The 6 Required Elements of a GHS Shipped Label (with a Field-Checkable Checklist)

A compliant GHS shipped-container label must carry six required elements under 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(1): product identifier, signal word, hazard statement(s), pictogram(s), precautionary statement(s), and the responsible party's name, address, and telephone number. Miss any one of these on a container leaving your workplace and the label is non-compliant. This guide breaks down each element, walks a real label through the rule, and gives you a checklist you can run in the field in under a minute.

The 6 required elements at a glance

All six are required on every container the manufacturer, importer, or distributor ships — there is no "small enough to skip it" exception except the narrow outer-package accommodation covered below.

Element 1: Product identifier

The product identifier links the label to the Safety Data Sheet (SDS). It can be the product name, chemical name, or a code/batch number — but it must match the identifier in Section 1 of the SDS exactly. This is how a worker (or a compliance officer) traces a container back to its hazard information. If the pail says "Form-Release 200" but the SDS is titled "Concrete Form Oil HD," an inspector cannot connect the two, and you have a finding even though both documents exist.

Element 2: Signal word

OSHA permits exactly two signal words:

• Danger — used for the more severe hazard categories.
• Warning — used for the less severe hazard categories.

A label uses only one signal word. If any hazard class triggers "Danger," then "Danger" appears and "Warning" is omitted entirely — you never print both. A label with no signal word at all is also non-compliant for any chemical that warrants one.

Element 3: Hazard statements

Hazard statements are standardized phrases assigned to each hazard class and category — for example, "Highly flammable liquid and vapor" (H225) or "Causes severe skin burns and eye damage" (H314). You cannot paraphrase them. The exact assigned wording is required so the message reads the same from every supplier and across every country that has adopted the GHS. All applicable hazard statements for the chemical's classification must appear; you don't get to print only the "scariest" one.

Element 4: Pictograms

Pictograms are the red-framed diamond symbols. OSHA requires eight pictograms in the system under Appendix C of the standard. The ninth GHS pictogram — the Environment (aquatic toxicity) symbol, GHS09 — is voluntary in the US because environmental hazards fall outside OSHA's jurisdiction (they belong to the EPA).

Per Appendix C, each pictogram must be:

• A black symbol on a white background,
• Inside a red frame that is a square set on a point and "sufficiently wide," and
• Large enough to be clearly legible.

Emoji, monochrome, or clip-art substitutes are not compliant, and a red frame printed with no symbol inside it is expressly prohibited. Show every pictogram that the chemical's classification calls for — not just one. For the full symbol-by-symbol breakdown, see GHS Pictograms Explained and why the environment symbol is the 9th but not required.

Element 5: Precautionary statements

Precautionary statements tell the user how to minimize or prevent adverse effects. They fall into four types:

• Prevention (e.g., "Keep away from heat/sparks/open flames")
• Response (e.g., first-aid and spill measures — "IF ON SKIN: Wash with plenty of water")
• Storage (e.g., "Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep cool.")
• Disposal (e.g., "Dispose of contents/container in accordance with regulations")

The applicable statements for the chemical's hazards must appear. A frequent miss is a label that carries prevention statements but drops response and storage to save space.

Element 6: Supplier identification

The label must list the name, address, and telephone number of the chemical manufacturer, importer, or other responsible party. The most common miss here is a label with a company name and a web address but no telephone number — all three pieces (name, address, phone) are required.

The six elements on a real label — worked example

Suppose a contractor receives a 5-gallon pail of a petroleum-based concrete form-release oil. The SDS classifies it as flammable liquid Category 3, skin irritant Category 2, and aspiration hazard Category 1. A compliant (f)(1) shipped label would carry:

Note two things. First, even though the product is petroleum-based and the SDS likely classifies it as hazardous to the aquatic environment in Section 12, the GHS09 environment pictogram is not required on the US label — the three pictograms above make it compliant. Second, "Danger" appears alone; "Warning" never joins it. If the supplier did print GHS09 (common on internationally shipped goods), that is also fine — it adds information without breaking the rule.

Can you add more than the six? Supplementary information

The six elements are the floor, not the ceiling. OSHA's Appendix C expressly allows supplementary information on a label — an HMIS or NFPA 704 rating block, a PPE pictogram, extra handling notes — but on two conditions: it must not contradict or cast doubt on the standardized GHS information, and non-standardized hazard information must be placed so it doesn't blur into the required GHS elements. In practice that means you may print an HMIS bar beside the GHS label, but you may not let it stand in for the signal word or hazard statements, and it can't imply a lower hazard than the GHS classification assigns. This is exactly why an HMIS "3" and a GHS "Danger" can coexist but never substitute — see NFPA 704 & HMIS vs GHS labels.

