Standardized labels for hazardous materials, activities, and equipment, and for the need for protective clothing, should appear in the lab and on equipment or materials, including the doors of chemical-storage cabinets, that pose any risks to people in the lab.
A large variety of standards exist for such labels, some of which are now obsolete. In the United States, current standards are set by American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and OSHA. International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 3864 sets international standards in labeling hazards. Relevant standards are set in Britain by British Standards Institution (BSI), and in Canada by WHMIS. For chemicals and other hazardous materials, the GHS provides standard symbols for international use and EU Directive 67/548/EEC for use in Europe. This no doubt seems confusing, but there is actually fairly widespread agreement over the main symbols that these systems use, such as skull-and-crossbones for toxic substances or a fire for flammable ones. Most of the differences lie in colors, shape of the symbol’s frame (triangle, diamond, circle), and accompanying text. Some icons used in labels, such as a glove to indicate the need to wear gloves, are fairly self-explanatory. Lab directors or administrators should consult the standards relevant to their own country or buy commercially available labels there, and make sure that employees, students, and volunteers working in the lab know how to interpret the labels. In universities, science departments or human resources offices generally offer training in laboratory safety that includes interpretation of these labels.
See also: Archaeozoology; Artifacts, Overview; Ceramics and Pottery; Classification and Typology; Conservation and Stabilization of Materials; Ecofacts, Overview; Lithics: Analysis, Use Wear; Manufacture; Phytolith Analysis; Pollen Analysis; Pottery Analysis: Petrology and Thin-Section Analysis; Stylistic.
World History
