Health hazard (GHS08)
The GHS pictogram for serious health hazards: carcinogenicity, germ cell mutagenicity, reproductive toxicity, respiratory sensitisation, specific target organ toxicity and aspiration hazard.
These identify the hazard class a pictogram represents. For handling, storage and first aid, refer to the product's label and safety data sheet.
How to read it
It is GHS08. Canada’s WHMIS lists it for respiratory sensitizers, germ cell mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, reproductive toxicity, specific target organ toxicity from single or repeated exposure (categories 1 and 2) and aspiration hazard. OSHA’s standard assigns it to carcinogenicity, respiratory sensitization and aspiration hazard among others. In Great Britain it is called Serious health hazard.
Also searched as: GHS08, serious health hazard.
Look-alikes
Other health effects, such as skin irritation or skin sensitisation, carry the Exclamation mark (GHS07) instead. Britain’s Health and Safety Executive calls this pictogram Serious health hazard and the exclamation mark Health hazard.
More hazard symbols
Sources
- Allocation of Label Elements (29 CFR 1910.1200, Appendix C), 29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix C, U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, C.4.6, C.4.9, C.4.13
- WHMIS - Pictograms (OSH Answers), Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
- Hazard pictograms (symbols), GB CLP, Health and Safety Executive (Great Britain)
- GHS Classification (Rev.11, 2025) Summary, PubChem, U.S. National Library of Medicine
Last reviewed September 25, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research