On September 11,2026, the Department of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a public notice soliciting feedback from the public on the draft for approval of the mandatory national standard GB 15258 – "Regulations for the Preparation of Chemical Safety Labels." The public consultation period runs from September 12 to September 18,2026.
This marks the first comprehensive revision of this standard in 17 years since its 2009 edition; its technical content is consistent with the 10th Revised Edition of the United Nations Global Harmonisation System (GHS). This signifies that China's chemical safety labeling management has officially entered a new phase characterized by digitalization and increased sophistication; therefore, all enterprises involved in the production, distribution, import, or export of hazardous chemicals should pay close attention to the changes in compliance requirements introduced by this revision.
1. What does the new national standard stipulate?
Based on the content disclosed in the draft for approval, the new standard fully aligns with the 11th Revised Edition of the United Nations Global Harmonisation (GHS) system and is consistent with China's current chemical classification standard, GB 30000.1-2024. Key aspects include the following:
Tag Element
The chemical safety label consists of eight elements: chemical identification, pictograms, signal words, hazard statements, precautionary statements, emergency contact number, supplier identification, and reference information prompt. The chemical identification shall indicate the chemical's chemical name or common name, which must be consistent with the name provided in the Safety Data Sheet (SDS); for mixtures, the primary components that contribute to the hazard classification shall be identified; the number of such components shall not exceed five, and components that contribute most significantly to the hazard shall be identified first.
Signal word
Depending on the level and category of hazard, warnings shall be issued using the terms "Hazard" or "Warning"; the submitted draft for approval shall uniformly employ "Signal Words" for expression, in line with the classification terminology specified in GB 30000.1-2024.
Hazard Statement and Prevention Instructions
All hazard statements shall be displayed on the safety label, arranged in the order of physical hazards, health hazards, and environmental hazards; precautionary statements shall cover precautions applicable to safety prevention, accidental handling, safe storage, and disposal.
Simplified Label
The new standard significantly expands the scope of application for simplified labeling on small-packaged chemicals: chemicals packaged in containers with a volume not exceeding 500 mL may use simplified labels, and a tiered three-level simplification scheme is implemented – chemicals with a volume not exceeding 100 mL shall be labeled under the standard simplified labeling requirements; those with a volume between 5 mL and 10 mL shall be subject to further simplification; for products with a volume not exceeding 5 mL, the labeling requirement may be limited to merely displaying the chemical identification. It is important to note that this simplified labeling applies solely to the small-packaged items themselves; the outer packaging of such products must still bear a safety label containing all required labeling elements.
Manufacturing and Use
The draft for approval imposes more detailed requirements on label manufacturing: the pictogram shall not be smaller than the font size used for the chemical's Chinese name; the label border may be black or any color that provides a clear contrast against the background color; for combined packaging, both the inner and outer packaging must be affixed with a safety label; for product sets (e.g., reagent kits), labels shall be arranged according to different usage scenarios based on the available space on the outer packaging; the minimum required elements on the overall label must include a pictogram. The label content shall be consistent with the SDS; the printing material shall be durable and waterproof; and the label shall be affixed, hung, or sprayed onto a conspicuous position on the packaging container.
2、 What are the differences between this standard and the current GB 15258-2009?
For businesses, the actual focus of item-by-item comparison should be the differences between the new standard and the current 2009 version. Based on the comprehensive draft for approval and the compilation notes, the primary changes are concentrated in the following nine points.
Comprehensive upgrade of the benchmarked version
GB 15258-2009 corresponds to the Second Revised Edition of the United Nations Global Harmonisation System (GHS), with its classification basis derived from the GB 20576–GB 20602 series of standards; the new standard aligns with the Eleventh Revised Edition of the GHS and is consistent with the GB 30000.1-2024 classification standard. The underlying framework for the classification system, pictograms, and hazard statement codes has been updated; accordingly, the labeling templates must be comprehensively revised in accordance with the new system.
The scope of application for Simplified Labels has been expanded fivefold.
