Handling a Chemical Product at Work in Korea? Start with Its Label

Handling a Chemical Product at Work in Korea? Start with Its Label

A new container appears beside your workstation. It looks like yesterday’s cleaning product, but the name is different. Before opening it, match the exact product name on the container to the material safety data sheet, usually called an MSDS in Korea. Similar packaging is not enough to identify what is inside. oshri.kosha.or.kr

The Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency (KOSHA) publishes warning-label training materials for foreign workers in 17 language versions. Use the illustrations to learn the symbols, then look at the actual product with the person supervising your task. A training poster explains a symbol; the product sheet gives instructions for the material in front of you. msds.kosha.or.kr

Ask three practical questions: Which precautions apply to my task? Where is the protective equipment specified for it? What is our procedure if the container leaks? Have someone show you where the sheet and emergency instructions are kept so you can find them during a shift.

If a label is unreadable or the sheet names a different product, leave the container closed and report the mismatch. A useful phrase is “이 제품의 물질안전보건자료를 보여 주세요” (“Please show me the safety data sheet for this product”).

KOSHA’s multilingual warning-label materials · Checked November 9, 2026.