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Original data study29 CFR 1910.1200GHS hazard statementsCSV
The U.S. has no official GHS list. The EU and Japan do, for 6,111 chemicals between them.
No U.S. agency publishes official GHS classifications. Under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, the manufacturer or importer classifies each chemical, and employers may rely on that classification (29 CFR 1910.1200(d)(1)). Two governments do publish one: the European Union's harmonised list, Annex VI to the CLP Regulation, with 4,420 entries, and the Japanese Government's classifications of 3,475 substances. HazComFast read both, 6,111 chemicals by CAS number, and matched them to EPA's TSCA Inventory: 3,493 of the 36,522 chemicals with an active status and a public CAS number are on at least one of the two lists.
Official files read October 13, 2026 · by HazComFast · method, data and limits below
Key findings
1Of the 36,522 chemicals with an active status and a public CAS number on EPA's TSCA Inventory, 3,493 (9.6%) are on the EU's harmonised list, Japan's government list, or both.
2In U.S. commerce, 701 active chemicals are Category 1 carcinogens on at least one of the two lists: 557 on the EU's, 296 on Japan's.
3Japan's government could not classify carcinogenicity for 65% of the 3,475 substances it reviewed, for lack of data. The share is 61% for reproductive toxicity and 91% for respiratory sensitization.
4The two most frequent statements on Japan's list are about organ damage: H372 on 31.5% of the substances and H370 on 27.7%.
5On the EU's list, 24.6% of the substances carry H350, "May cause cancer", and 25.4% carry H317, "May cause an allergic skin reaction". That is how the list is built: harmonisation is the rule for carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxicants, respiratory sensitizers and the active substances of pesticides and biocides.
6Where the EU harmonised a carcinogen category and Japan reviewed the same substance, Japan gives the same category in 60% of 381 cases, a more severe one in 16% and a less severe one in 7%. In 14% it could not classify for lack of data, and in 3% it concluded that the substance does not meet the carcinogen criteria.
7On Japan's list, 85 substances are Category 1 reproductive toxicants while their EU entry harmonises no reproductive toxicity. Ethanol is one. Japan's FY2013 review gives it Category 1A for both carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity, on evidence from drinking alcohol. The EU entry harmonises Flam. Liq. 2 only.
8On the EU list, 200 entries print the skull and crossbones without the exclamation mark. A U.S. label keeps the exclamation mark for them, because under OSHA's wording it also stands for skin or eye irritation, skin sensitization, respiratory irritation or drowsiness.
9The environment pictogram appears on 40% of the EU's entries. OSHA marks it non-mandatory: its standard has no environmental hazard classes.
10Read with OSHA's label rules, Japan's classifications of chemicals active in U.S. commerce put the health hazard pictogram on 66% of labels and the exclamation mark on 60%, and 68% would carry the signal word "Danger."
Every figure on this page is a count or a ratio of counts from three official sources. Nothing is modeled, and no figure describes how often a chemical is used or how many workers handle it.
Labeling a secondary container this week? Start from the hazard statements in Section 2 of the supplier's sheet, then print the label in the free GHS label generator.
"Chemical manufacturers and importers shall evaluate chemicals produced in their workplaces or imported by them to classify the chemicals in accordance with this section. Employers are not required to classify chemicals unless they choose not to rely on the classification performed by the chemical manufacturer or importer." 29 CFR 1910.1200(d)(1)
That is the U.S. system: no government list, a classification per supplier. The EU and Japan publish official classifications, and they build them differently.
European Union
Annex VI, Part 3, Table 3 of the CLP Regulation, consolidated text of 1 July 2026: 4,420 entries, 4,186 CAS numbers. 581 entries cover a group, such as a family of compounds, with no single CAS number.
Under Article 36, a substance that meets the criteria for respiratory sensitization, germ cell mutagenicity, carcinogenicity or reproductive toxicity "shall normally be subject to harmonised classification and labelling", and the article now names endocrine disruption and the persistence classes (PBT, vPvB, PMT, vPvM) too. Active substances of pesticides and biocides "shall be subject" to it. Other hazards are added case by case. In the 1 July 2026 text, no entry carries one of the new classes yet. An entry lists the classes the EU harmonised and leaves the others to the supplier.
