Pictogram 3: Exclamation Mark - Irritant

Pictogram 3, the Exclamation Mark pictogram, identifies irritants as the following:

"A chemical, which is not corrosive, but which causes a reversible inflammatory effect on living tissue by chemical action at the site of contact. A chemical is a skin irritant if, when tested on the intact skin of albino rabbits by the methods of 16 CFR 1500.41 for four hours exposure or by other appropriate techniques, it results in an empirical score of five or more. A chemical is an eye irritant if so determined under the procedure listed in 16 CFR 1500.42 or other appropriate techniques." Examples of irritants include acetic acid, ammonia, and isopropyl alcohol.

OSHA notes that there is a difference between an irritant and a corrosive. Irritant effects may be reversed; the damage caused by a corrosive cannot be repaired. The irritation site is most often the skin and eyes, but it may also be any other tissue that comes into contact with the chemical, such as the nose, mouth, throat, or lungs.

OSHA also notes that allergies may cause a reaction. If this is the case, then "the material will be classified as a sensitizer rather than an irritant."

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