The health hazard symbol, also known as a serious health hazard symbol, is used to depict a substance that can have serious and/or long-term effects on a person’s health. This includes substances that could be fatal if ingested as well as carcinogens, which are more frequently referenced with this symbol. You can identify a serious health hazard symbol by its unique design; a silhouette of a torso with white marks across the chest. In addition, a biohazard symbol may be used where there is waste that could contain potentially infectious substances (such as blood and other pathogens), while a radioactive symbol could be used to indicate the presence of potentially harmful radiation. Unfortunately, there are chemicals we use in everyday and working life that contain known carcinogens, and extreme care must be taken when handling such substances. For example, if you run a construction or renovation company which frequently inspects outdated properties, damp, lead paint and asbestos may be present, all of which are known to cause long-term health problems, and even affect fertility in women. a b c "Radiation Warning Symbol (Trefoil)", Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, accessed and archived 25 December 2021. a b "Biohazard and radioactive symbol, design and proportions" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 31, 2013. Categorising and labelling your waste using the correct waste segregation signage helps to enable safe handling and proper disposal of all different waste types.

It can be seen that in Argentina, Mexico, and Uruguay there has been an increase in industrial development, urbanization, and socioeconomic forces. As these industries grow there is an underlying consequence of pollution that comes from environmental exposure to hazardous waste. When people are exposed to this pollution, they suffer negative health effects. With diseases on the rise, the disability-adjusted life year (DALY) starts to decline, so the time the average person lives decreases, especially in low to middle-income countries. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has identified 11 key substances that pose a risk to human health: In addition to this debate over its efficacy, there are also arguments about whether or not using a universal symbol like this is really necessary at all. Some people believe that educating people on how to safely handle hazardous materials should take priority over displaying these icons everywhere possible. Others feel that eliminating the use of universally recognized symbols would make it difficult for people who are unaware of specific dangers associated with particular substances or locations. The GHS system, part of OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), consists of nine symbols, or pictograms, providing recognition of the hazards associated with certain substances. Use of eight of the nine are mandatory in the U.S., the exception being the environmental pictogram (see below).

SIS Specialized Information System". United States National Library of Medicine. Archived from the original on 21 March 2019 . Retrieved 11 August 2010. Pressurised gas symbols are used to indicate a substance classified as ‘gas under pressure’. It is shown by the silhouette of a gas canister. If a pressurised gas canister is damaged or exposed to heat, it can pose a significant risk of explosion, putting your business and its people in serious danger. This can also be used on gas canisters that are kept in refrigerators as they could cause cryogenic burns and injuries if damaged. If your business works with or transports substances such as these, you will need to ensure the correct symbols are present and that the canisters are handled in a safe and secure manner. Leaving waste on your premises can be dangerous to everyone there. Not only do they create a trip hazard, but some types of waste can be very dangerous. For example, some toxic or construction waste can be hazardous to touch or inhale around. It’s therefore incredibly important that all waste gets put in the correct types of disposal, and is correctly taken care of.

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sourcesin this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( October 2011) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) a b Baldwin, CL; Runkle, RS (Oct 13, 1967). "Biohazards symbol: development of a biological hazards warning signal" (PDF). Science. 158 (3798): 264–5. Bibcode: 1967Sci...158..264B. doi: 10.1126/science.158.3798.264. PMID 6053882. S2CID 38466300. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 24, 2012 . Retrieved 29 August 2011.Regulatory Exclusions and Alternative Standards for the Recycling of Materials, Solid Wastes and Hazardous Wastes". EPA. 2017-08-10. United States. Toxic Substances Control Act. Pub. L. Tooltip Public Law (United States) 94–469, approved 1976-10-11. The most common hazardous waste disposal practice is placement in a land disposal unit such as a landfill, surface impoundment, waste pile, land treatment unit, or injection well. Land disposal is subject to requirements under EPA's Land Disposal Restrictions Program. [9] Injection wells are regulated under the federal Underground Injection Control program. [10]