Can’t read the fine print? Click through.

I am constantly asking myself a very simple question: What are you trying to accomplish? It applies to any situation, but it is especially important when I ‘m creating a new safety sign or label for a client. Every facility has a need for signs and many of those signs are going to be similar or identical. But every facility also has specific hazards or procedures which are unique to that company.

These unique challenges have given rise to custom label services. These services are great and serve an extremely important purpose. Before you go making your own label, though, ask yourself: What are you trying to accomplish? Here are three easy steps to creating a perfect (and ANSI compliant) sign:

1) What type of sign do you need?

As always, this flow chart will help you pick the right header depending on the hazard. Remember, too, that safety signs can be extremely helpful even when there is no dangerous hazard. There may not be a risk of personal injury, but there are many instances where a sign will make your facility safer, more efficient, and more productive.

The swine flu scare can be a perfect example, actually. One of the best ways to avoid any flu is to simply wash your hands often. Avoiding a potentially series disease is already on everyone’s mind, so a gentle reminder in every restroom can be extremely effective toward creating healthy habits. And staying healthy is good for everyone.

NOTICE signs tend to be under-utilized. Think about the important messages that can create a better working environment in your facility.

2) What is your primary message?

In any hazardous situation, there are many details which can help keep a person safe. Compiling all of this information on a single sign is not only impractical and a little silly, it also creates an added danger. Instead, we need to decide which pieces of information are most important or will keep a person out of immediate danger.

The shorter the message, the better. In fact, once you decide on a message for your sign, try to cut out 3 words. Once you’ve done that, try to cut out 3 more. This simple exercise helps to make your statement more powerful. Here are some examples…

• Instead of “Do Not Enter” use “Keep Out”
• Remove all instances of the words “this,” “that,” “they,” “we,” “a,” “the,” “an,” “is,” “are,” and “were.”
• Make sure all statements are concise, avoid using “should,” “might,” or “in order to.”
• Remove any information not directly related to health, safety, or property damage.

3) What are you trying to accomplish?

Finally, make sure your sign effectively communicates exactly what needs to occur (or not occur) to avoid a hazard. Here is a situation which may exist in any facility:

A potentially deadly chemical is in storage behind a locked door. A supplied-air respirator must be worn before entering the room and the room must remain locked at all other times.

There are several pieces of crucial information here, so the key is to highlight the most important element. Here are two possible sign designs:

While both of these signs present fine information, the second is much more effective because it informs the reader exactly how to avoid the hazard. Focusing on the respirator also carries the implication of hazardous materials. The symbol is also clear and instantly understandable. Focusing on the lock will neither indicate the nature of the hazard, nor explicitly state personal precautionary measures.

With these simple steps, you’re on the right track to creating signs which serve as effective communication tools. Also, watch out for that bridge.

This is a standard OSHA sign for a confined space. You can buy a sign exactly like this from any sign manufacturer, large or small. You could probably find something similar at your local Home Depot (sure enough, I found this with a simple search). So what’s wrong with it?

The short answer is, well, nothing. IF (and it’s a pretty big if) you are only worried about avoiding an OSHA fine this year. If, instead, you’re worried about keeping people safe (which is all of you), then there are three major problems with this sign.

First, this sign uses the old style header. It’s been a few years now since ANSI moved toward the international standards. The red oval in a black field is now generally referred to (unsurprisingly) as the “OSHA style” header. OSHA hasn’t yet outlawed this old version, but it will eventually, and sooner than you might think.

However, OSHA does specify that there is to be no variation in the type of sign posted to warn of specific dangers, warnings, and radiation hazards. This means that if you have both the new and the old style headers, OSHA will ding you.

Most importantly, of course, is making sure that people can tell, at a glace, that the situation is dangerous. The more closely you adhere to international standards, the more likely people will instantly comprehend your message.

