COSHH symbols explained
Reviewed September 2026 · Written by Complys and checked against HSE and legislation.gov.uk guidance (sources below).
If you're looking for the old square orange "COSHH symbols", they've gone. Since 2015 the UK uses the red-diamond CLP hazard pictograms instead. Here's what the current symbols mean — and why it matters for your COSHH assessment.
The orange symbols were replaced
The old orange-and-black square symbols came from the CHIP regulations, which were revoked on 1 June 2015. Classification and labelling of chemicals for supply is now governed by the GB CLP Regulation, which uses the international GHS system: red-bordered white diamonds.
The nine hazard pictograms
There are nine GB CLP hazard pictograms, each a red-bordered diamond:
- Explosive — an exploding bomb: unstable or explosive substances
- Flammable — a flame: flammable gases, liquids, solids and aerosols
- Oxidising — a flame over a circle: may cause or intensify fire
- Gas under pressure — a gas cylinder: compressed, liquefied or refrigerated gases
- Corrosive — corrosion of a hand and surface: skin and eye damage, corrosive to metals
- Acute toxicity — a skull and crossbones: fatal or toxic, even in small amounts
- Health hazard / harmful — an exclamation mark: irritation, skin sensitisation, less severe acute toxicity
- Serious health hazard — a figure with a starburst chest: carcinogens, mutagens, respiratory sensitisers, organ toxicity
- Hazardous to the environment — a dead tree and fish: toxic to aquatic life
What this means for your COSHH assessment
The pictograms on a product label and its safety data sheet tell you the intrinsic hazards — the starting point for your assessment. But the pictogram alone doesn't tell you the risk in your workplace: that depends on how much you use, how often, and how well it's controlled. That's what the COSHH assessment works out.
A note on the label
A supply label carries the pictograms plus signal words ("Danger" or "Warning"), hazard statements (H-codes) and precautionary statements (P-codes). Together with the safety data sheet, these feed straight into your COSHH assessment.
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Sources
- HSE — Hazard symbols and hazard pictograms
- HSE — COSHH, CLP and REACH (safety data sheets)
- HSE — Control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH)
This guide is general information, not legal advice. COSHH and chemical-classification rules change over time — always check the current HSE and legislation.gov.uk guidance for your work.
COSHH symbols explained — FAQs
What are the COSHH symbols?
The current symbols are the nine red-diamond CLP hazard pictograms — explosive, flammable, oxidising, gas under pressure, corrosive, acute toxicity, health hazard/harmful, serious health hazard and hazardous to the environment.
Why aren't the orange COSHH symbols used any more?
They came from the CHIP regulations, revoked in June 2015. Chemical labelling for supply now follows the GB CLP Regulation, which uses the red-diamond GHS pictograms.
Do hazard pictograms tell me the risk?
No — they tell you a substance's intrinsic hazards. The risk in your workplace depends on how it's used and controlled, which is what your COSHH assessment determines.