Field-checkable shipped-label checklist

Run this on any container before it leaves your facility (or as a receiving check on incoming product):

• Product identifier present and matches the SDS Section 1.
• One signal word ("Danger" or "Warning"), not both, not missing.
• Hazard statements use the standardized assigned wording for every classified hazard.
• All applicable pictograms present, each a black symbol on white in a red diamond frame (no empty frames).
• Precautionary statements present (prevention, response, storage, disposal as applicable).
• Supplier name, address, AND telephone number all listed.
• Label is legible, in English (other languages may be added), and not defaced or obscured.

If every box is checked, the container meets 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(1). If even one fails, fix it before the container moves.

What about very small shipped containers?

HCS 2024 added a narrow small container labelling paragraph at 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(12) — and it applies only to the shipped container labeled by the manufacturer, importer, or distributor, never to in-house secondary containers:

In every case the immediate outer package must still bear the full (f)(1) label. Do not stretch these thresholds onto workplace bottles — that is a separate rule. See Small-Package & Pull-Out Labels under HCS 2024.

Shipped vs workplace — don't confuse them

The six-element label above is the shipped-container label under (f)(1). Employer-applied workplace (secondary) labels under 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6) have two options: (i) reproduce the full GHS label elements, or (ii) use the product identifier plus words, pictures, or symbols that give at least general hazard information (when paired with SDS access and training). There is no volume- or size-based "simplified" tier for workplace containers. Don't apply shipped-label rules to in-house containers, or vice versa. Details: Shipped vs Workplace Labels and Secondary Container Labels: OSHA Rules.

Common mistakes that draw citations

• Identifier mismatch — the label name doesn't match SDS Section 1, breaking the trace to hazard information.
• Both signal words — printing "Danger" and "Warning" together; only one is allowed.
• Paraphrased hazard statements — rewording the standardized phrases instead of using the assigned text.
• Empty or fake pictograms — a red diamond with no symbol (prohibited), or monochrome/clip-art symbols.
• Dropped precautionary statements — keeping prevention but cutting response/storage/disposal to fit.
• Missing phone number — listing a name and web URL but no telephone number.
• Defaced or removed labels on received containers — the receiving employer must keep shipped labels legible and intact.

What this costs if you get it wrong

Labeling failures under 29 CFR 1910.1200(f) are citable, and Hazard Communication ranked second on OSHA's FY2025 list of most-cited standards. A serious citation can run up to $16,550 (2026 maximum, unchanged from 2025 — there was no inflation increase for 2026), and willful or repeated violations up to $165,514. Construction employers are covered through 29 CFR 1926.59, which adopts the 1910.1200 standard by reference, so the same six elements apply on the jobsite. Estimate your exposure with the OSHA Fine Calculator.

Note: This is general guidance, not legal advice. OSHA-approved State Plans may have their own HazCom requirements that are at least as effective as the federal standard; verify your state's rules.

What to do next

1. Make this checklist a receiving step. Inspect incoming shipped labels against the six elements before product hits the shelf — catching a missing element at receiving is far cheaper than at an inspection.
2. Match labels to SDS Section 2, not artwork alone. Confirm the pictograms and hazard statements track the classification.
3. Generate compliant labels with all six elements and proper red-framed pictograms using the GHS Label Generator.
4. Fix workplace/secondary containers, the most commonly cited labeling gap, and train your crew on the symbols with a quick Toolbox Talk.
5. Track the HCS 2024 deadlines — the employer compliance date for substances is November 20, 2026 (29 CFR 1910.1200(j)). Background: Complete OSHA HazCom 2026 Guide and the Hazard Communication Standard 1910.1200 overview.

Generate compliant shipped labels instantly

Build labels with all six required elements and proper red-framed pictograms using the GHS Label Generator. Related reading: GHS Labels hub · Shipped vs Workplace Labels · GHS Label Requirements: Complete Guide · 8 OSHA Pictograms vs 9 GHS Pictograms.

Sources & verification: 29 CFR 1910.1200(f) (labels) Appendix C (pictogram format), and the small container labelling paragraph (f)(12) added by the HCS 2024 final rule (89 FR 44144); construction adoption via 29 CFR 1926.59; HCS 2024 employer deadline for substances per 29 CFR 1910.1200(j); penalty maximums per 29 CFR 1903.15(d) (2026). Facts verified against the HazComFast regulatory source of truth (ghsClassification, hcsDeadlines, oshaPenalties), last verified 2026-06-26. Not legal advice.