Second, along those same lines, all-caps text is harder to read than sentence-case text. Don’t believe me? TRY READING THE REST OF MY ARTICLE LIKE THIS. TOO OFTEN, WE MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THINKING THAT BIGGER MEANS EASIER TO READ, BUT THIS IS WRONG. FOR YEARS, OSHA STYLE SIGNS HAVE BEEN PRINTED IN ALL CAPS FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN BECAUSE THEY’VE ALWAYS BEEN PRINTED IN ALL CAPS. BUT STUDIES HAVE PROVED AGAIN AND AGAIN THAT the human mind is hardwired to read mixed-case words. See how much easier this is on your brain?

This is something that OSHA is already starting to take very seriously. Next time you’re driving down the highway, make note of the road signs and how they are written (especially the large green ones). You may not have even registered the gradual change over the years, but even our most prominent public signage is moving toward mixed-case lettering.

Third, what if someone can’t read English? Our OSHA-style sign is meaningless for international visitors, children, and foreign workers.

Safety symbols have become a crucial part of any safety sign. In fact, the international standards set forth by ISO puts more emphasis on the symbol than on the actual wording. ANSI has become very specific in their criteria for safety symbols. The goal is to make sure than anyone from anywhere can instantly recognize a hazard and take steps to avoid it.

With all of this in mind, here is a much better version of our sign using ANSI standards.

This sign has the correct header, is easy to read, and includes an instantly recognizable safety symbol. There are many resources available to help you create more effective signs (like this “Best Practices” guide, for example). Most importantly, don’t be satisfied by your standard, store-bought OSHA signs. More than avoiding a fine, you’ll be keeping people safe.

Pop Quiz: Which of these is the correct radiation alert symbol?

They are not readily noticeable, but if you look close you will see subtle differences. One of these symbols conforms to international standards, the other does not. Give up? Try these:

Which of these is the correct surround shape for prohibited actions?

Which of these is the proper hazard alert symbol?

Which of these is the appropriate directional arrow?

If you don’t know or are guessing, that’s okay (the answers are at the bottom of this article). The point of having international standards isn’t to give you a headache or to give OSHA a new reason to issue a fine (though it probably feels like that sometimes). Standards are in place so that anyone who walks into your facility will recognize and obey your safety signs.

Here, for example, are the actual, specified dimensions of the radiation hazard symbol. This amount of detail ensures that no matter who creates a radiation symbol, it will be universally recognizable. What’s more, there are specifications that dictate exactly when, where, and how to use these symbols. Problems arise when a designer either doesn’t know or deliberately ignores these specifications. All too often, people try to make a safety symbol “look better” without regard to international standards.

This can sometimes have an amusing result. According to ANSI standards, the symbol at the left means “Smoking is Required” (the blue circle signifies a mandatory action). We see unintentionally hilarious signs like this everywhere we go, but not all of these mistakes are funny. Ignoring standards can sometimes be dangerous. Even deadly.

We’ll use this symbol as an example:

This symbol is ambiguous at best. If you were to guess its meaning, what would you say? Taken literally, this combination means “Poisonous Substances Prohibited” or possibly “Do Not Poisonous Substance” (which, of course, is utter non sense). But someone who sees this symbol may guess it means “Not Deadly” or “Avoid Poison” or maybe “Do Not Die.”

If this symbol is posted to warn of a dangerous substance, there is an enormous risk if the viewer assumes it means, “Don’t worry, everything is fine, nothing here will kill you.”

This is why the standards are so specific. Obviously, you aren’t expected to memorize them all (that’s my job), but you do have to make sure your signs are produced by someone who knows what they are doing. Because little differences can have huge consequences.

1) B
2) A
3) A
4) B

I recently saw a sign like this hanging in the window of a machine shop.

There is a major error here. Can you spot it?

Every organization which is responsible for standardization has been making a serious push toward universal consistency. We all work in a global market and it is common to have a multi-national workforce. With each successive release, the ANSI Z535 standards (which set specifications related to safety signs and labels) have been conforming more and more to the international criteria set by ISO. Doing so makes sure that no matter who sees your sign (and no matter where they are from), your message will be understood.

