GHS / HazCom term · Glossary
Self-Classification
Verified vs OSHA sources · 2026-10-05
The approach OSHA's HazCom standard takes to hazard classification: each chemical manufacturer or importer must evaluate the available scientific evidence and classify its own chemicals against the GHS criteria — rather than relying on a government-published list of classifications. Two companies must reach the same result for the same data, but each does its own classifying.
Also known as: self-classify, performance-oriented classification
Self-Classification at a glance
- The classification duty falls on the manufacturer/importer — not on a government list.
- OSHA's system is performance-oriented: apply the GHS criteria to the available data.
- Different companies should reach the same classification from the same evidence.
- Distinguishes the US/GHS approach from lists like the EU's harmonized classifications.
In plain English
In the US, the government doesn't hand out an official hazard rating for each chemical — the company that makes or imports it has to figure out the hazards itself, using the GHS rulebook. Everyone applying the same rules to the same data should land on the same answer.
What the rule says
“Chemical manufacturers and importers shall evaluate chemicals produced in their workplaces or imported by them to classify the chemicals in accordance with this section.”
In context
A classification or labeling concept from the UN Globally Harmonized System, adopted into US law through OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) and its appendices.
Where this is written in OSHA's rules
- 29 CFR 1910.1200(d)Read on eCFR / OSHA.gov
- 29 CFR 1910.1200(d)(1)Read on eCFR / OSHA.gov
Example
A company blends a new degreasing mixture. Rather than looking it up on a government list, it evaluates each ingredient's data against the GHS criteria — flash point, toxicity, irritation — and self-classifies the mixture, then builds its label and SDS from that classification.
Why it matters
Because classification is self-performed, the accuracy of every label and SDS rests on the manufacturer getting it right — there's no official list to fall back on. A bad self-classification propagates the wrong hazards to every downstream user and is the root of many HazCom citations under 1910.1200(d).
Self-classification vs. a harmonized list
The US (and GHS generally) uses self-classification: companies apply the criteria themselves. Some jurisdictions also publish mandatory “harmonized” classifications for certain substances (e.g., the EU's CLP list). Under OSHA, there's no such mandatory US list — the manufacturer classifies.
Self-classification vs. adopting a published classification
| Approach | How the hazard class is decided |
|---|---|
| Self-classification (US / GHS) | Manufacturer/importer evaluates the data against GHS criteria |
| Harmonized list (e.g., EU CLP) | A regulator publishes a mandatory classification for the substance |
Self-Classification: frequently asked questions
- Who classifies a chemical's hazards in the US?
- The chemical manufacturer or importer. Under 29 CFR 1910.1200(d) they must evaluate the available evidence and self-classify the chemical against the GHS criteria; there's no mandatory US government classification list.
- Will two companies classify the same chemical the same way?
- They should. OSHA's system is performance-oriented — applying the same GHS criteria to the same data should produce the same hazard classes and categories, even though each company classifies independently.
- Is self-classification the same everywhere?
- The GHS framework is self-classification-based, but some jurisdictions add mandatory harmonized classifications for specific substances (such as the EU's CLP list). OSHA's HazCom relies on self-classification without such a US list.
Related terms
Free tools for this
Governing OSHA standards
More GHS terms
A GHS health-hazard class for the harmful effects that follow a single dose, several doses within 24 hours, or a 4-hour inhalation exposure. Chemicals are sorted into categories by route (oral, dermal, inhalation) using LD50/LC50 cut-offs — Category 1 is the most toxic. OSHA's HazCom standard uses Categories 1–4.
Aspiration HazardA GHS health-hazard class for chemicals that can be fatal if swallowed and then enter the airways — directly or by vomiting — causing chemical pneumonia or lung injury. Thin, low-viscosity hydrocarbons (gasoline, kerosene, lamp oil) are the classic example. It is Category 1, with the health-hazard pictogram (GHS08) and signal word “Danger.”
CarcinogenicityA GHS health-hazard class for chemicals that cause cancer or increase its incidence. GHS (and OSHA's HazCom standard) sorts carcinogens into Category 1A (known human carcinogen), 1B (presumed, from animal evidence), and Category 2 (suspected). Carcinogens carry the health-hazard pictogram (GHS08) and a hazard statement such as H350 (“May cause cancer”).
Chemicals Under PressureA physical-hazard class added by OSHA's 2024 HCS update (aligning with GHS Revision 7) for liquids or solids pressurized with a gas, held in pressure receptacles other than aerosol dispensers and not classified as gases under pressure. It is categorized by the flammability of its contents and always carries the gas-cylinder pictogram (GHS04) for the pressure hazard.
ClassificationThe process of evaluating the available scientific evidence for a chemical against the GHS criteria to decide whether it is hazardous and, if so, the hazard class and category of each effect. Classification is the first step in HazCom — its result determines every label element (pictogram, signal word, hazard and precautionary statements) and SDS content.
Corrosive to MetalsA GHS physical-hazard class for chemicals that, by chemical action, will materially damage or even destroy metals. It is a single category (Category 1), determined by corrosion-rate testing on steel and aluminum, and uses the corrosion pictogram (GHS05) with the hazard statement H290. It is a separate hazard from skin corrosion, even though both use GHS05.
Desensitized ExplosivesA physical-hazard class added by OSHA's 2024 HCS update (GHS Revision 7) for solid or liquid explosives that have been phlegmatized — wetted or diluted — to suppress their explosive properties for safe transport and storage. It has four categories based on the corrected burning rate, and uses the flame pictogram (GHS02), not the exploding-bomb.
Globally Harmonized System (GHS)An internationally agreed framework created by the United Nations (first adopted in 2003) that standardizes how chemical hazards are classified and communicated — using common hazard classes, pictograms, signal words (Danger / Warning), and coded hazard (H) and precautionary (P) statements on labels and safety data sheets. The US adopted GHS into law through OSHA's 2012 Hazard Communication Standard update.
Sources & verification
- 29 CFR 1910.1200(d) (eCFR / OSHA.gov)
- 29 CFR 1910.1200(d)(1) (eCFR / OSHA.gov)
- OSHA — Hazard Classification Guidance (OSHA 3844)
- 29 CFR 1910.1200 (eCFR)
Reviewed by HazComFast against eCFR, OSHA.gov, NIOSH, and the Federal Register. Last reviewed 2026-10-05. This glossary is general information, not legal advice; OSHA State-Plan states (e.g. California, Michigan) may adopt stricter requirements.
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