Indicates an imminently hazardous situation, which if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury. This signal word is to be limited to the most extreme situations. (Time Critical)
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation, which if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury. It may be used to alert against unsafe practices.
Industry Safety Alert standards are continually evolving. They may be in text or placard (decal) formats. The ANSI Z535 standard makes the old “OSHA” style labels obsolete. Safety Alerts should be placed either directly on the equipment or in user/maintenance documentation or both. The rule is that Placement of the Safety Alert must be in a location where it is most effective. This may including placement on the device itself or in sections of the user documentation that are related to the subject hazard. Safety Alerts have little value if the target audience is never addressed.
Anatomy of a Safety Alert Message
Safety Alerts are often used as mitigation and hazard risk control however, Safety Alerts are considered to be a less-effective form of mitigation / hazard risk control as seen in the safety precedence order.
Graphic-Only Approach
The International Standards Organization (ISO) is responsible for publishing the international standard ISO 3864 - Safety Colors and Safety Signs (Labels). The standard defines the design criteria for international safety signs. Contained in the standard are three sign formats pertaining to equipment manufacturers. This includes Warning Signs, Mandatory Action Signs, and Prohibition Symbols. Predominately used internationally, the graphic-only approach communicates the safety label’s message quickly and without the use of words. This is the preferred format in the European community due to the concentration of diverse languages.
Example of a “graphic-only approach.
Safety Alert Links
Off-The-Shelf Safety Alert Placards
Safety Symbols Article
Labels