This is one of the major reasons ANSI has completely discontinued the old “OSHA style” headers*:

Instead opting for a look consistent with international standards:

As always, this flow chart (click here) can help you pick an appropriate header. Here are the basic definitions for each signal word:

• Safety instruction or safety equipment location signs indicate general instruction relative to safe work practices or indicate the location of safety equipment.
• NOTICE is used to address practices not related to personal injury.
• CAUTION indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in minor or moderate injury.
• WARNING indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.
• DANGER indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury.

Thanks, Ethan, but what in the world does this have to do with your original question?

Well, take a second look at that sign and see if you can figure out the major error. I’ll give you a hint: The title of this post should give away the answer…

NOTICE signs are not used for personal injury risks, but the graphic shows a person at risk of personal injury.

In this specific case, the sign isn’t going to cause danger, but it’s not a proper warning. This is the kind of error that can cause major confusion with international visitors. It is extremely important to make sure your message is consistent. There are a couple different ways we can fix this sign. We could use a slightly different safety symbol which doesn’t feature a personal injury risk:

While this is more consistent, it’s also a little silly. I can’t think of a single instance where safety glasses would be required, but where there is no risk of personal injury. That doesn’t mean the situation doesn’t exist, but that’s what safety glasses are for, right? The better way to clean this up would be to add the appropriate header:

That’s better. I’ll have to get in contact with the manager of that machine shop.

*It might be a little unfair to refer to these headers as “OSHA style.” While its true that OSHA still allows these headers on signs and labels, OSHA also requires consistency throughout a facility. OSHA certainly doesn’t want confusion, so if one sign is updated, all other signs should also be updated.

More Info:

Effective Safety Symbols
A Good Sign?

For more information on creating OSHA compliant signs, please see this Best Practices Guide offered by Graphic Products, Inc. (click here)

This certainly is a good sign and we have completely conformed to the standardization in ANSI 535. It has come a long way.

The message is clear and the hazard is obvious. After some serious updates, we have a sign that will keep people safe and (as an added bonus) help you avoid a fine from OSHA.

Here is the original design…

Take a few moments to study the differences between these two signs.

Both signs warn of the same hazard, both signs feature the same basic safety symbol, and both signs present exactly the same information. It’s easy to see, though, that the ANSI compliant sign is much more effective. We start to get a feeling for why ANSI provides these standards in the first place. The entire purpose of a safety sign is to protect people from a hazardous situation. The more clear the message, the safer the people in your facility.

Here is a basic run down of the changes we made:

• Find and use the appropriate header
• Change the message wording:
• Decide on the primary message
• Remove unnecessary words and phrases
• Write in “headline style”
• Use upper- and lower-case letters
• Use an effective safety symbol
• Redesign the text for readability
• Use a sign layout which increases visibility and comprehension

On a final note, I wanted to point out that there are a lot of options for the layout of the sign. Use discretion based on the environment in which the sign or label will be placed. For example, you may want to place the safety symbol on the opposite side:

You may also eliminate the line which separates the word panel from the symbol:

Depending on sign placement, you may want to use a vertical layout:

If your color options are limited, you may also use a two-color option. make sure the color of the signal word panel remains the same (in this case, orange) and there is sufficient contrast between the text and the background:

Leave a comment if you have specific questions, but we’ll cover ANSI layouts in much more detail in a future article.

Click here for Part 1
Click here for Part 2
Click here for Part 3

For more information on creating OSHA compliant signs, please see this Best Practices Guide offered by Graphic Products, Inc. (click here)

Last time, we updated the message wording so our sign was both easier to read and easier to comprehend. There is an important last step to making sure this sign is ANSI compliant: design and layout.

First, let’s talk about that safety symbol.

It should be noted that there is actually nothing inherently wrong with this safety symbol. The yellow and black equilateral triangle (or “hazard alerting” symbol) is an approved and often effective way to highlight a hazardous situation (ANSI Z535.3-2007 C2.1). However, sometimes using a surround shape can actually inhibit, rather than increase, understanding. This is especially true when the size of the safety symbol must be dramatically reduced.

Once the alert symbol is removed, we can expand the size of the inhalation hazard symbol:

This will be much easier to see from a distance.

Now, let’s adjust the text.

