WHMIS 2015 Pictograms

Safety symbols are used to quickly disseminate information.


B1.5 test tubes with safety symbols on them
While you should always be cautious when working in a laboratory or when using chemicals at home, some substances require extra precautions. A universal system that identifies dangers easily and effectively uses symbols (pictograms) in alerting laboratory users of potential dangers. In addition to pictograms, there are also information sheets that accompany chemicals (known as Safety Data Sheets, or SDS). These sheets provide more details about the chemical, such as hazards, effects of exposure, and first aid treatment.

Note: The pictograms listed here are different than the ones listed in your textbook. Please use these pictograms in your learning, as they are the updated WHMIS pictograms.
It is common to have chemicals that are labeled with more than one WHMIS pictogram.

WHMIS 2015 Pictogram
Description Hazard
B1.6 Skull and crossbones
 skull and crossbones can cause death or toxicity with short exposure to small amounts (fatal, acute toxicity)
B1.7 human silhouette with a white star in the middle
 health hazard
may cause or suspected of causing serious health effects
  • carcinogenic
  • respiratory sensitization
  • reproductive toxicity
  • specific target organ toxicity
  • germ cell mutagenicity
  • aspiration hazard
B1.8 exclamation mark
 exclamation mark
may cause less serious health effects or damage the ozone layer
  • irritation (skin or eyes)
  • skin sensitivity
  • acute toxicity (harmful)
  • specific target organ toxicity (drowsiness or dizziness or respiratory irritation)
B1.9 biohazard symbol
 biohazardous infectious material organisms or toxins that can cause diseases in people or animals
B1.10 tree and fish
 environment may cause damage to the aquatic environment
B1.11 Corrosive liquid
 corrosion corrosive damage to metals as well as skin and eyes
B1.12 Gas cylinder
gas cylinder
gas under pressure
B1.13 Flames
 flame fire hazards
  • flammable
  • self-reactive
  • self-heating
  • can emit flammable gases when in contact with water
B1.14 an O with flames
 flame over circle
oxidizing hazard
  • supports the burning of a flammable material
B1.15 Exploding bomb
 exploding bomb for explosion or severe reactivity hazards
WHMIS 2015 Pictograms courtesy of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety


  Virtual Lab

WHMIS Interactive


Background Information:
Please work through this interactive to help you learn the WHMIS symbols.

Procedure:

  1. Click on the play icon to open the interactive. Print students can access the lab in the Online Resources for Print Students section of their online course.
  2. Drag and drop the pictograms into their corresponding WHMIS description boxes.
  3. Make sure to drop the pictogram into the box beside each description in order to make them stick.


  Practice Questions

Complete the following practice questions to check your understanding of the concept you just learned. Make sure you write complete answers to the practice questions in your notes. After you have checked your answers, make corrections to your responses (where necessary) to study from.

  1. A student is using an acid, which can corrode metal and cause damage if spilled on skin or splashed in the eyes. Which WHMIS symbol should it be labeled with?

    B1.16 Corrosive liquid


  2. A student is using ammonium nitrate, which is an important agricultural fertilizer, in a lab activity. Ammonium nitrate will cause flammable substances to burn more intensely. What WHMIS symbol should it be labeled with?

    B1.17 An “O” with flames

  3. Petra is walking on the shore of the Bow River and sees that some garbage has washed up. Taking a closer look, Petra notices the bag is full of disposable syringes, needles, and discarded latex gloves. The bag containing this waste should have had which warning symbol on it?

    B1.18 Biohazard symbol



  4. Remy was helping her family stain and varnish their kitchen cupboards. It was getting dark, so she flicked on the lamp and all of a sudden everything caught on fire. Which WHMIS symbol should have been on the stain and varnish?

    B1.18 flames in a red diamond


  5. Tomas got a summer job in an automotive shop. His job is to clean tools and equipment with acetone. He is working in a small room without ventilation, and by the end of the first day, he is drowsy, dizzy, and his eyes are burning slightly. What symbol should have been on the container of acetone?

    B1.19 exclamation point