Will universal safety standards cause more problems than they solve? Implementing rules across cultures and languages will have benefits, but also potential issues.  GHS, the Globally Harmonized System of labeling hazardous chemicals is one example of standardized visual warnings being adopted worldwide.

The United Nations began planning the program in 1992, and hoped to have it engaged by 2008. Many countries have yet to embrace it. Proponents of GHS and other systems say that all countries should respect international rules and labeling, because safety is safety. Critics suggest that poor countries can't afford to implement such rules.  Also, a debate continues on who should set the standards of any program, and how they should be implemented.