Making Effective
Right-To-Know Labels

How to Make Right to Know Labels that
Comply With The Right to Know Act

RTK Labeling Home Page

Right To Know label designs can take many forms. The most popular RTK labels use a number rating and an easy to see color coding system, in conjunction with written text, to identify the chemical and the physical and health hazards.

The National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) Standard System for the Identification of the Fire Hazards of Materials is an example of a number and color coding system. The NFPA Diamond uses color codes to identify Health risks (in blue), Flammability (in red), Instability (in yellow), and Special Hazards (in white). Numbers are used to rate the severity of the hazard on a scale of 0 to 4. 4 represents the most severe. 0 represents minimal or no danger.

The NFPA Diamond

The NFPA Diamond alone does not meet the OSHA HazCom Standard. Whether or not a number and color coding system is used, all Right-To-Know labels must, at a minimum, include the following information*:

• Identification of the hazardous chemical(s).
• Appropriate hazard warnings.
• Target organ warning.
• Name and address of the chemical manufacturer, importer, or other responsible party.

The most effective RTK labels employ a number and color coding system and have the following information written out on the label:

• An index of the number and color coding system.
• Chemical name.
• CAS number.
• Signal word (Danger, Caution, Poison, etc.)
• Health hazard.
• Fire hazard.
• Organs effected by the chemical.
• First aid.
• Emergency numbers.
• Pictograms illustrating protective equipment and dangers.
• Reference to Material Safety Data Sheet for further information.

Thus, an effective RTK label might look something like this:

*{OHS 1910.1200(f)(1); OSHA Standards Interpretation 1910.1200 02/09/94}

Related links

Software to customize and streamline RTK labels.
NFPA 704
Free NFPA Ratings Explanation Guide