2009

RobVajko

1/12/2009
TheBasicsofSignage
Thenatureofsignageis,atthemost
basiclevel,designedtoletthese
employeesknowthenatureofthe
dangerandwhattheyneedtodoto
avoidinjury
www.nationalsafetyinc.com

Page2
NationalSafety,Inc.
TheBasicsofSignage
Inthebestofallpossibleworlds,therearenohazardstowarnagainst.Intherealworld,however,there
arenumerousdangersandpossiblehazardsthatemployeesneedtopayattentionto.Thenatureof
signageis,atthemostbasiclevel,designedtolettheseemployeesknowthenatureofthedangerand
whattheyneedtodotoavoidinjury.Effectivesignagewillidentifyandlabeleveryandallpossible
hazardstheworkersneedtoprotectagainst.
Propersignageshouldbedesignedtohelptheemployeeidentifyevenataquickglance,thenatureand
emergencyofthehazard.Notallsignsaresignsthatneedtobereadimmediately.Thenatureofthe
hazardmaynotbeonethatisurgent.Thepersonlookingatthesignneedstobeabletosee
immediatelywhichsignsareurgentandwhatthenatureoftheurgencyis.
Therearevariouswaysthatsignshavetriedtohelpresolvethisproblem.Colors,Wording,Symbolsand
thesizeofthefontorsymbolusedareusuallyusedinvariouscombinationstohelpidentifythehazards.
Colors
Thereare5basiccolorsthatareused,usuallyinconjunctionwithsomekeywordsofwarning.
REDisusedtoidentifydangersthatareimmediateandhazardsthathavethepotentialforserious
injuryordeath.ThiscolorisusuallyusedwithDANGER,FIREorSTOP.Thisisusuallyusedtolabel
flammableliquids,emergencyswitchesaswellasfireissues.

ORANGEmeans(andisusedwiththeword)warning.Thehazardisseriousbutnotnecessarily
immediate.Itwarnsthereadertobecarefulbecausethereisthepotentialforseriousinjuryoreven
death.Exampleswouldincludepinchpoints,machineryandmovingparts.

www.nationalsafetyinc.com

Page3
NationalSafety,Inc.
YELLOWisusedtoidentifyahazardthatmightresultininjurythat,whilenotnecessarilylife
threatening,couldstillbesomewhatserious.ItisusedmostoftenwithCaution.Slips,tripsandfalls
wouldfallinthiscategoryaswouldcertainstoragecabinets(corrosives,flammables,etc).

GREENdenotessafetyandisusuallyusedtoidentifysafetymateriallikeMSDSsheets.Thereisno
immediatedangerpresent.ItisusuallyassociatedwiththewordSafetyorThink.

BLUEismostoftenusedwithNOTICEtoidentifysafetyregulationsandprocedures.

OSHACFR1910.144mandatesonlytheuseofRedandYellow:
Red
Redshallbethebasiccolorfortheidentificationof:
Fireprotectionequipmentandapparatus.
Danger.Safetycansorotherportablecontainersofflammableliquidshavingaflash
pointatorbelow80F,tablecontainersofflammableliquids(opencuptester),
excludingshippingcontainers,shallbepaintedredwithsomeadditionalclearlyvisible
identificationeitherintheformofayellowbandaroundthecanorthenameofthe
contentsconspicuouslystenciledorpaintedonthecaninyellow.Redlightsshallbe
providedatbarricadesandattemporaryobstructions.Dangersignsshallbepaintedred.
Stop.Emergencystopbarsonhazardousmachinessuchasrubbermills,wireblocks,flat
workironers,etc.,shallbered.Stopbuttonsorelectricalswitcheswhichlettersorother
markingsappear,usedforemergencystoppingofmachineryshallbered.
www.nationalsafetyinc.com

Page4
NationalSafety,Inc.

Yellow
Yellowshallbethebasiccolorfordesignatingcautionandformarkingphysicalhazardssuchas:
Strikingagainst,stumbling,falling,tripping,and"caughtinbetween."

Usingtheothercolors,whilenotmandated,isagoodideatoconformtowhatmostpeopleareusedto.

Shapes
Inadditiontocolors,shapesareassociatedwithcertaintypesofsigns.
TrianglesandDiamondsareusedforhazardousmaterialsandNFPAlabels.

Circlesareusedformandatoryactionsthatworkersarecalledtoperformsuchasdonningacertaintype
ofPersonalProtectiveEquipmentorextinguishingcigarettes.