1,591 entries, 36% of the list, carry the single asterisk of a minimum classification, translated from the old EU directive. For 1,508 of them it sits on an acute toxicity category. Annex VI, 1.2.1, says such a classification "shall be considered as a minimum classification", and that when the supplier's data lead to a more severe category, "Classification in the more severe category must then be applied." A U.S. sheet that copies an asterisked category copies a floor, which is one reason to check its acute toxicity class against the numbers it prints.
GHS classification results by the Japanese Government, published by NITE: 5,595 classifications of 3,475 substances since FY2006, 1,590 of them reclassified at least once.
Japan gives a result for every hazard class, physical, health and environmental, and says so when it could not classify for lack of data. In NITE's legend, a "-" "denotes that a classification for the hazard class was not conducted in the year", so each class here keeps its most recent result.
United States
EPA's TSCA Inventory, July 2026 update: 36,522 chemicals with an active commercial status and a public CAS number. Another 6,176 active chemicals keep their identity confidential and cannot be matched.
TSCA covers industrial chemicals. Pesticides, drugs, food additives and cosmetics fall under other laws and are outside this count. 2,125 active chemicals are on the EU list, 2,538 on Japan's and 1,170 on both.
The hazard statement index
A substance counts for a statement when its official classification carries it. Japan's list gives a full profile, so its shares say how often a hazard was found. The EU list gives the harmonised classes only, so its shares say how often the EU harmonised a hazard. The twelve most frequent statements on Japan's list:
Hazard statements on the Japanese Government's GHS classifications, 3,475 substances, latest result per hazard class. HazComFast count of NITE's July 2026 file.
Category
substances
H372 Causes damage to organs thro…
1,096
H370 Causes damage to organs
961
H302 Harmful if swallowed
865
H400 Very toxic to aquatic life
792
H410 Very toxic to aquatic life w…
775
H373 May cause damage to organs t…
714
H335 May cause respiratory irrita…
632
H319 Causes serious eye irritation
614
H317 May cause an allergic skin r…
610
H318 Causes serious eye damage
603
H315 Causes skin irritation
540
H361 Suspected of damaging fertil…
521
Hazard statements on the Japanese Government's GHS classifications, 3,475 substances, latest result per hazard class. HazComFast count of NITE's July 2026 file.
Every hazard statement found on the EU and Japan lists, with its share of substances and OSHA status
Code
Statement
In OSHA's HCS
EU list
Japan's list
Active in U.S. (Japan's list)
H200
Unstable explosiveExplosives
Adopted
0.3%
0.4%
0.4%
H201
Explosive; mass explosion hazardExplosives
Adopted
0.8%
0.7%
0.7%
H203
Explosive; fire, blast or projection hazardExplosives
Adopted
0.1%
0.2%
0.0%
H220
Extremely flammable gasFlammable gases
Adopted
4.4%
1.8%
2.3%
H221
Flammable gasFlammable gases
Adopted
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
H224
Extremely flammable liquid and vaporFlammable liquids
Adopted
0.4%
0.6%
0.7%
H225
Highly flammable liquid and vaporFlammable liquids
Adopted
4.2%
6.4%
8.4%
H226
Flammable liquid and vaporFlammable liquids
Adopted
3.5%
7.7%
9.6%
H227
Combustible liquidFlammable liquids
Adopted
0.0%
7.4%
9.2%
H228
Flammable solidFlammable solids
Adopted
0.5%
0.9%
0.9%
H231
May react explosively even in the absence of air at elevated pressure and/or temperatureFlammable gases
Adopted
0.0%
0.1%
0.1%
H240
Heating may cause an explosionSelf-reactive substances and organic peroxides
Adopted
0.1%
0.0%
0.0%
H241
Heating may cause a fire or explosionSelf-reactive substances and organic peroxides
Adopted
0.1%
0.3%
0.4%
H242
Heating may cause a fireSelf-reactive substances and organic peroxides
