Overview of COSHH and Safety Symbols

Safety Data Sheets

Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are required by the UK REACH Regulation, and are an integral part of your business’s Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) assessments. The SDS itself is not a COSHH assessment, but it does provide important information regarding any hazards associated with a particular product. This allows employers to assess workplace hazards, and create an appropriate COSHH assessment to ensure materials are used without risk of harm to users or the environment.

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH)

COSHH is a set of regulations that ensure the health of people using certain substances are protected from any negative health effects that could arise from working with the substance. It is a legal requirement for an employer to control exposure to such materials, and for both employers and employees to adhere to the controls, such as PPE and working practices, in place.

Many materials you encounter in day to day life can potentially damage health if used incorrectly, for example washing up liquid, or laundry detergents, can be very damaging to eyes and have serious effects if ingested. However, people use these products regularly, without issues, despite the potential dangers. With the correct procedures, and understanding, any material can be handled and used safely with the appropriate working practices.

The Safety Data Sheet allows employers to make an informed decision about how a material could affect users and the environment. Combined with knowledge of the task being performed, and the environment in which it is being carried out, this allows the assessor to create a COSHH risk assessment (and associated procedures) for the safe use of the material in question.

Dilution of Products

An SDS is for the material as supplied and is not directly applicable to the diluted product, which will generally be of a lower hazard classification. For example, washing up liquid is usually classed as an irritant in its neat form, and gloves would be recommended to avoid skin irritation. But when diluted for washing up purposes it would not be classed as an irritant, and whether to wear gloves would be a choice for the end user, rather than a requirement.

There is no simple rule regarding hazards and dilutions, please feel free to contact us for advice and we will be happy to help.

Further Resources

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety, has a number of useful documents providing the basic information needed to adhere to COSHH and related regulations. In addition to being a legal requirement for a business, a good understanding of the health and safety requirements around COSHH will result in a safe and healthy workplace for staff, customers, visitors, and any other parties you work with.

If you need any assistance, or can’t find the SDS you require, please message us at info@skychemicals.co.uk and we will be happy to help.

Guide to Safety Symbols

The warning symbols used on products conform to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) standard. GHS is an internationally agreed system allowing for the same symbols to be used around the world, avoiding confusion generated by different labelling systems.

The following is a list of the hazard symbols you may find on safety data sheets, and a brief overview of the hazard.

Included for completeness, none of our products are classified as explosives.

The explosion pictogram appears on the chemical labels of substances that are:

  • Explosives - which is a solid or liquid chemical capable of a chemical reaction that causes damage to the surroundings,

  • Self-Reactive - heating may cause fire or explosion without the need for air, or

  • Organic peroxides - again, heating may cause fire or explosion.

e.g. azides, trinitrotoluene, nitroglycerine, azidoazide azide

GHS01:
Explosive

GHS02:
Flammable

Flammable Hazard GHS Pictogram

Flammable: Flame Symbol

Appears on chemical labels for substances that are:

  • Flammables - gases, aerosols, and combustible liquids or solids that will burn or ignite under certain conditions

  • Self-Reactives - heating alone, without air, may cause fire or explosion

  • Pyrophoric substances - in small amounts, may ignite within 5 minutes after contact with air

  • Self-Heating - may catch fire when exposed to air

  • Water reactive substances that release flammable gas when wet

  • Some organic peroxides - which, when above a critical temperature, may cause fire or explosion; may be sensitive to impact or friction; and may react dangerously with other chemicals

e.g. Organic solvents and vapours (such as acetone, methanol, ethanol, propanol, etc.)

GHS03:
Oxidising

Oxidising Agent GHS Pictogram

Oxidising: Flame over Big Letter ‘O’ Symbol

This symbol on a chemical label means that the substance is an oxidiser. Oxidisers may cause a fire by increasing the concentration of oxygen in the air.

e.g. sulphur dioxide, chlorine, potassium permanganate, nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide

GHS04:
Compressed Gas

Compressed Gas GHS Pictogram

Compressed Gas: Gas cylinder symbol

This pictogram on a chemical label means that the substance is a compressed, liquefied, or dissolved gas under pressure at 29 pounds per square inch or more.

e.g. compressed gases (such as nitrogen and air cylinders), liquified cryogenic gases (such as liquid argon), and dissolved gases under pressure (such as acetylene).

In addition to any other hazards, compressed gases will usually present an asphyxiation risk in confined spaces if the gas leaks.

GHS05:
Corrosive

Corrosive GHS Pictogram

Corrosive: Liquid eating into surface and hand symbols

This pictogram on a chemical label means that the substance is corrosive to some materials.

  • causes serious damage to skin and / or eyes

  • corrosive to some metals

e.g. strong acids (such as sulphuric acid), strong bases (such as sodium hydroxide)

Corrosive substances includes both acids and bases. Care should be taken to NEVER mix acids and bases as they can generate a lot of heat and possible side reactions, making mixing of acids and bases potentially very dangerous.

GHS06:
Toxic

Toxic GHS Pictogram

Toxic: Skull and crossbones symbol

Substances with a hazard of acute toxicity will have this symbol on their chemical label. Acute toxicity means that exposure to a single dose of the chemical may be toxic or fatal if inhaled or swallowed, or if it comes into contact with the skin.

GHS07:
Harmful

Harmful GHS Pictogram

Harmful: Exclamation mark symbol

It is used on a chemical label for substances that represent the following hazards:

  • Irritant - irritates the skin or eyes;

  • Skin sensitiser - an allergic response following skin contact;

  • Narcotic effects like drowsiness, lack of coordination, and dizziness

  • Respiratory tract irritation.

GHS08:
Health Hazard

Serious Health Hazard GHS Pictogram

Health Hazard: Upper body image showing ‘Systemic Effects’
Specific Target Organ Toxicity / Chronic Health Hazards

This pictogram is put on a chemical label when a substance presents these health hazards:

  • Carcinogen - may cause cancer

  • Respiratory sensitizer - may cause respiratory irritation

  • Reproductive toxicity - may damage fertility or the unborn child

  • Target organ toxicity - may cause damage to bodily organs by single or repeated exposure

  • Mutagenicity - may cause genetic defects

  • Aspiration hazard - may be fatal if swallowed and enters the airways

GHS09:
Environmental Hazard

Environmentally Hazardous GHS Pictogram

Environmental Hazard: Dead tree and fish symbol

Toxic / Harmful to the environment, in particular to aquatic environments and organisms.

e.g. Sodium hypochlorite (bleach)