2009

TheBasicsofSignage

Thenatureofsignageis,atthemost basiclevel,designedtoletthese employeesknowthenatureofthe dangerandwhattheyneedtodoto avoidinjury

RobVajko 1/12/2009

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TheBasicsofSignage
Inthebestofallpossibleworlds,therearenohazardstowarnagainst.Intherealworld,however,there arenumerousdangersandpossiblehazardsthatemployeesneedtopayattentionto.Thenatureof signageis,atthemostbasiclevel,designedtolettheseemployeesknowthenatureofthedangerand whattheyneedtodotoavoidinjury.Effectivesignagewillidentifyandlabeleveryandallpossible hazardstheworkersneedtoprotectagainst. Propersignageshouldbedesignedtohelptheemployeeidentifyevenataquickglance,thenatureand emergencyofthehazard.Notallsignsaresignsthatneedtobereadimmediately.Thenatureofthe hazardmaynotbeonethatisurgent.Thepersonlookingatthesignneedstobeabletosee immediatelywhichsignsareurgentandwhatthenatureoftheurgencyis. Therearevariouswaysthatsignshavetriedtohelpresolvethisproblem.Colors,Wording,Symbolsand thesizeofthefontorsymbolusedareusuallyusedinvariouscombinationstohelpidentifythehazards.

Colors
Thereare5basiccolorsthatareused,usuallyinconjunctionwithsomekeywordsofwarning.

REDisusedtoidentifydangersthatareimmediateandhazardsthathavethepotentialforserious
injuryordeath.ThiscolorisusuallyusedwithDANGER,FIREorSTOP.Thisisusuallyusedtolabel flammableliquids,emergencyswitchesaswellasfireissues.

ORANGEmeans(andisusedwiththeword)warning.Thehazardisseriousbutnotnecessarily
immediate.Itwarnsthereadertobecarefulbecausethereisthepotentialforseriousinjuryoreven death.Exampleswouldincludepinchpoints,machineryandmovingparts.

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www.nationalsafetyinc.com YELLOWisusedtoidentifyahazardthatmightresultininjurythat,whilenotnecessarilylife
threatening,couldstillbesomewhatserious.ItisusedmostoftenwithCaution.Slips,tripsandfalls wouldfallinthiscategoryaswouldcertainstoragecabinets(corrosives,flammables,etc).

GREENdenotessafetyandisusuallyusedtoidentifysafetymateriallikeMSDSsheets.Thereisno
immediatedangerpresent.ItisusuallyassociatedwiththewordSafetyorThink.

BLUEismostoftenusedwithNOTICEtoidentifysafetyregulationsandprocedures.

OSHACFR1910.144mandatesonlytheuseofRedandYellow:

Red
Redshallbethebasiccolorfortheidentificationof: Fireprotectionequipmentandapparatus. Danger.Safetycansorotherportablecontainersofflammableliquidshavingaflash pointatorbelow80F,tablecontainersofflammableliquids(opencuptester), excludingshippingcontainers,shallbepaintedredwithsomeadditionalclearlyvisible identificationeitherintheformofayellowbandaroundthecanorthenameofthe contentsconspicuouslystenciledorpaintedonthecaninyellow.Redlightsshallbe providedatbarricadesandattemporaryobstructions.Dangersignsshallbepaintedred. Stop.Emergencystopbarsonhazardousmachinessuchasrubbermills,wireblocks,flat workironers,etc.,shallbered.Stopbuttonsorelectricalswitcheswhichlettersorother markingsappear,usedforemergencystoppingofmachineryshallbered.

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Yellow
Yellowshallbethebasiccolorfordesignatingcautionandformarkingphysicalhazardssuchas: Strikingagainst,stumbling,falling,tripping,and"caughtinbetween." Usingtheothercolors,whilenotmandated,isagoodideatoconformtowhatmostpeopleareusedto.

Shapes
Inadditiontocolors,shapesareassociatedwithcertaintypesofsigns. TrianglesandDiamondsareusedforhazardousmaterialsandNFPAlabels.

Circlesareusedformandatoryactionsthatworkersarecalledtoperformsuchasdonningacertaintype ofPersonalProtectiveEquipmentorextinguishingcigarettes.

