Physical hazard · Explosives
H203 — Explosive; fire, blast or projection hazard
Physical hazard statements describe what the substance itself can do — explode, ignite, react, corrode metal. 3 substances with a harmonised EU classification carry this code.
01 · Wording
What H203 says
Explosive; fire, blast or projection hazard.
CLP Annex III · Physical hazards
Explosives GHS chapter 2.1
Category 1.3 · pictogram GHS01 (exploding bomb) · signal word Danger
Deleted from UN GHS in Rev.9 (2021) — still current in CLP.
UN GHS Rev.9 marked this code [Deleted]. EU CLP has not followed: the code is legally current on an EU label today. This is the single most common reason a code looks wrong in one reference and right in another.
The UN replacement is H209, a code that is not part of EU CLP.
Nine editions of the UN model text, 86 hazard statements, 19 of which ever moved. Read the full story in what changed in UN GHS Rev.11.
02 · Languages
H203 in the 24 official EU languages
A label put on the market in an EU country must carry the wording of that country's own language version of CLP — not a translation of the English one. These 24 lines are quoted from the consolidated regulation, Annex III, and are the text to print.
| Language | Official wording of H203 |
|---|---|
| BG български Bulgarian | Експлозив; опасност от пожар, взрив или разпръскване. |
| ES español Spanish | Explosivo; peligro de incendio, de onda expansiva o de proyección. |
| CS čeština Czech | Výbušnina; nebezpečí požáru, tlakové vlny nebo zasažení částicemi. |
| DA dansk Danish | Eksplosiv, fare for brand, eksplosion eller udslyngning af fragmenter. |
| DE Deutsch German | Explosiv; Gefahr durch Feuer, Luftdruck oder Splitter, Spreng- und Wurfstücke. |
| ET eesti Estonian | Plahvatusohtlik; süttimis-, plahvatus- või laialipaiskumisoht. |
| EL ελληνικά Greek | Εκρηκτικό· κίνδυνος πυρκαγιάς, ανατίναξης ή εκτόξευσης. |
| EN English English | Explosive; fire, blast or projection hazard. |
| FR français French | Explosif; danger d'incendie, d'effet de souffle ou de projection. |
| GA Gaeilge Irish | Pléascach; guais dóiteáin, phléasctha nó teilgin. |
| HR hrvatski Croatian | Eksplozivno; opasnost od vatre, udarnog vala ili rasprskavanja. |
| IT italiano Italian | Esplosivo; pericolo di incendio, di spostamento d'aria o di proiezione. |
| LV latviešu Latvian | Sprādzienbīstams; uguns, triecienviļņa vai izmetes bīstamība. |
| LT lietuvių Lithuanian | Sprogios medžiagos, kelia gaisro, sprogimo arba išsvaidymo pavojų. |
| HU magyar Hungarian | Robbanóanyag; tűz, robbanás vagy kivetés veszélye. |
| MT Malti Maltese | Splussiv; periklu ta' nar, blast jew projezzjoni. |
| NL Nederlands Dutch | Ontplofbare stof; gevaar voor brand, luchtdrukwerking of scherfwerking. |
| PL polski Polish | Materiał wybuchowy; zagrożenie pożarem, wybuchem lub rozrzutem. |
| PT português Portuguese | Explosivo; perigo de incêndio, sopro ou projecções. |
| RO română Romanian | Exploziv; pericol de incendiu, detonare sau proiectare. |
| SK slovenčina Slovak | Výbušnina, nebezpečenstvo požiaru, výbuchu alebo rozletenia úlomkov. |
| SL slovenščina Slovenian | Eksplozivno; nevarnost za nastanek požara, udarnega vala ali drobcev. |
| FI suomi Finnish | Räjähde; palo-, räjähdys- tai sirpalevaara. |
| SV svenska Swedish | Explosivt. Fara för brand, tryckvåg eller splitter och kaststycken. |
Source: CELEX:02008R1272-20260501, Annex III. © European Union, https://eur-lex.europa.eu — only the electronic Official Journal of the European Union is authentic. Irish is one of the 24 official languages and its H and P texts are printed inside the multilingual Annex tables, but no consolidated CLP has ever been published in Irish — which is why an Irish-primary label cannot be built here.
03 · Legal status
Where H203 is current
GHS is a United Nations model text, revised every two years, and each jurisdiction adopts a revision on its own timetable. A code can be legally current in one system and deleted in another — that is normal, not an error.
| Jurisdiction | Basis | Status of H203 |
|---|---|---|
| EU CLP | Regulation (EC) 1272/2008 CLP Annex IV, Part 2 (consolidated) | Current |
| US OSHA HazCom | 29 CFR 1910.1200 Appendix C UN GHS Rev.7 (final rule of 20 May 2024) | Current |
| US HazCom 2012 | legacy · GHS Rev.3 UN GHS Rev.3, Annex 3 | Current |
| UN GHS | Rev.11 (2025) UN GHS Rev.11, Annex 3 | withdrawn Current equivalent: H209. |
Currently in force under: EU CLP, US OSHA HazCom, US HazCom 2012. Sources: EU CLP · US OSHA HazCom · US HazCom 2012 · UN GHS
04 · Substances
Substances carrying H203
Every entry whose harmonised CLP Annex VI classification includes this hazard statement. Substances with a reference page here open on this site; the rest open on ghssymbols.com.
- 1-hydroxybenzotriazole, anhydrous [1]… CAS 2592-95-2
- reaction mass of: 5-[(4-[(7-amino-1-hydroxy-3-sulfo-2-n… CAS 163879-69-4
- trilithium-1-hydroxy-7-(3-sulfonatoanilino)-2-(3-methyl… CAS 117409-78-6
Nothing matches that filter.
All hazard statements
The full list of H-codes with the jurisdiction switch lives on the hazard statements hub. For what to do about the hazard, see precautionary statements (P-codes).
Wording quoted from the regulation named above. Substance counts come from harmonised classifications in CLP Annex VI — the statements on a real product also depend on the supplier's own classification. Always check the supplier safety data sheet.