The 2009 version of the regulation permitted the use of simplified labeling for small-packaged products with a volume not exceeding 100 mL; the new standard raises this upper limit to 500 mL and introduces, for the first time, a tiered simplified labeling scheme covering volumes between 5 and 10 mL as well as volumes not exceeding 5 mL. For small-packaged reagent and consumable products, the costs associated with label production and application will be significantly reduced.
The emergency contact number requirement for imported chemical labels has been removed.
The 2009 edition explicitly required that the safety labeling of imported chemicals must include at least one 24-hour chemical accident emergency consultation hotline operated within China; however, the draft for approval removed this mandatory requirement, granting greater flexibility in the designation of emergency contact numbers on imported labels.
The label border requirement should be relaxed.
The 2009 edition required a black border around the label edge, with a border width of no less than 1 mm and a minimum white space of 3 mm around the border; the new standard allows either a black border or a border with a high contrast to the background color, and no longer specifies a minimum border width, thereby providing greater flexibility in printing design.
Pictorial dimensions now have a "lower limit".
The 2009 version merely required that pictograms remain legible even at a distance, in the presence of smoke, or under partially blurred conditions; the new standard further specifies that the size of the pictogram shall not be smaller than that of the Chinese name of the chemical substance. Enterprises whose current labels feature excessively small pictograms shall be subject to individual verification.
Detailed Rules for Composite Packaging and Set Packaging Labels
The 2009 edition required the application of safety labels to the inner packaging of composite containers and the application of transport pictograms to the outer packaging; the new standard requires the application of safety labels to both the inner and outer packaging of composite packaging, and for kit-type packaged products, labels shall be arranged according to specific usage scenarios based on the space available on the outer packaging; furthermore, a pictogram must be included among the minimum elements of the overall label.
Hazard Description Ranking Rule – Regression and Clarification
All hazard statements are listed in the order of physical hazards, health hazards, and environmental hazards. It should be noted that the 2025 draft for public consultation proposed consolidated omission rules, such as "H410 may omit H400"; however, these rules have been removed from the final approval draft, resulting in a more comprehensive presentation of hazard information.
The "Security Information Code" has been completely removed.
The draft for public consultation drew upon the pilot experience from Guangdong Province and introduced a new requirement for the "Hazardous Chemicals Safety Information Code" (a QR code), stipulating that such codes must be generated before hazardous chemicals enter the circulation phase, with the printing quality meeting at least Grade 2.0. This requirement has sparked considerable debate; among the 222 comments received during the public consultation period, 22 concerned the safety information code. At the standard review meeting held in April 2026, the review experts recommended removing the relevant provisions; accordingly, the drafting team finalized the draft for approval. As a result, enterprises no longer need to allocate additional resources for applying for, printing, or conducting quality inspection of these QR codes.
Terminological Regression
The draft for public consultation had previously changed "signal words" to "warning words"; however, the final approval draft uniformly reverted them to "signal words" to align with GB 30000.1-2024; therefore, no additional adjustments to the labeling template are required.
3、 Sindbad's one-stop compliance service helps businesses seamlessly navigate new regulatory requirements.
As standards evolve, businesses must also adjust their compliance practices accordingly. From the public disclosure of the draft for approval to its official issuance and the conclusion of the implementation transition period, the time available for companies is limited. While a chemical safety label may appear to be just a small piece of paper, it involves a range of specialized tasks—such as regulatory interpretation, screening and prioritizing hazardous information, providing bilingual (Chinese and English) labeling, designing differentiated labels for small packages, and producing folded labels. Any error at any stage could result in the product being seized by customs, in receiving a rectification order from market regulatory authorities, or even in facing fines or the risk of business suspension.
The implementation of new regulations presents both challenges and opportunities; enterprises that proactively prepare for compliance not only mitigate risks but also gain a competitive edge amid the industry's transformation. If you would like to learn more about the details of the updated national standards, require assistance with label compliance upgrades, or need end-to-end services for hazardous chemicals, please feel free to contact Sindbad. Our professional team, with 18 years of experience, will provide you with the most reliable support to ensure the enhanced safety of hazardous chemicals.
