Information On Safety Signs
Safety signs are ubiquitous, from the common traffic "Stop" signs to the "Caution: Wet Floors" signs we see every day. Standards for safety signs in the workplace are regulated by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
History
According to Unified Engineering Inc., as the industrial movement progressed around the turn of the 20th century, the role of signs in accident prevention began to be promoted. The National Safety Council asked the American Standards Association (the ASA was the original name of ANSI) to simplify and standardize signage so that workers could immediately recognize dangerous situations. In the 1960s, they standardized the pictorials on danger signs. Today, ANSI sign criteria are the most generally accepted standards.
Definition
ANSI defines a safety sign as a visual device that alerts an observer to potential hazards. The sign must be clear and eye-catching to accomplish this. Standard features include a signal word such as "Danger" and a picture or message displayed on certain specific colors.
Signal Words
A signal word indicates the relative degree of danger about which the observer is being warned. "Caution" indicates a potentially hazardous situation that could result in minor or moderate injury. Potentially hazardous situations that could result in severe injury are indicated by the word, "Warning." "Danger" indicates an imminent situation that will result in serious injury or death if not avoided.
Colors
Caution signs are associated with the color yellow and Warning signs are associated with the color orange. Danger signs are associated with the color red and are limited to the most extreme situations. Green is the color used to identify safety equipment and blue is the color for communicating safety information on community bulletin boards.
OSHA
In addition to the standardization supplied by ANSI, OSHA has developed regulations for placement of signs throughout work sites for maximum effectiveness. OSHA sign regulations are available at the U.S. Department of Labor OSHA Standards web page.
History
According to Unified Engineering Inc., as the industrial movement progressed around the turn of the 20th century, the role of signs in accident prevention began to be promoted. The National Safety Council asked the American Standards Association (the ASA was the original name of ANSI) to simplify and standardize signage so that workers could immediately recognize dangerous situations. In the 1960s, they standardized the pictorials on danger signs. Today, ANSI sign criteria are the most generally accepted standards.
Definition
ANSI defines a safety sign as a visual device that alerts an observer to potential hazards. The sign must be clear and eye-catching to accomplish this. Standard features include a signal word such as "Danger" and a picture or message displayed on certain specific colors.
Signal Words
A signal word indicates the relative degree of danger about which the observer is being warned. "Caution" indicates a potentially hazardous situation that could result in minor or moderate injury. Potentially hazardous situations that could result in severe injury are indicated by the word, "Warning." "Danger" indicates an imminent situation that will result in serious injury or death if not avoided.
Colors
Caution signs are associated with the color yellow and Warning signs are associated with the color orange. Danger signs are associated with the color red and are limited to the most extreme situations. Green is the color used to identify safety equipment and blue is the color for communicating safety information on community bulletin boards.
OSHA
In addition to the standardization supplied by ANSI, OSHA has developed regulations for placement of signs throughout work sites for maximum effectiveness. OSHA sign regulations are available at the U.S. Department of Labor OSHA Standards web page.
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