Adopted
0.7%
0.5%
0.6%
H250
Catches fire spontaneously if exposed to airPyrophoric liquids and solids
Adopted
0.3%
0.3%
0.4%
H251
Self-heating: may catch fireSelf-heating substances and mixtures
Adopted
0.1%
0.3%
0.5%
H252
Self-heating in large quantities; may catch fireSelf-heating substances and mixtures
Adopted
0.0%
0.1%
0.0%
H260
In contact with water releases flammable gases which may ignite spontaneouslySubstances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases
Adopted
0.5%
0.5%
0.6%
H261
In contact with water releases flammable gasesSubstances which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases
Adopted
0.0%
0.2%
0.2%
H270
May cause or intensify fire; oxidizerOxidizing gases
Adopted
0.2%
0.3%
0.4%
H271
May cause fire or explosion; strong oxidizerOxidizing liquids and solids
Adopted
0.4%
0.2%
0.2%
H272
May intensify fire; oxidizerOxidizing liquids and solids
Adopted
0.5%
1.6%
2.0%
H280
Contains gas under pressure; may explode if heatedGases under pressure
Adopted
0.0%
3.2%
4.2%
H281
Contains refrigerated gas; may cause cryogenic burns or injuryGases under pressure
Adopted
0.0%
0.1%
0.2%
H290
May be corrosive to metalsCorrosive to metals
Adopted
0.1%
0.4%
0.6%
H300
Fatal if swallowedAcute toxicity, oral
Adopted
3.7%
5.2%
3.5%
H301
Toxic if swallowedAcute toxicity, oral
Adopted
8.7%
12.3%
11.3%
H302
Harmful if swallowedAcute toxicity, oral
Adopted
23.9%
24.9%
26.5%
H303
May be harmful if swallowedAcute toxicity, oral
Not adopted
0.0%
1.2%
1.1%
H304
May be fatal if swallowed and enters airwaysAspiration hazard
Adopted
5.6%
2.1%
2.5%
H305
May be harmful if swallowed and enters airwaysAspiration hazard
Not adopted
0.0%
0.1%
0.1%
H310
Fatal in contact with skinAcute toxicity, dermal
Adopted
2.0%
3.9%
3.1%
H311
Toxic in contact with skinAcute toxicity, dermal
Adopted
5.4%
6.9%
7.1%
H312
Harmful in contact with skinAcute toxicity, dermal
Adopted
6.3%
3.6%
4.2%
H313
May be harmful in contact with skinAcute toxicity, dermal
Not adopted
0.0%
0.8%
0.4%
H314
Causes severe skin burns and eye damageSkin corrosion/irritation
May be harmful if inhaledAcute toxicity, inhalation
Not adopted
0.0%
0.3%
0.2%
H334
May cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaledRespiratory sensitization
Adopted
4.5%
3.7%
4.1%
H335
May cause respiratory irritationSpecific target organ toxicity, single exposure
Adopted
5.9%
18.2%
20.8%
H336
May cause drowsiness or dizzinessSpecific target organ toxicity, single exposure
Adopted
2.0%
13.9%
16.9%
H340
May cause genetic defectsGerm cell mutagenicity
Adopted
10.3%
2.2%
2.2%
H341
Suspected of causing genetic defectsGerm cell mutagenicity
Adopted
5.0%
8.7%
8.7%
H350
May cause cancerCarcinogenicity
Adopted
24.6%
12.2%
11.7%
H351
Suspected of causing cancerCarcinogenicity
Adopted
5.4%
9.8%
8.2%
H360
May damage fertility or the unborn childReproductive toxicity
Adopted
7.0%
12.5%
12.6%
H361
Suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn childReproductive toxicity
Adopted
3.9%
15.0%
13.1%
H362
May cause harm to breast-fed childrenReproductive toxicity
Adopted
0.8%
2.9%
2.6%
H370
Causes damage to organsSpecific target organ toxicity, single exposure
Adopted
0.5%
27.7%
26.9%
H371
May cause damage to organsSpecific target organ toxicity, single exposure
Adopted
0.1%
12.6%
12.8%
H372
Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposureSpecific target organ toxicity, repeated exposure
Adopted
7.0%
31.5%
30.4%
H373
May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposureSpecific target organ toxicity, repeated exposure
Adopted
8.4%
20.5%
19.8%
H400
Very toxic to aquatic lifeHazardous to the aquatic environment, acute
Not adopted
29.0%
22.8%
19.1%
H401
Toxic to aquatic lifeHazardous to the aquatic environment, acute
Not adopted
0.0%
11.4%
13.4%
H402
Harmful to aquatic lifeHazardous to the aquatic environment, acute
Not adopted
0.0%
9.9%
12.6%
H410
Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effectsHazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term
Not adopted
26.6%
22.3%
18.2%
H411
Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effectsHazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term
Not adopted
11.5%
9.3%
10.7%
H412
Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effectsHazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term
Not adopted
8.3%
6.7%
8.4%
H413
May cause long lasting harmful effects to aquatic lifeHazardous to the aquatic environment, long-term
Not adopted
4.2%
0.9%
1.1%
H420
Harms public health and the environment by destroying ozone in the upper atmosphereHazardous to the ozone layer
Not adopted
0.1%
0.5%
0.7%
Shares of substances: 4,186 on the EU list, 3,475 on Japan's, 2,538 on Japan's list and active in U.S. commerce. Statement wording from CLP Annex III in U.S. spelling, which is the wording of OSHA's Appendix C for the categories it adopts, except H200 and H202, taken from Appendix C directly ("Unstable explosive", "Explosive; severe projection hazard"). OSHA's Appendix C page on osha.gov prints H203 without its last word, "hazard". The UN GHS and the EU keep it, and so does this table. Codes the EU did not adopt take the UN GHS wording.
Skin corrosion/irritation. On a U.S. label: exclamation mark, signal word "Warning".
H319
Causes serious eye irritation
Japan's list17.7%
EU list9.9%
Active in U.S., Japan's list19.9%
Active in U.S., EU list13.2%
Serious eye damage/eye irritation. On a U.S. label: exclamation mark, signal word "Warning".
H317
May cause an allergic skin reaction
Japan's list17.6%
EU list25.4%
Active in U.S., Japan's list18.6%
Active in U.S., EU list21.9%
Skin sensitization. On a U.S. label: exclamation mark, signal word "Warning".
H334
May cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled
Japan's list3.7%
EU list4.5%
Active in U.S., Japan's list4.1%
Active in U.S., EU list5.1%
Respiratory sensitization. On a U.S. label: health hazard, signal word "Danger".
H350
May cause cancer
Japan's list12.2%
EU list24.6%
Active in U.S., Japan's list11.7%
Active in U.S., EU list26.2%
Carcinogenicity. On a U.S. label: health hazard, signal word "Danger".
Where the data runs out
Japan's reviewers answer every hazard class, and "classification not possible" is one of the answers. It means the evidence was not enough to decide. It is not a finding that the chemical is safe. For carcinogenicity the answer was "not possible" for 65% of the substances, for germ cell mutagenicity 63%, for skin sensitization 65%.
Share of the 3,475 substances on Japan's list whose health hazard class reads "classification not possible", latest result per class.
Category
% of substances
Respiratory sensitization
91
Aspiration hazard
90
Carcinogenicity
65
Skin sensitization
65
Germ cell mutagenicity
63
Reproductive toxicity
61
Acute toxicity, dermal
51
Organ toxicity, repeated exposure
50
Organ toxicity, single exposure
42
Skin corrosion or irritation
42
Eye damage or irritation
39
Acute toxicity, oral
25
Share of the 3,475 substances on Japan's list whose health hazard class reads "classification not possible", latest result per class.
"If no relevant information is found for any sub-heading within a section on the safety data sheet, the chemical manufacturer, importer or employer preparing the safety data sheet shall mark it to indicate that no applicable information was found." 29 CFR 1910.1200(g)(3)
That is the "no data available" line in Section 11. The official lists show how common it is for chemicals that governments chose to review, so read it as a gap in the evidence and plan exposures as if the hazard could be there.
Two governments, one chemical
The two lists share 1,515 substances. The comparison below only uses the classes the EU harmonised, because a class missing from an EU entry was never decided at EU level.