SquaresandRectanglesareusedmostgenericallyformostothertypesofinformation.

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BilingualSigns
BecausemoreandmoreworkersdonotnecessarilyspeakorreadEnglish,itisusuallyagoodideato makesurethatyoursignsarebilingualinordertomakesurethatyourSpanishspeakingemployeesare safeaswell.

ANSIZ535.21998vs.ANSIZ535.22002

ThenewANSIZ535.22002specifiesthenewstandardforsafetysigns.ANSIZ535.22002signsaremade upofthreedistinctpanels: 1. TheheaderpanelwhichcontainstheDANGER,WARNINGorCAUTIONalongwiththegraphic symbol a. .

Thisheaderdenotesahazardthatisseriousenoughto potentiallycauseseriousinjuryordeath. ThisheaderdenotesahazardthatissimilartotheDANGER abovebutwithalesserdegreeofrisk. Thisheaderdenotesahazardthathasthepotentialformoderate injury.

b.

c.

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d. Thisheader(noticetheabsenceofthesafetyalerttriangle)isto beusedtodenotehazardsthathavethepotentialfordamagetopropertyasopposed topersonalinjury.

Thisheaderdenotesastatementofcompanypolicy.ItisNEVER tobeusedifthereisahazardthatcouldresultinpersonalinjury. 2. Thepictorialpanelthatdescribesthetypeofhazard,thepossibleconsequenceofthehazardor theactiontobetakentoavoidthehazard.Therearetwodifferentclassificationsofpictorials: a. HazardAlertingPictorialsapicturethatshowswhatthehazardisandwhatthe consequencesareiftheworkerfailstofollowtheinstructions.

e.

b. HazardAvoidancePictorialsPicturesthatillustratetheactiontobetakentoavoidthe hazard.

3. Themessagepanel.ANSIrecommendsacombinationofUPPERCASEandlowercasesansserif text. a. Uppercasetextshouldbeusedtocalltoaction,aconsequencestatement,emergency informationortodescribethehazardthatispresent. b. Lowercasetextshouldbeusedtogiveinstructionsabouthowtoavoidthehazard,to outlinetheconsequencesmoreindetail,toexplaintheactionstatementoroutline safetymeasurestobetaken.

Visibility
ANSIZ5352002specifiesaratioof25feetperinchoftextforfavorablereadingconditions(theairis clearofsmoke,debris,dust,lightingisgood,etc)and12feetperinchoftextforunfavorablereading conditions(visibilityissomewhathampered).

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Asanexampleifvisibilityislimitedandasignneedstobereadfrom50feetaway,thelettersonthe signwouldneedtobefiveinchestall.Ifvisibilityisgood,theletterwouldneedtobetwoinchestall.

Puttingtogetheracompletesafetysignageprogram
1. Signageneedstocoverallofyourcompaniesproperty.Thismeansthatyouneedtomakesure thatallhazardsarelabeledcorrectly,notonlyintheproductionfacilitiesorwarehouse,butalso onallthegroundsoutsidethebuildingaswellasoffices,hallwaysandlunchrooms. 2. Themoreeyesthebetter.Consideraskingyourlocalsafetysuppliertocomeoutanddoawalk throughwithyou.Attheveryleast,haveseveralpeopleidentifyallthepossiblehazards.You alonewillinvariablymissthings.Askemployeeswherethehazardsareandmakesurethatthey areadequatelylabeledforprotection. 3. Dontjustlook,listen,smellandfeelaswell.Aretherehotpipesorexhausts?Arethereareas thatareloudandrequirehearingprotection?Arefumespresent?Allofthesearepotential hazardsandshouldbeproperlyidentified. 4. Standardizeandcommunicatewhatthatstandardis.Ifthesamecolorisusedtoidentifythe samehazardthroughoutthefacility,ifacertainsymbolisusedoverandoveragain,then employees,oncetheyhavebeentaught,willbeabletoidentifyhazardsquicklyandaccurately.

Standardsandwheretogetmoreinformation:
OSHA29CFR1910(http://www.osha.gov/) ANSIZ535(http://www.ansi.org/)

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