ADR- en GHS-etikettering: een korte gids voor Europese bedrijven

If your business stores, handles, or transports hazardous substances — chemicals, gases, flammable liquids, corrosives — you need to get two labelling systems right: GHS (for classification and workplace labelling) and ADR (for transport). They overlap but are not the same, and confusing them is a common and costly compliance error.

This guide breaks down both systems and explains what labels and signs you actually need.

GHS and CLP: Workplace Hazard Communication

The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) is an international framework for classifying hazardous chemicals and communicating the risks through standardised labels. In the European Union, GHS is implemented through the CLP Regulation (EC No 1272/2008) — so when Europeans refer to "CLP labels," they mean GHS labels applied under EU law.

CLP/GHS labels appear on containers and packaging of hazardous substances. They include a set of standardised pictograms (red-bordered diamonds with black symbols on white backgrounds), hazard statements (H-phrases), precautionary statements (P-phrases), and signal words ("Danger" or "Warning").

There are nine GHS pictograms, covering hazards from explosives and flammable substances to acute toxicity, corrosion, and environmental danger. Every chemical product sold or used in the EU must carry the appropriate CLP label.

For your workplace, GHS/CLP affects two things: the labels on every chemical container your employees handle, and the safety signs in areas where hazardous substances are stored or used. Storage rooms, chemical cabinets, and handling areas should display the relevant GHS hazard pictograms as wall or door signs so that risks are visible before anyone opens a container.

ADR: Transport of Dangerous Goods

ADR (Accord européen relatif au transport international des marchandises Dangereuses par Route) governs the transport of dangerous goods by road across Europe. It is updated every two years, with the current version being ADR 2025.

ADR labels are the diamond-shaped hazard placards you see on tankers, delivery vans, and freight containers. They classify dangerous goods into nine classes — from explosives (Class 1) to miscellaneous dangerous substances (Class 9) — each with its own colour-coded diamond label.

Key differences from GHS: ADR labels are for transport units (vehicles, containers, packages in transit), not for static workplace signage. The diamond shapes look similar to GHS pictograms, but the designs, numbering, and colour conventions differ. A substance may have one GHS classification for its workplace label and a different ADR class for its transport label.

If your business ships or receives dangerous goods, the vehicles and outer packaging must display the correct ADR placards. Inside your facility, storage areas for goods awaiting transport should display both the GHS hazard signs (for worker safety) and relevant ADR class indicators (for logistics staff and emergency responders).

Where the Two Systems Meet

The most common compliance gap is in warehouse and storage areas. Imagine a pallet of corrosive cleaning chemicals arriving at your facility:

The supplier's packaging carries CLP/GHS labels (corrosion pictogram, H-phrases). The delivery vehicle displays ADR Class 8 (corrosive) placards. Once in your storage area, you need GHS-consistent hazard signs on the shelving or room door — but many businesses forget this step, assuming the container labels are sufficient.

They are not. EU workplace safety regulations require that hazards are communicated at the area level, not just the container level. A worker approaching a chemical storage room should see the relevant hazard pictograms before they enter.

What You Need to Buy

For most businesses handling hazardous materials, the signage requirements break down as follows:

Chemical storage areas need GHS hazard pictogram signs on doors and entry points — at minimum the pictograms matching the substances stored inside (flammable, corrosive, toxic, etc.).

Loading docks and dispatch areas benefit from ADR class diamond signs indicating which classes of dangerous goods are routinely handled, plus general warning signs for hazardous materials zones.

Laboratories and mixing areas require specific GHS pictograms for the substances present, plus mandatory PPE signs (eye protection, gloves, respiratory protection) as required by your risk assessment.

Vehicle and container signage — the ADR placards for transport — are typically supplied as magnetic or adhesive diamonds that attach to the exterior of the vehicle or container.

Staying Compliant

Both GHS/CLP and ADR are living systems that update regularly. CLP is amended through ATPs (Adaptations to Technical Progress), while ADR is revised biennially. When substances are reclassified or new pictograms are introduced, your labels and signs must be updated accordingly.

A simple annual review — checking that your stored substances match the signs displayed and that your transport labels reflect current ADR classifications — is usually sufficient for most businesses.

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