Acute Health Effects

Irritants GHS Pictogram

Eye Irritant

Changes in the eye following the application of a test substance to the front surface of the eye, which are fully reversible within 21 days of application. Serious eye damage means production of tissue damage in the eye, or serious physical decay of vision, following application of a test substance to the front surface of the eye, which is not fully reversible within 21 days of application.

Category 1 Serious Eye Damage
Irreversible damage 21 days after exposure

Draize score:
Corneal Opacity ≥ 3
Iritis > 1.5

Category 2 Eye Irritation
Reversible adverse effects on cornea, iris, conjunctiva

Irritant Subcategory 2A
  • Reversible in 21 days
Mild Irritant Subcategory 2B
  • Reversible in 7 days
Draize score:
Corneal Opacity ≥ 1
Iritis ≥ 1
Redness ≥ 2
Chemosis ≥ 2

Skin Irritant

The production of reversible damage to the skin following the application of a test substance for up to four hours. Substances and mixtures in this hazard class are assigned to a single irritant category.

Category 1
Skin Corrosion
  • Destruction of dermal tissue: visible necrosis in at least one animal (3 col)
Subcategory 1A
  • Exposure < 3 min
  • Observation <1 hr
Subcategory 1B
  • Exposure < 1 hr
  • Observation < 14 days
Subcategory 1C
  • Exposure < 4hr
  • Observation < 14 days

Category 2
Skin Irritation
  • Reversible adverse effects in dermal tissue
Draize Score: ≥ 2.3 < 4.0
or Persistent Inflammation

Category 3
Mild Skin Irritation
  • Reversible adverse effects in dermal tissue
Draize Score: ≥ 1.5 < 2.3

Skin Sensitizer

A substance that will induce an allergic response following skin contact. The definition for “skin sensitizer” is equivalent to “contact sensitizer.” Substances and mixtures in this hazard class are assigned to one hazard category. Consideration should be given to classifying substances which cause immunological contact urticaria (an allergic disorder) as contact sensitizers.

Narcotic Effects

Narcotic effects and respiratory tract irritation are considered to be target organ systemic effects following a single exposure to any class of substances that blunt the senses.