TOP 5 ITEMS TO CONSIDER

WHEN CHOOSING SAFETY SIGNS

By: Thomas Smith, Product Manager, Brady Worldwide Inc.

Last updated: January, 2012
 TOP 5 ITEMS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING SAFETY SIGNS

Safety signs are a necessary component for warning and communicating messages or notices to employees and customers.
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.

Here are five items to consider when selecting safety signs for your facility:

1. Match the Material to the Application

A thin plastic sign is a poor choice for a windy outdoor employee parking lot that’s expected to last 10 years or more. Similarly,
a thick aluminum indoor sign identifying the nearest restroom is probably overkill and too expensive. Choosing a material
for your safety sign may not seem as significant as the message or regulatory compliance of the sign. But it’s important to
remember that different materials are equipped for different environments and applications. If you don’t select the proper
material, you could end up having to replace the sign more frequently than needed.

Most popular sign materials to choose from:

Material Construction Environment Ideal For Cost

Rigid with graphics embedded Outdoor, harsh conditions. Parking lots, outdoor storage,
Durable Fiberglass
or applied to surface, coated / Excellent wind, chemical and site, identification, wall or post $$$$-$$$
(B-120)
protected. abrasion resistance. mounting.
Indoor/outdoor general purpose. Entrance, exit, traffic, parking,
Tough Aluminum Rigid with graphics applied to
High wind, chemical and building, directional, safety, wall $$$
(B-555) the surface, coated / protected.
abrasion resistance. or post mounting.
Directional, informational,
Semi rigid with graphics
Tough Plastic Indoor general purpose, departmental, safety, special
applied to the surface, coated / $$
(B-401) temporary outdoor. event, temporary construction,
protected.
wall or post mounting
Informational, directional
Indoor/outdoor, resistant to high/ & safety. On pipes, poles,
Self-Sticking Polyester Flexible self adhesive with
low temperatures and cleaning containers, windows, equipment, $$
(B-302) protected graphics.
chemicals. storage racks, tanks. Smooth,
clean surface mounting
Informational, directional &
safety. On poles, containers,
Self-Sticking Vinyl Flexible self adhesive with Indoor/outdoor – cold
windows, doors, storage racks, $
(B-946) protected graphics. temperature adhesive.
tanks. Flat, smooth, clean
surface mounting

• Fiberglass - Strong, rigid, and weather-resistant, fiberglass is one of the most durable materials for signs. It will not to chip,
fade, rust, shatter or peel for up to 25 years. This material also has excellent chemical and abrasion resistance.

• Aluminum - Aluminum signs are ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. Offering excellent chemical resistance and
abrasion resistance, aluminum signs can withstand tough weather conditions such as wind, rain, sunlight and high
temperatures (up to 100°F) for up to eight years. This material is commonly used for parking signs, building signs and
informational signs.

• Plastic - Plastic is a cost-effective, lightweight and durable material for safety signs. Plastic signs conform to well-curved
surfaces and are well suited for most indoor directional, informational, departmental and safety sign applications including
fire extinguisher locations.

• Self-Sticking Polyester and Vinyl - Self-sticking signs are economical and can be used indoors and outdoors and are
extremely easy to mount. They offer an average outdoor durability of up to eight years and have a fair chemical and
abrasion resistance.

www.BradyID.com/signs
1-888-272-3946
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 TOP 5 ITEMS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING SAFETY SIGNS

2. Comply with Applicable Regulations

Be sure to check for specific sign requirements of the regulation which you are trying to comply. There are different safety sign
styles, governing regulations and recommended guidelines to choose from, depending on the application and message of
your sign.

Below are a few of the more common regulations affecting signs:

Organization What’s Covered

OSHA 1910.037 Means of Egress, General

OSHA – Occupational Safety & Health OSHA 1910.144 Safety Color Code for Marking Physical Hazards
Administration OSHA 1910.145 Specifications for Accident Prevention Signs and Tags
OSHA 1910.1200 Hazard Communication
Hazardous Materials Warning Placards and Labels
DOT – Department of Transportation
Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 100-199
NFPA 70: National Electrical Code
NFPA – National Fire Protection NFPA 101: Life Safety Code
Association 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
ANSI Z535.1-2001, Safety Color Code
ANSI – American National Standards ANSI Z535.2-2002, Environmental and Facility Safety Signs
Institute ANSI Z535.3-2003, Criteria for Safety Symbols
ANSI Z535.4-2004, Product Safety Signs & Labels
ISO 7010:2011 Prescribes Safety Signs for the Purposes of Accident Prevention, Fire Protection, Health
ISO – International Standards
Hazard Information and Emergency Evacuation.
Organization
ISO 7001:2007 Graphical Symbols, Public Information Symbols
ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act 4.30 Signage

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: Occupational Safety and Health Administration 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. In addition, each sign must contain a safety
alert symbol and a black and white 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.

