GHS Labeling

Understanding GHS Labeling

The Globally Harmonized System, or GHS, is an international standard pertaining to placing warning labels on chemicals that are hazardous. GHS was instituted by the United Nations back in the early 1990s and was designed to replace the labeling standards that were being used by individual countries with a universal hazard labeling system that all nations should comply with. In order to be compliant with GHS standards, every label printed is required to have the hazard pictograms, hazard statements and signal words all located together.

GHS Workplace Labels

The GHS workplace system of labeling is made up of an orange category and a green category. The Orange system gives warning for all of the physical hazards that a particular chemical may cause. The green system gives warning for all of the environmental hazards and it also has support for the physical hazards of a chemical. Both the green and orange system labels are available in both paper and vinyl and come in rolls of five hundred. 

GHS Drum Labels

The GHS drum label has also been split up into orange and green categories. These labels are large format labels. They allow the same GHS information to be printed on them as the smaller labels without violating GHS standards. You also have the ability to put your company logo right on the label. These labels are ideal for use on large drums of chemicals.

GHS Chemical Labels

Chemical labels are also large in, size allowing you to add your company logo to them. They are perfect for use in companies that utilize a lot of chemicals, and store them in large containers.

Choosing to outsource your GHS label printing to a third party manufacturer requires you to put a lot of trust in that company. Instead, your business can easily obtain the necessary equipment that will allow you to print your own GHS labels on demand whenever you need them. All you really need is a reliable commercial printer that can handle the printing demands of your business.

There are several quality printers on the market today that are worth mentioning. There is the Epson GP-C831 printer, which can print GHS drum labels up to 8" wide and is capable of printing in speeds up to 16.5 images per minute. There’s also the Epson TM-C3500, which can print GHS labels up to 4" wide and features print speeds of up to 4 inches per second. Finally, there’s the VP495 GHS label printer made by VIPColor. This printer, like the Epson GP-C831, can also print up to 8" wide GHS labels on rolls, but it is also capable of printing labels that last up to twelve months outdoors.

Outsourcing your GHS label printing to an unknown third party manufacturer can result in expensive fines and penalties for your business if the labels are not in compliance with the GHS standard. Since no third party business will ever care more about your business than you do, this is probably not a risk that you would want to take. Doing your own GHS printing will eliminate this risk, and will allow your business to run more efficiently. 

For those companies that are interested in printing their own compliant labels, we here at Optimedia Labs can help businesses bring label printing in-house, enabling companies to print their own GHS labels on demand. We sells several different types of GHS label printers. So, check out the different GHS label printers we have and call and speak to one of our specialists to see which GHS label printer would be best for your business.