EU harmonised category against Japan's result for the same substance
Hazard class
EU harmonised, on both lists
Same category
Japan more severe
Japan less severe
Japan: not possible
Japan: not classified
Japan: “*”
Japan Category 1, EU not harmonised
Carcinogenicity
381
228
62
28
52
10
1
34
Germ cell mutagenicity
148
99
4
4
25
13
3
12
Reproductive toxicity
247
190
24
8
18
7
0
85
Category order, most severe first: 1A, 1B, 2. "Same category" includes a Japanese Category 1 given without subcategory where the EU has 1A or 1B. In NITE's legend, "*" means that "Not classified (or No applicable)" and/or "Classification not possible" applies.
Twenty-two chemicals read by hand
Before any count was run, these rows were read one by one in the official files. The script had to reproduce them exactly.
Carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity on the EU and Japan lists for 22 common chemicals
Each list was built from the evidence its reviewers had when they decided, and Japan's entries are dated. A gap between the two is a reason to read the supplier's SDS closely. It does not tell you which list is right.
Six of the twenty-two have an OSHA standard of their own
For formaldehyde, benzene, methylene chloride, crystalline silica, lead and asbestos, a substance standard names the hazards that must be addressed at least, whatever the EU or Japan decided. The formaldehyde text reads: "In classifying the hazards of formaldehyde at least the following hazards are to be addressed". The supplier's classification and the employer's HazCom program both answer to that list, and each standard adds its own rules on top, from exposure limits to training.
Substance standards of OSHA for six of the 22 chemicals, and the hazards each one says must be addressed
Chemical
General industry
Construction
Hazards to address at least, as the standard words them
Quoted from the eCFR, title 29, current as of October 9, 2026. For benzene, formaldehyde and methylene chloride, the construction section says its requirements are identical to the general industry standard. Lead names no cancer hazard in its list, and the asbestos list stops at cancer and lung effects: the list is a floor, and the supplier still classifies every hazard Appendix A covers.
Ethanol, read closely
Japan's reviewers give Category 1A for both carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity, and their rationale says why. For cancer they cite IARC's evidence on alcoholic beverages. For reproduction they cite fetal alcohol syndrome, then add: "There have been no reports of fetal alcohol syndrome by industrial exposure by the oral, dermal, or inhalation routes." The EU entry for ethanol harmonises Flam. Liq. 2 only. A U.S. manufacturer classifying ethanol under Appendix A weighs the same evidence and reaches its own answer.
Matched by CAS number, 3,493 of the 36,522 active TSCA chemicals with a public identity have an official classification from the EU or Japan. Among them:
701
Category 1 carcinogens (H350) on at least one list: 557 EU, 296 Japan
955
Category 1 carcinogens, mutagens or reproductive toxicants on at least one list
163
respiratory sensitizers (H334) on at least one list
Most frequent statements for the 2,538 active chemicals on Japan's list: H372 (30.4%), H370 (26.9%), H302 (26.5%), H335 (20.8%), H318 (20.7%), H319 (19.9%). The other 33,029 active chemicals are on neither list. For them, the supplier's SDS is where a U.S. employer finds a classification.
What changes on a U.S. label
OSHA's standard adopts the GHS physical and health classes with a few cuts. Acute toxicity stops at Category 4: substances "can be allocated to one of four hazard categories" (Appendix A.1.2.1). There is no aspiration hazard Category 2, no skin irritation Category 3 and no environmental class. On Japan's list, 48% of the substances carry at least one statement OSHA does not adopt, most often H400, H410, H401.
The exclamation mark next to the skull
"If the skull and crossbones pictogram is included, the exclamation mark pictogram shall not appear where it is used for acute toxicity"
OSHA, Appendix C.2.1.2
"if the skull and crossbones applies, the exclamation mark should not appear"
UN GHS Rev. 10, 1.4.10.5.3.1(a)
"if the hazard pictogram ‘GHS06’ applies, the hazard pictogram ‘GHS07’ shall not appear"
EU CLP, Article 26(1)(b)
OSHA's wording is narrower. The UN and the EU drop the exclamation mark whenever the skull appears. OSHA drops it only where it stands for acute toxicity, so it stays for skin or eye irritation, skin sensitization, respiratory irritation or drowsiness. 200 EU entries are in that case, among them formaldehyde, TDI and chlorine. A label copied from a European product would be missing a pictogram that OSHA's rule keeps.
Pictograms a U.S. label would carry under OSHA's Appendix C, from Japan's classifications of the 2,538 chemicals active in U.S. commerce.
