How to Print Secondary Container Labels (Spray Bottles, Drums & Jugs)

Printing your own secondary container labels

The moment you pour a chemical out of its original container into a spray bottle, parts-washer reservoir, or unmarked jug, OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard says that new container needs a label. These secondary container labels are one of the most-cited HazCom gaps in an OSHA inspection — and one of the easiest to fix, because you can print them yourself in a couple of minutes.

This guide covers what has to be on the label, then how to print it so it survives a wet, busy workplace.

🛠 Make one now: the free Secondary Container Label Generator builds an OSHA 1910.1200(f)(6) label — product identifier, signal word, GHS pictograms, hazard statement — and downloads a print-ready PDF for Avery sheets. No account required.

Step 1 — Get the required content right

Under 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(6), a secondary container label needs only two things:

1. Product identifier — the name, matching the Safety Data Sheet so workers can cross-reference it.
2. General hazard information — words, pictures, symbols, or any combination.

That second part is flexible. Any of these is acceptable when paired with worker HazCom training and accessible SDSs:

• GHS pictograms with signal word and hazard statements (most common — workers already recognize them)
• An NFPA 704 diamond (print one here)
• An HMIS color bar (print one here)
• Plain hazard words, e.g. *"FLAMMABLE — KEEP FROM HEAT"*

The one time you can skip it: if a single employee uses the chemical, keeps it under their immediate control for the whole shift, and empties or returns it at the end of the shift. Otherwise, label it. For the full rule, see Secondary Container Labels: the OSHA guide.

Step 2 — Pick the Avery size that fits the container

The generator lays labels out for standard Avery sheets, so you can print a full page at once:

Bigger is better for legibility — especially if you're including pictograms and a hazard statement. Pick the largest size the container comfortably fits.

Step 3 — Choose a printer and durable label stock

Secondary containers — spray bottles especially — get wet and handled constantly, so paper labels smear and peel. Match the stock to the job:

• Color laser printer + waterproof/synthetic labels — the best all-round choice. Toner resists water far better than inkjet, and color reproduces the GHS pictogram borders.
• Thermal-transfer label printer — best for volume and durability.
• Inkjet + paper labels — only for dry, low-touch containers, and laminate or cover with clear packing tape if there's any chance of moisture.

Always print at 100% / actual size so the layout lines up with the Avery sheet — "fit to page" will shift every label.

Step 4 — Verify and apply

1. Print one test sheet and check alignment against the Avery die-cut.
2. Verify against the SDS — the product identifier, signal word, and any hazard statements must match.
3. Confirm GHS pictogram borders print red (a black border isn't compliant where pictograms are used).
4. Apply to a clean, dry surface and smooth the edges so they don't peel in a wet area.

Labeling a whole facility

Printing one spray-bottle label is easy. Labeling every secondary container across a facility — each tied to a different SDS, with hazards that change when the SDS is revised — is where it breaks down.

With Tellus ChemIQ, your chemical inventory drives the labels: upload an SDS, and the product identifier, signal word, pictograms, and hazard statements are auto-filled. Print in batch on Avery sheets, and when a manufacturer reissues an SDS, reprint only the affected labels instead of re-checking every bottle by hand.

Need the full primary label instead? Manufacturer/primary containers need the complete GHS format — see How to Print GHS Labels.

FAQ

Below are the questions people search most when printing secondary container labels. For the interactive tool and a fuller FAQ, visit the Secondary Container Label Generator.