In any workplace that handles chemicals, safety is paramount. One of the key elements in ensuring safety is What chemical pictograms are (and why the version matters)
Chemical pictograms are standardised symbols that tell you, at a glance, what kind of hazard a container holds. They’re part of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, usually shortened to GHS. The idea is that a worker in Adelaide sees the same symbol on a drum of solvent as a worker in Auckland, Berlin or Santiago, and makes the same decision.
Australia now uses the 7th revised edition of the GHS, known as GHS 7. Since 1 January 2023, any hazardous chemical newly manufactured or imported into Australia must be classified, labelled and have a safety data sheet prepared under GHS 7. That’s set out in the model WHS Regulations, adopted in South Australia through the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012 (SA).
If you still have stock that was imported or manufactured before 1 January 2023, and it was labelled correctly under the older GHS 3 standard at the time, you don’t need to relabel it. Which is why those mixed shelves are legal. Just make sure you and your workers know what you’re looking at, because some hazard classifications did change between versions.
The 9 GHS pictograms at a glance
Nine pictograms cover the core physical, health and environmental hazard classes. Each one is a black symbol inside a red-bordered diamond on a white background. Here’s what each one means and what it typically appears on in an Australian workplace.
1. Health Hazard. A silhouette of a person with a starburst on the chest. Serious health effects: carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxins, respiratory sensitisers, aspiration hazards. Commonly seen on certain paints, solvents, epoxy resins and some welding consumables.
2. Flame. A flame symbol. Flammable liquids, solids, gases and aerosols. Seen on petrol, most solvents, aerosol cans, some adhesives and many cleaning products.
3. Exclamation Mark. A single exclamation mark. Less severe hazards: skin or eye irritation, acute toxicity (low level), respiratory tract irritation, hazardous to the ozone layer. This one’s everywhere, from household-grade cleaners through to many trade chemicals.
4. Gas Cylinder. A gas cylinder. Gases under pressure. LPG, oxygen, acetylene, carbon dioxide, medical gases.
5. Corrosion. A test tube pouring onto a hand and a metal plate. Corrosive to skin, eyes or metals. Drain cleaners, battery acid, pool chlorine at higher concentrations, some industrial degreasers.
6. Exploding Bomb. An exploding bomb. Explosives and self-reactive or organic peroxides. Less common in general workplaces, but expected in mining, demolition and certain manufacturing settings.
7. Flame Over Circle. A flame above a circle. Oxidisers, which intensify or cause fires even without an ignition source. Pool chlorine, some bleaches, nitrates, some pottery and ceramics chemicals.
8. Environment. A dead tree and a dead fish. Hazardous to the aquatic environment. Common on pesticides, herbicides, some degreasers. Use of this pictogram in Australia is not mandatory but many suppliers include it.
9. Skull and Crossbones. The classic skull and crossbones. Acute toxicity, severe, often fatal if ingested, inhaled or absorbed. Concentrated industrial cleaners, certain pesticides, some laboratory reagents.
If you see a symbol on a container that doesn’t match any of the above, it’s almost certainly legacy labelling. Treat it with caution, check the SDS, and consider whether the older stock should be used up and replaced.
The life cycle of a chemical in your workplace
Understanding a pictogram is step one. Managing the chemical across its life in your workplace is the harder part. A chemical has four phases in your care: procurement, storage, use and disposal. Each phase has its own controls.
Procurement
The decision to bring a chemical on site is also a decision to accept its hazards. Before you buy, look at the safety data sheet the supplier provides, not just the product description. Ask whether a less hazardous substitute exists. Check whether bringing this chemical in triggers new obligations, like placarding, ventilation changes, new PPE or training requirements. A $50 chemical that demands a $5,000 ventilation upgrade isn’t cheap.
Storage
Incompatible chemicals stored next to each other is one of the most common findings in a workplace chemical audit. Oxidisers beside flammables. Acids beside bases. Chlorinated products beside ammonia-based cleaners. Segregation isn’t optional. Your SDS will tell you what a chemical is incompatible with. Beyond segregation, storage needs to consider temperature, ventilation, UV exposure, container integrity and spill containment. For any store above a certain quantity, placarding requirements kick in (more on that below).
Use
Day-to-day handling is where incidents happen. The controls look simple on paper: follow the safety procedures, use the PPE specified in the SDS, don’t improvise decanting or dilution, keep workers trained on what they’re using. In practice, drift is the enemy. Workers learn shortcuts. A glove that used to be worn gets skipped. A lid that used to be closed stays open. Regular toolbox talks and observations matter more than laminated procedures on a wall.
Disposal
Empty doesn’t mean safe. An “empty” drum of solvent can still contain enough residue to flash. Chemical waste has its own regulated pathways in South Australia, and disposal via general trade waste is almost always wrong. Use a licensed waste contractor, keep records of what was disposed of and when, and make sure your chemical register is updated when stock leaves the site.