SquaresandRectanglesareusedmostgenericallyformostothertypesofinformation.

www.nationalsafetyinc.com

Page5
NationalSafety,Inc.
BilingualSigns
BecausemoreandmoreworkersdonotnecessarilyspeakorreadEnglish,itisusuallyagoodideato
makesurethatyoursignsarebilingualinordertomakesurethatyourSpanishspeakingemployeesare
safeaswell.

ANSIZ535.21998vs.ANSIZ535.22002

ThenewANSIZ535.22002specifiesthenewstandardforsafetysigns.ANSIZ535.22002signsaremade
upofthreedistinctpanels:
1. TheheaderpanelwhichcontainstheDANGER,WARNINGorCAUTIONalongwiththegraphic
symbol .

a. Thisheaderdenotesahazardthatisseriousenoughto
potentiallycauseseriousinjuryordeath.

b. ThisheaderdenotesahazardthatissimilartotheDANGER
abovebutwithalesserdegreeofrisk.

c. Thisheaderdenotesahazardthathasthepotentialformoderate
injury.

www.nationalsafetyinc.com

Page6
NationalSafety,Inc.
d. Thisheader(noticetheabsenceofthesafetyalerttriangle)isto
beusedtodenotehazardsthathavethepotentialfordamagetopropertyasopposed
topersonalinjury.

e. Thisheaderdenotesastatementofcompanypolicy.ItisNEVER
tobeusedifthereisahazardthatcouldresultinpersonalinjury.

2. Thepictorialpanelthatdescribesthetypeofhazard,thepossibleconsequenceofthehazardor
theactiontobetakentoavoidthehazard.Therearetwodifferentclassificationsofpictorials:
a. HazardAlertingPictorialsapicturethatshowswhatthehazardisandwhatthe
consequencesareiftheworkerfailstofollowtheinstructions.

b. HazardAvoidancePictorialsPicturesthatillustratetheactiontobetakentoavoidthe
hazard.

3. Themessagepanel.ANSIrecommendsacombinationofUPPERCASEandlowercasesansserif
text.
a. Uppercasetextshouldbeusedtocalltoaction,aconsequencestatement,emergency
informationortodescribethehazardthatispresent.
b. Lowercasetextshouldbeusedtogiveinstructionsabouthowtoavoidthehazard,to
outlinetheconsequencesmoreindetail,toexplaintheactionstatementoroutline
safetymeasurestobetaken.
Visibility
ANSIZ5352002specifiesaratioof25feetperinchoftextforfavorablereadingconditions(theairis
clearofsmoke,debris,dust,lightingisgood,etc)and12feetperinchoftextforunfavorablereading
conditions(visibilityissomewhathampered).
www.nationalsafetyinc.com

Page7
NationalSafety,Inc.
Asanexampleifvisibilityislimitedandasignneedstobereadfrom50feetaway,thelettersonthe
signwouldneedtobefiveinchestall.Ifvisibilityisgood,theletterwouldneedtobetwoinchestall.

Puttingtogetheracompletesafetysignageprogram
1. Signageneedstocoverallofyourcompaniesproperty.Thismeansthatyouneedtomakesure
thatallhazardsarelabeledcorrectly,notonlyintheproductionfacilitiesorwarehouse,butalso
onallthegroundsoutsidethebuildingaswellasoffices,hallwaysandlunchrooms.
2. Themoreeyesthebetter.Consideraskingyourlocalsafetysuppliertocomeoutanddoawalk
throughwithyou.Attheveryleast,haveseveralpeopleidentifyallthepossiblehazards.You
alonewillinvariablymissthings.Askemployeeswherethehazardsareandmakesurethatthey
areadequatelylabeledforprotection.
3. Dontjustlook,listen,smellandfeelaswell.Aretherehotpipesorexhausts?Arethereareas
thatareloudandrequirehearingprotection?Arefumespresent?Allofthesearepotential
hazardsandshouldbeproperlyidentified.
4. Standardizeandcommunicatewhatthatstandardis.Ifthesamecolorisusedtoidentifythe
samehazardthroughoutthefacility,ifacertainsymbolisusedoverandoveragain,then
employees,oncetheyhavebeentaught,willbeabletoidentifyhazardsquicklyandaccurately.

Standardsandwheretogetmoreinformation:

OSHA29CFR1910(http://www.osha.gov/)
ANSIZ535(http://www.ansi.org/)