There is no reason for the text to be red. Not only is red specified as the color of “DANGER,” red text is less bold than black. Also, adding multiple colors will often increase the cost of the sign (which was another benefit of removing the safety symbol from the hazard alert).

The text should be left-justified. As with upper- and lower-case letters (discussed last time), left justified text is much easier to read.

I’m also going to change the font from Arial to Franklin Gothic demi, which is both bolder and slightly narrower. Again, this will help our sign be seen from a distance.

With all that out of the way, we can place our elements on our sign. Here again, ANSI has given us fairly specific direction (ANSI 535.2-2007 6). I will discuss these layouts in more detail another time. For now, here is a layout which highlights our safety symbol:

Finally, let’s put it all together. For clarity, I will use white text on a black background. ANSI states: “The word message’s type can be black on a white background or white on a black background. This choice should be based on which is more legible. Legibility is dependent on… type size, amount of text, reading distance, contrast with product surface, and lighting conditions” (ANSI 535.2-2007 B3.3.12).

With that, we have an ANSI compliant sign! These guidelines are useful not just when designing your own signs, but when shopping for individual safety signs. Before you purchase, make sure the signs you will place in your facility are ANSI compliant. You’ll not only make your workplace much safer, but you’ll avoid an OSHA fine (which is always nice). If you have specific design needs, there are services available to help you design a custom sign or label.

I will write one more follow-up article which will discuss the specific changes we’ve made.

Click here for Part 1
Click here for Part 2

For more information on creating OSHA compliant signs, please see this Best Practices Guide offered by Graphic Products, Inc. (click here)

Last time we talked about choosing the appropriate header for our safety signs and labels. The above sign is still not ANSI compliant, but it’s certainly better than the sign we started with.

Today, we’ll look at how the wording of our message can dramatically increase comprehension.

Proper message wording is crucial. It is one of the most important parts of any sign and it may also be the part most often neglected. Even some of the major sign manufacturers offer signs with poorly worded messages. This step becomes even more important if you are designing and printing your own signs. In fact, take a second to re-read the message on the sign we’re working with (if you haven’t already).

HAZARDOUS VAPORS
YOU CAN EXPERIENCE INTERNAL BLEEDING OR INFERTILITY DUE TO PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO VAPORS. VAPORS CAN ALSO BE DEADLY.
DO NOT ENTER

You may not have realized it before, but this sign has a lot of room for improvement. To tell the truth, it’s driving me a little crazy. Let’s fix it one step at a time.

First, we must decide on our primary message. Information on a safety sign should be arranged to provide the most important information first (ANSI Z535.2-2007 B3.2). Especially in the case of hazardous vapors, where reaction time is a serious issue, “DO NOT ENTER” should be the focus of this sign. But, we can take that even one step further.

As an action statement, “DO NOT ENTER” is actually fairly poor. We are all so used to seeing it that you may not have ever thought about it, but it is a negative statement. Rather than telling the reader what not to do, let’s give them specific direction. Instead, we’ll say: “KEEP OUT!”

Of course, it’s important to identify the type of hazard, so we won’t eliminate “HAZARDOUS VAPORS.” Instead, we will move it directly below the action statement.

Now for the fun part. The entire consequence statement is terribly worded. Safety signs should always be easy to read and easy to comprehend. The first thing we want to do is dramatically shorten the statement. We can remove “YOU” because it is implied. We can also remove the prepositional phrase “DUE TO,” which adds confusion. There is no reason we can’t combine both sentences into a single statement. And we can re-write the entire message so it is “headline style” like a newspaper… Now we have:

KEEP OUT!
HAZARDOUS VAPORS
EXPOSURE MAY CAUSE INTERNAL BLEEDING, INFERTILITY, OR DEATH.

That’s better! But there is one critical change that will make this message much easier to read. You may have already figured it out:

Keep Out!
Hazardous vapors
Exposure may cause internal bleeding, infertility, or death.

Compare those two statements and you will instantly recognize how much easier the second is to read. Writing messages in sentence case (rather than ALL CAPS) is the most often ignored direction from the ANSI standard. Our brains are hard-wired to read words with a mixture of upper- and lower-case letters. Writing in ALL CAPS lowers comprehension and increases reading time (which is dangerous).