Category
% of labels
Health hazard
65.8
Exclamation mark
59.5
Skull and crossbones
25.9
Flame
23.6
Corrosion
21.7
Gas cylinder
4.4
Flame over circle
2.6
Exploding bomb
1.5
Pictograms a U.S. label would carry under OSHA's Appendix C, from Japan's classifications of the 2,538 chemicals active in U.S. commerce.
On those labels, 68% would carry "Danger". OSHA's precedence rules take the exclamation mark off 156 of them, where the corrosion pictogram, the skull and crossbones for acute toxicity, or the health hazard pictogram for a respiratory sensitizer already covers it. 762 would print the environment pictogram only if the supplier chooses to.
The official lists are a reference point. Your sheets are what OSHA asks for, so the work happens in the library you keep on site.
Compare Section 2 with the official lists
When a product's main ingredient sits on the EU or Japan list, read the supplier's Section 2 against it. A missing carcinogen or sensitizer statement is a question for the supplier. Under 29 CFR 1910.1200(d)(1) the supplier's classification is the one you rely on, so ask before you change anything.
In HazComFast, AI reads your SDS PDFs and fills in hazards, first aid and PPE, and the subcontractor portal collects the subs' documents for review.
When Section 11 says no data was found for carcinogenicity or sensitization, the hazard is unknown, not ruled out. Paragraph (g)(3) only requires the preparer to say so. Keep exposures low, the lid on the pail between pours, and the sheet under watch for a revision.
In HazComFast, SDS revision dates are watched, and the chemical inventory keeps the (e)(1)(i) list by jobsite.
Next to the skull and crossbones, drop the exclamation mark only where it stands for acute toxicity (Appendix C.2.1.2). The environment pictogram is optional on a U.S. label.
In HazComFast, GHS workplace labels print on Avery and Zebra stock, ready for the secondary container.
Paragraph (h)(3)(iv) requires training on the labels and the SDS. A worker who reads "May cause an allergic skin reaction" on a pail of adhesive, and was trained on what it means, has a reason to keep the gloves on.
In HazComFast, the training center handles assignments, quizzes, certificates and expiration alerts, and SDS read proof shows who read which sheet, when, and in which language.
Files: the consolidated CLP Regulation of 1 July 2026 from the EU Publications Office, NITE's list of all GHS classification results by the Japanese Government (July 2026 file) and EPA's non-confidential TSCA Inventory (July 2026 update), all read October 13, 2026. NITE's errata for FY2025, dated September 2026, has one correction, and the file already carries it. The SHA-256 fingerprint of each file is in the analysis output.
EU: each entry of Annex VI, Table 3, with the hazard statement codes of its classification column. A CAS number named in several entries gets the codes of all of them, as lead powder and lead massive do. 1,591 entries carry the single asterisk of a minimum classification (Annex VI, 1.2.1) and count as printed. The double and triple asterisks of 1.2.2 and 1.2.3 mean something else and are not counted as minimum classifications.
Japan: for each substance, every hazard class keeps its most recent result, skipping the years marked "-". Where Japan gives several results for one class, for different forms of the substance such as a gas and its solution, the most severe is kept. So is the category in a result that reads "Category 1 or Not classified". A note in brackets after "Classification not possible" or "Not classified", such as "(Category 1 or Category 2)", is not a result and is not counted. The three inhalation columns give one inhalation statement, the most severe.
U.S.: a chemical is in U.S. commerce when EPA's inventory lists its CAS number with the status ACTIVE. Matching is by CAS number only. A generic CAS number and the CAS numbers of its specific forms do not match: the EU lists asbestos under the CAS number of each fiber.
U.S. labels: pictograms and signal words follow Appendix C to 29 CFR 1910.1200, with its precedence rules in C.2.1, applied to the official classification. They show what OSHA's rules give for that classification, not what any product label says.
Before the counts ran, 22 common chemicals were read by hand in the three files, and the script had to reproduce every reading. That step caught benzene's carcinogen category, printed in the EU text as "Carc. 1" with a small raised "a", and a statement whose pictogram depends on its category (H221). A second pass over every Japanese cell caught the bracketed notes described above.
