The biohazard sign was developed by the Dow Chemical Company in 1966 for their containment products.
According to Charles Baldwin, an environmental-health engineer who contributed to its development: "We wanted something that was memorable but meaningless, so we could educate people as to what it means." In an article in Science in 1967, the symbol was presented as the new standard for all biological hazards ("biohazards"). The article explained that over 40 symbols were drawn up by Dow artists, and all of the symbols investigated had to meet a number of criteria: "(i) striking in form in order to draw immediate attention; (ii) unique and unambiguous, in order not to be confused with symbols used for other purposes; (iii) quickly recognizable and easily recalled; (iv) easily stenciled; (v) symmetrical, in order to appear identical from all angles of approach; and (vi) acceptable to groups of varying ethnic backgrounds." The chosen scored the best on nationwide testing for memorability.
It is used in the labeling of biological materials that carry a significant health risk, including viral samples and used hypodermic needles (see Sharps waste).
The GHS was designed as one universal standard for all countries to follow and to replace all the diverse classification systems however, it is not compulsory under UN law. The system provides the infrastructure for participating countries to implement a hazard classification and hazard communication standard, which many less economically developed countries would not have had the money to create themselves. In the longer term, the GHS is expected to improve knowledge of the chronic health hazards of chemicals and encourage a move towards the elimination of hazardous chemicals, especially carcinogens, mutagens and reproductive toxicants, or their replacement with less hazardous ones.
The final "Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for classification and labelling" standard was created at the 1992 Rio Conference on Environment and Development with the statement that "A globally harmonized hazard classification and compatible labelling system, including material safety data sheets and easily understandable symbols, should be available if feasible, by the year 2000". An illustration shows the timeline of GHS and the progress needed to completely put GHS into place.