Most pesticide labels must include a word indicating relative acute toxicity of the product. What is this called?

• A. Signal word
• B. Toxicity rating
• C. Hazard level
• D. Danger index

Answer: (A)

On pesticide labels, a signal word communicates the product’s acute toxicity at a glance. This word—such as Danger, Warning, or Caution—tells you how hazardous the product is and guides the level of precautions you should take, like PPE and handling procedures. The presence and choice of the signal word are standardized to reflect different toxicity levels, helping users quickly assess risk and choose appropriate protective actions and first aid steps if exposure occurs. This is why the term used to describe that label element is signal word. Other terms like toxicity rating, hazard level, or danger index aren’t the standard label terms used to convey this specific, at-a-glance toxicity information, so they don’t fit as accurately.