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 TOP 5 ITEMS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING SAFETY SIGNS

3. Keep the Message Clear

Be sure to check for specific sign requirements of the regulation which you are trying to comply. There are different safety sign
styles, governing regulations and recommended guidelines to choose from, depending on the application and message of
your sign.

Messages such as “Warning” and “Caution” may seem synonymous, but they actually deliver very different messages.
ANSI and OSHA specify that safety signs must indicate and define specific hazards that, without identification, may lead to
accidental injury to workers, customers or the general public. The standard headers and definitions are listed below.

Danger: Warning: Caution: Notice: Emergency:

Use this message Use this message Use this message to Use this message Use for indicating
to mark hazardous to mark hazardous warn of hazardous to state company general instructions
situations with a high situations with some situations which may policy as the message relative to safe work
probability of death probability of death result in minor or relates directly or practices, procedural
or serious injury. Do or serious injury. Do moderate injury. Do indirectly to the reminders and safety
not use for property not use for property not use for situations safety of employees equipment locations.
damage unless damage unless where there is a or protection of Green is used to
personal injury risk personal injury risk possibility of death or property. Do not identify “Emergency”
is present. The word is present. Orange severe injury. Caution use for hazardous signs.
“Danger” should be is used to identify signs without a safety situations where there
limited to the most “Warning” signs. alert symbol may be is a possibility of death
extreme situations. used to alert against or severe injury. Blue
Red is used to identify unsafe practices that is used to identify
“Danger” signs. can result in property “Notice” signs.
damage only. Yellow
is used to identify
“Caution” signs.

4. Use Pictograms
As immigration rates increase and demographics evolve, Examples of standard ISO pictograms are below:
it is essential to communicate messages across many
different cultural backgrounds. Everyone within the
facility should be able to understand the message being
communicated.

Pictograms provide a universal way to communicate

warnings to all employees and visitors, regardless of
language or demographic and can provide a better
understanding of hazards. Pictograms provide an easy-
to-understand alternative to bi/tri-lingual signs, which can
often be difficult to read.

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1-888-272-3946
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© 2012 Brady Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
 TOP 5 ITEMS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING SAFETY SIGNS

5. Location, Location, Location

After you have considered the material, the message, and style, it is important
to make certain that your sign will communicate the safety message to all of
your employees, customers and the general public. The sign should be clear,
concise and placed in a highly visible location. Placement of the sign is a key
aspect in transmitting your message.

Keep the following tips in mind when placing your safety sign.

1. Signs must be placed to alert and inform employees of hazards. They

should have sufficient time to avoid the hazard and take appropriate action

2. Signs must be clear, visible and unobstructed.

3. Signs should be placed in an inert location. Signs should not be placed

in moveable areas or near areas that could obstruct sign visibility such as
doors or windows.

4. Lighting, maintenance and storage should be considered during the

placement process to make sure the sign can be clearly illuminated.

Safety signs should continue to be inspected, maintained and cleaned to

ensure they are in good condition and in the appropriate location. If the
message is no longer relevant or the hazard ceases to exist, the sign should
be removed as soon as possible.

Thomas Smith is a product manager for Brady North America.

To learn more about safety signage, visit BradyID.com/Signs

USA
Customer Service: 1-888-272-3946
Inside Sales: 1-888-311-0775
www.BradyID.com

Canada
Customer Service: 1-800-263-6179
www.BradyCanada.ca
For more information visit: Mexico
www.BradyID.com/signs Customer Service: 1-800-262-7777
Inside Sales: 1-800-262-7777 ext 177
www.BradyLatinAmerica.com

© 2012 Brady Worldwide Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED