Biohazard Symbol Copy and Paste (☣)
Biohazard
Unicode U+2623 · HTML ☣ · Emoji 1.0 · Windows Win+.
Tap any symbol to copy it. Each tap also adds it to the box above, so you can copy several together.
Codes for every symbol on this page (Unicode, HTML, emoji version)
| Symbol | Name | Unicode | HTML | Emoji version | Windows Alt code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☣ | Biohazard | U+2623 | ☣ | 1.0 | - |
| ☣️ | Biohazard emoji style | U+2623 U+FE0F | ☣️ | 1.0 | - |
| ☢ | Radioactive | U+2622 | ☢ | 1.0 | - |
| ☠ | Poison, toxic | U+2620 | ☠ | 1.0 | - |
| ⚠ | General warning | U+26A0 | ⚠ | 1.0 | - |
The biohazard symbol ☣ warns that a place or container holds infectious biological material, such as blood samples, used syringes, cultures of germs or other medical waste. You can copy ☣ from the box above, or download it as a transparent PNG for a lab poster or a project file.
Read on to learn what the bio hazard symbol means, who designed it, how to read it in a laboratory or hospital, and how it differs from the radioactive sign ☢.
What the Biological Hazard Symbol Means
A biological hazard is anything living, or from a living body, that can spread disease to people or animals. When you see ☣ on a door, fridge, bin or bag, it means:
- Do not open or touch without training and protection (gloves, mask, lab coat).
- Do not throw the item in ordinary garbage.
- Report spills or leaks to the person in charge.
The sign is usually printed in black on a bright yellow or orange background, or in fluorescent orange-red, so it stands out even in poor light.
Who Designed the Biohazard Symbol?
The symbol was designed in 1966 by a team led by Charles Baldwin, an engineer at Dow Chemical, for marking infectious materials. Before that, labs used many different warning signs, which caused confusion.
The team made the shape deliberately meaningless. It does not look like any everyday object, so people cannot guess a wrong meaning from it. Instead, they learn it only as a warning. They also wanted it to be:
- easy to recognise and remember,
- symmetrical, so it looks the same from any side of a box or bottle,
- simple to stencil and print.
Biohazard Symbol in Laboratory and Hospital Use
| Place | Where the sign appears |
|---|---|
| Pathology or microbiology lab | Doors, sample fridges, incubators, safety cabinets |
| Hospital wards | Waste bins, sharps containers, specimen bags |
| Blood banks | Storage units and transport boxes |
| School and college labs | Rooms where cultures or samples are handled |
In a biohazard symbol in laboratory setting, the sign is often joined by a level label (for example, the biosafety level of the room) and a contact name. Students should treat any ☣ container as off-limits unless a teacher or lab in-charge tells them otherwise.
Biohazard Waste Symbol and Biomedical Waste in India
The biohazard waste symbol is printed on bags and bins for infectious biomedical waste. In India, hospitals and clinics sort biomedical waste into colour-coded bags and containers, each colour for a different kind of waste (for example, body waste, recyclable plastic items, sharps and glass). The ☣ sign on these bags tells waste handlers and collectors to treat the contents as infectious.
Hospitals follow the biomedical waste rules and their own training for which colour to use. For learning charts and posters, pair ☣ with the words "Biomedical Waste". For more about medical signs, see the doctor symbol page.
General information only; follow your institution's waste guidelines.
Biohazard vs Radioactive and Other Hazard Signs
☣ and ☢ are often confused because both have three parts around a centre.
| Sign | Name | Shape | Danger |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☣ | Biohazard | Three open crescent rings around a small circle | Germs, infectious material |
| ☢ | Radioactive | Three solid blades (a trefoil) around a dot | Radiation |
| ☠ | Skull and crossbones | Skull over two bones | Poison, chemicals |
| ⚠ | Warning | Triangle with ! | General caution |
See all of them together on our danger and warning symbols hub. Used bottles and cans that are safe to recycle get a different mark, explained on the recycle symbol page.
How to Type the Bio Hazard Symbol
- Microsoft Word: type 2623, then press Alt+X.
- Word or Excel: Insert > Symbol > More Symbols, choose Segoe UI Symbol and enter character code 2623.
- Windows: press Windows+. and search "biohazard".
- Mac: Control+Command+Space and search "biohazard".
- Phone: search "biohazard" in the emoji keyboard for ☣️.
- HTML: ☣
There is no Alt code for ☣.
Frequently asked questions
What does the biohazard symbol mean?
It means the item or area contains infectious biological material that could spread disease. Handle it only with proper training and protection.
Why does the biohazard symbol have no clear meaning in its shape?
Its designers made it deliberately meaningless so that people would not connect it with anything else. It is learned purely as a warning sign.
Is the biohazard symbol the same as the radioactive symbol?
No. ☣ warns of germs and infectious waste, while ☢ warns of radiation. They are used in different places and need different safety steps.
How do I draw the biohazard symbol?
Draw a small circle in the centre, then three equal crescent shapes around it, spaced evenly like a three-leaf design, and an inner ring that cuts through them. It is easier to copy ☣ or use the PNG from this page and trace it.