Limits
Both lists are made of chemicals governments chose to review. The EU picks priority hazards, Japan picks chemicals of concern for its laws. Neither is a sample of the chemicals in a workplace, and a share here is not a measure of use or exposure.
An official classification is not a U.S. classification. OSHA's criteria in Appendices A and B decide, and the supplier who classifies under them may reach a different result.
The companies' own entries in ECHA's C&L Inventory cover far more substances. They are suppliers' self-classifications, not official ones, so this study leaves them out.
Japan's list belongs to NITE. The page and the downloads publish counts drawn from it, not the list. The EU text has a few typing errors in its pictogram codes, such as "GSH08". They were corrected and counted.
HazComFast. (2026). GHS Hazard Statement Index: official classifications of the EU and Japan, matched to EPA's TSCA Inventory. https://hazcomfast.com/osha-data-research/ghs-hazard-statement-index. Files read October 13, 2026.
For the parsed EU list, credit the source as well: Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, Annex VI, consolidated text of 1 July 2026, EUR-Lex.
FAQ
What is the most common GHS hazard statement?
It depends on the list. Japan's government classifies every hazard class, and on its list the most frequent statement is H372, "Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure", on 31.5% of 3,475 substances. On the EU's harmonised list, the most frequent health statement is H317, "May cause an allergic skin reaction", on 25.4% of 4,186 substances. Counts are HazComFast's, from files read October 13, 2026.
What do H315 and H319 mean, and how common are they?
H315 is "Causes skin irritation" and H319 is "Causes serious eye irritation". On Japan's list they apply to 15.5% and 17.7% of the substances. Among the chemicals active in U.S. commerce that Japan classified, the shares are 18.4% and 19.9%. Both take the exclamation mark and the signal word "Warning" under OSHA's standard.
Does OSHA use H-codes?
OSHA's standard sets the hazard statement for each class and category in Appendix C to 29 CFR 1910.1200 and does not assign codes. The H-codes come from the UN's GHS. Many safety data sheets print them next to the statements, which is why they are a convenient way to search and count.
Is there an official U.S. list of GHS classifications?
No. Under 29 CFR 1910.1200(d)(1), chemical manufacturers and importers classify the chemicals they make or import, and employers may rely on that classification. The EU's harmonised list and Japan's government list are the two official lists this study reads. Together they cover 3,493 of the 36,522 chemicals with an active status and a public CAS number on EPA's TSCA Inventory.
Does OSHA require the environment pictogram?
No. OSHA's pictogram QuickCard marks the environment pictogram "non-mandatory", and the standard has no environmental hazard classes. 40% of the EU's harmonised entries print it, so a product labeled for Europe may carry it.
Why do the EU and Japan classify the same chemical differently?
They classify for different purposes and at different times. The EU makes harmonisation the rule for carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxicants, respiratory sensitizers and the active substances of pesticides and biocides, and leaves most other hazards to suppliers. Japan gives a result for every hazard class, and a substance's newest review can be as old as FY2006 or as recent as FY2025. On the 381 shared substances where the EU harmonised carcinogenicity, Japan gives the same category 60% of the time.
Can a U.S. supplier copy the EU or Japanese classification onto an SDS?
The supplier still classifies under OSHA's criteria, in Appendices A and B to 29 CFR 1910.1200. An official classification from another government is strong evidence, but some of its categories have no OSHA equivalent, such as acute toxicity Category 5 or the aquatic classes. NITE's own note says users "can cite or copy" Japan's results when preparing a label or SDS, and that the responsibility for that label or SDS "lies with users". In the U.S., it stays with the manufacturer or importer.
Can I use this data?
Yes. The tables are free to download and reuse with a link to this page. The parsed EU list is offered as well, under the EU's CC BY 4.0 license. Japan's list belongs to NITE, so the downloads carry counts drawn from it, not the list itself.
General information, not legal advice. Under OSHA's standard, the classification on a U.S. safety data sheet is the responsibility of the U.S. manufacturer or importer.
Get the Binder in Order Before the Inspector Arrives. Are You Ready?
OSHA inspections come unannounced, apart from the few exceptions listed in 29 CFR 1903.6. Get the binder in order before the opening conference, not during it.