What goes on your chemical register
Every Australian workplace that uses hazardous chemicals must keep a register. It’s not a filing exercise, it’s a working document. At minimum, your register should list:
- The product name (as it appears on the label)
- The current SDS for that product
- The location on site where it’s stored or used
- The quantity held
- Any hazard classifications relevant to the chemical
Your register should live somewhere accessible to workers, not buried in a manager’s inbox or a file server no one can find on a Saturday night. Workers have a right to know what they’re handling, and emergency services need quick access if they turn up to an incident.
Managing your safety data sheet library
Safety data sheets are not static. Manufacturers update them. Classifications change. Your job is to hold the current version for every chemical on site. A few practical points Australian businesses often miss.
Current means current. If the supplier has published an updated SDS, your copy needs to reflect that. Most businesses rely on the supplier to flag updates, which is unreliable. Periodic checks, even annually, catch drift.
SDS need to be available at point of use. Not just in the office. Workers in the shed, on the floor or in the kitchen need access to the information before they handle a product, not afterwards.
Old SDS have a retention rule. Under the WHS Regulations, you need to keep a copy of the SDS for any hazardous chemical used at the workplace for at least 30 years after the chemical stops being used. This supports long-latency illness claims.
Placarding, notifications and triggers
Once your chemical holdings exceed certain quantities, placarding becomes mandatory. The thresholds are in Schedule 11 of the WHS Regulations 2012 (SA). Common triggers include:
- Flammable liquids above 250 L for placarding, or 5,000 L for manifest
- LPG cylinders above 500 L aggregate
- Corrosive liquids above 1,000 L
- Toxic substances at quite low thresholds (check the schedule)
Placarding tells emergency services, at a glance, what’s inside your building. If you exceed the higher “manifest quantity” thresholds, you may need to notify SafeWork SA and hold a written manifest. The cost of getting this wrong goes well beyond regulatory action. Fire services making decisions about how to fight a blaze rely on placards.
Frequently asked questions
What does a GHS chemical pictogram mean?
A GHS pictogram is a standardised symbol, shown as a black icon inside a red-bordered diamond on a white background, that communicates a specific hazard class. There are nine pictograms covering physical hazards (flame, gas cylinder, explosion, oxidiser), health hazards (health hazard, exclamation mark, corrosion, skull and crossbones) and environmental hazards (environment). Together they give workers and emergency responders an at-a-glance understanding of what a chemical can do.
What’s the difference between GHS 3 and GHS 7 labels?
GHS 7 is the 7th revised edition of the Globally Harmonized System, and it’s the version Australia has used since 1 January 2023. It introduces changes to certain hazard classifications and precautionary statements compared to the older GHS 3 that was used during the transition period. Chemicals imported or manufactured before 1 January 2023 and labelled correctly under GHS 3 can continue to be used on site without relabelling. Anything new must be GHS 7 compliant.
What should my workplace chemical register include?
At minimum, the register must list every hazardous chemical used, handled or stored at the workplace, include the product name as it appears on the label, reference the current safety data sheet, specify the location and quantity, and note the relevant hazard classifications. The register must be accessible to workers and available for inspection. For workplaces that exceed manifest quantity thresholds under Schedule 11 of the WHS Regulations, a separate written manifest is also required.
How long do I need to keep safety data sheets?
Current SDS must be kept for as long as the chemical is in use at the workplace. After the chemical is no longer used, you must retain the SDS for a further period under the WHS Regulations to support any long-latency health claims. In practice, this means most businesses keep an archive of outdated SDS alongside their current library.
When do I need to placard chemical storage in South Australia?
Placarding is mandatory once your holdings of a hazardous chemical exceed the thresholds in Schedule 11 of the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012 (SA). Common triggers include 250 L of flammable liquids, 500 L aggregate of LPG, and 1,000 L of corrosive liquids, though lower thresholds apply to more toxic substances. If you exceed the higher “manifest quantity” thresholds, you’ll also need to notify SafeWork SA and maintain a formal written manifest.
Get your chemical management right before it gets you
Chemical management is one of those areas where a small amount of structured work pays off for years. A clean register, current SDS library at point of use, sensible storage, proper placarding and workers who actually understand the pictograms on the shelf will save you from the kinds of incidents that end up on a SafeWork SA desk.
If you’re not sure where your business sits against the WHS Regulations 2012 (SA), a targeted gap analysis will show you. At Beaumont Solutions we work with businesses across Adelaide, the Hills and regional SA, from Wingfield warehouses and Tonsley manufacturers to Hills breweries and Barossa wineries. Chemicals are almost always part of the conversation.
Call us on 08 7190 7910 or book a no-obligation WHS consultation.
