Safety Signs
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Safety Signs Selection Guide
Safety Sign Selection Guide
Safety signs are a necessary and required component for warning and
communicating messages or notices to your employees, customers and/or the
general public. In order to provide a clear and concise message, the sign must
meet a variety of requirements and standards. Selecting and placing a safety
sign for your facility is more than a workplace requirement, but an opportunity to
prevent costly accidents or dangerous hazards for individuals within your facility.
Comply with Applicable Regulations
Check the specific sign requirements of the regulation you’re complying with. Exit and fire extinguisher signs are covered by
NFPA and IBC, general and chemical hazards by OSHA, traffic and parking signs by the Dept. of Transportation. Layout, text
and signal words are covered by OSHA and ANSI. Below are several of the common regulations affecting signs:
Organization What’s Covered
OSHA – Occupational
Safety & Health Administration
OSHA 1910.37 Means of Egress, General (Exit signs and routes)
OSHA 1910.144 Safety Color Code for Marking Physical Hazards
OSHA 1910.145 Specifications for Accident Prevention Signs and Tags
OSHA 1910.146 Permit-Required Confined Spaces
OSHA 1910.147 Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)
OSHA 1910.1200 Hazard Communication (includes updated GHS standard)
OSHA 1910.303 Electrical Subpart S; (g)(2)(iii) and (h)(5)(iii)[B] – Warning Signs)
OSHA 1926.200 Signs, Signals & Barricades for Construction
DOT – Department of Transportation
Hazardous Materials Warning Placards and Labels
- Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 172 Subpart D–Marking,
Subpart E – Labeling, Subpart F-Placarding
- Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 100-199
MUTCD 2009 with Revisions 1 & 2 (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) is the
most current edition of the MUTCD
NFPA – National Fire Protection Association
NFPA 70: National Electrical Code
NFPA 101: Life Safety Code
NFPA 101B: Code for Means of Egress for Buildings and Structures
NFPA 704: Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for
Emergency Response
ICC – International Code Council IBC 2012 International Building Code
IFC 2012 International Fire Code
IMO – International Maritime Organization Resolution A.752(18) Egress and Low Level Lighting
ANSI – American National Standards Institute
ANSI Z535.1-2001, Safety Color Code
ANSI Z535.2-2002, Environmental and Facility Safety Signs
ANSI Z535.3-2003, Criteria for Safety Symbols
ANSI Z535.4-2004, Product Safety Signs & Labels
ISO – International Standards Organization
ISO 7010:2011 Prescribes Safety Signs for the Purposes of Accident Prevention,
Fire Protection, Health Hazard Information and Emergency Evacuation.
ISO 7001:2007 Graphical Symbols, Public Information Symbols
ADA – Americans with
Disabilities Act
2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design; 703 Signs
Meet Occupational Health Administration
(OSHA 1910.145) and ANSI (ANSI Z535) regulations and guidelines.
The majority of facility signs need to meet Occupational Health Administration
(OSHA 1910.145) and ANSI (ANSI Z535) regulations and guidelines.
Examples:
To Comply with OSHA 1910.145:
OSHA requires safety signs to indicate specific hazards that, without identification,
may lead to accidental injury to workers and/or the public or to property damage.
These signs must also be designed with rounded or blunt corners and must be
free from sharp edges or other sharp projections. Examples of OSHA regulated
messages include “Danger,” “Caution” and “Safety” signs.
To Comply with ANSI Z535:
ANSI Z535 requires a specific set of standards for sign design and application.
In order to comply, signs must include universal pictograms that represent various
hazards. Each sign must also contain a safety alert symbol and a white on black
text box. The use of signs, colors and symbols are intended to identify and warn
against specific hazards and accident preventions. These signs are meant to
provide a clear and concise safety alert message. Examples of ANSI regulated
messages include “Danger,” “Warning,” “Caution,” “Notice” and fire and general
safety signs.
Safety
Alert
Symbol
Universal
Pictogram
White text
on a black
background
Left justified
upper and
lower case
ketters
OSHA 1910.145 Examples
ANSI Z535 Example
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