With that out of the way, let’s take a look at our sign:

Still not perfect, but much, much better. Next time, we’ll look at how design and layout will make this a much more effective sign.

Click here for Part 1

For more information on creating OSHA compliant signs, please see this Best Practices Guide offered by Graphic Products, Inc. (click here)

We have all seen signs like this. You may not immediately recognize anything at all wrong with it. In fact, though, it is not only littered with errors, but hanging a sign like this in your facility may just get you fined by OSHA.

Over the last decade, ANSI has ramped up its effort toward standardizing the designs of signs and labels. Some of these changes are fairly obvious, others more subtle. All of the updates, however, are geared toward making your facility much safer.

One of the most notable (and somewhat controversial) moves by ANSI was to completely eliminate the old header designs:

We will continue to see these headers in use for a few years. Anything already in place or manufactured doesn’t need to be replaced or destroyed (and OSHA won’t hold it against you). In an effort to create consistency, though, ANSI has designated a few very specific headers for both signs and labels:

Along with presenting a standardized series of headers with specific colors, every header is hazard-specific. The safety green header is the only one which may have custom wording (such as “EYEWASH” or “SAFETY PROCEDURES”). There are also detailed rules which govern when and where to use each header. For instance, If there is no risk of personal injury (regardless of the type of hazard), the NOTICE header should be used. Also, DANGER should be limited to the most extreme situations which will cause serious injury and death. You can get a better idea of which header is appropriate using this flow chart (click here).

The sign at the top of this post is for hazardous vapors which may (but not always) be deadly. According to OSHA and ANSI standards, it should be a WARNING sign. So let’s update it:

This gets us one step closer to having an ANSI compliant sign (which means you’ll avoid that dreaded OSHA fine). Next time, we’ll look at how the wording of your message can help make a much more effective warning.

For more information on creating OSHA compliant signs, please see this Best Practices Guide offered by Graphic Products, Inc. (click here)

What does this symbol mean?

If you don’t know, you’re not alone.

Many of the safety symbols in use today are simple abstract designs. For many symbols, this is a necessity. The symbols for both radiation and biological hazards, for example, were deliberately designed to be abstract, easily identifiable, and unique. Charles Baldwin, an environmental-health engineer who directed the program which developed the biohazard alert symbol, explained:

“The only parameters that I set down for [the team] to noodle through were 1) it had to be unique and 2) it had to be something that would be striking enough that it would be remembered. We wanted something that was memorable but meaningless, so we could educate people as to what it means.”

Once the final design was reached, Baldwin wrote a paper in the journal Science, presenting it to the scientific community. After getting authorization from various organizations, it was eventually adopted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

This kind of long-term investment in a safety symbol is rare, however. Most of the abstract shapes that are being used on facility signs and labels (like the example above) can actually add confusion. Too often, these symbols are used automatically, without regard for a reader’s ability to comprehend the message. This can actually increase the danger that the sign is intended to warn against.

ANSI (the American National Standards Institute) is actively encouraging the use of representational symbols rather than abstract images. From their Criteria for Safety Symbols:

“While symbols are by definition somewhat abstract, those that are more representational will often be more easily understood. It is especially important to include specifics when the safety symbol is intended to warn users of a ‘hidden’ hazard.” – ANSI Z535.3-2007 A3.1

Rather than the hard-to-understand symbol which opened this article, this would be an effective alternative:

It is much more clear that this symbol means “Fire Alarm.” Where the first image tried to indefinitely illustrate a bell or a button, this symbol shows a clear and specific action. The use of color adds another dimension of clarity:

When designing the signs and labels for your facility, make sure to use symbols which clearly and completely communicate your message. One of the great benefits of creating your own signs and labels is the ability to control the message and communicate to your specific needs (which isn’t always possible when buying pre-printed stock). Be careful to choose symbols which can be easily understood by anyone who walks into your facility, no matter what language they speak or how much experience they have with the specific hazards they may encounter.