom program, classify a diluted mixture for you if the supplier never classified that working solution, or stick the label on the bottle. The employer remains responsible for the written program, the chemical list, training, labels, and employee access.

Start Free Trial. For hands-on setup help, call (855) 920-5202.

Conclusion

The rule is simple once you hold it. If a hazardous chemical leaves its original container and is not consumed by the person who poured it within that shift, it needs a label carrying the product identifier and the hazard information from the SDS. The employer owns that. Default to labeling. Default to full GHS elements. Helios Comply generates GHS secondary container labels straight from the SDS already in your library, so the label and the data sheet never drift apart.

This article is compliance education, not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Do spray bottles need labels?

Yes, when they hold a hazardous chemical and do not meet the portable immediate-use exemption. A spray bottle filled from a larger container is a workplace container under 1910.1200(f)(6). Label it unless the employee who filled it will use it up during that same shift and keep it under their control.

Can I write labels by hand?

Yes, if the handwriting is legible, in English, prominently displayed, and complete for the labeling method you chose. Handwritten labels still have to carry either the (f)(6)(i) elements or a product identifier plus general hazard information under (f)(6)(ii). They fail in practice when ink smears or someone omits the pictogram.

Does water in a spray bottle need a label?

Plain water is not a hazardous chemical under HazCom, so it does not need a GHS workplace label. If the bottle used to hold a cleaner and still might, treat it as a hazardous-chemical container until it is emptied, cleaned, and known to be water only. Do not assume a clear liquid is water.

Do I need to label a container I use for one hour?

Only if the (f)(8) test is met: transferred from a labeled container, used only by the employee who transferred it, under that person’s control, within that work shift. A one-hour job that will be handed to a coworker, left on a cart, or finished by the next shift needs a label. If it leaves your hand or outlives your shift, label it.

Does a diluted product need a different label?

It needs a label that matches what is in the container. Dilution can lower a classification, leave it the same, or, in some mixtures, still present a classified hazard at the working strength. Use the SDS and any supplier dilution guidance. Do not copy the concentrate label onto a bottle of working solution without checking Section 2.

Can I use HMIS or NFPA instead of GHS on a secondary container?

OSHA Brief 3636 allows NFPA 704 or HMIS as workplace labels if they are consistent with HazCom, employees are trained on them, and specific hazard information is immediately available. They do not replace shipped-container GHS labels, and a number on a diamond is not a substitute for reading the SDS.

Sources

• 29 CFR 1910.1200, Hazard Communication (eCFR)
• 29 CFR 1910.1200, Hazard Communication (Cornell LII)
• OSHA letter of interpretation, Labeling of Secondary Containers, June 20, 2017
• OSHA Brief 3636, Hazard Communication Standard: Labels and Pictograms
• OSHA Brief 3514, Hazard Communication Standard: Safety Data Sheets
• OSHA 3695, Small Entity Compliance Guide for Employers That Use Hazardous Chemicals
• U.S. Department of Labor news release, May 20, 2024, Hazard Communication Standard final rule
• OSHA, Final Rule to Amend the Hazard Communication Standard
• Federal Register, Hazard Communication Standard, May 20, 2024
• OSHA, Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards, fiscal year 2025
• OSHA Hazard Communication topic page