Why are safety signs important?

Keeping workers safe is an employer’s obligation by OSHA law, and having a visual
communication strategy, namely safety signs, is key. Safety signs plays a large part in keeping
facilities compliant and employees knowledgeable. It is critical for workers to understand the
types of hazards in the workplace, the level of risk the hazard presents, and what precautions to
take. These signs and their standards were developed by ANSI under section Z535 and cover
DANGER, WARNING, and CAUTION signs.

Safety signs also encompass NOTICE signs as well as Safety Instruction signs and keep your
workers well-informed. These types of signs will alert workers of where first aid kits are, the
locations of emergency eyewash stations, and otherwise give information in a clear and concise
manner. ANSI has included these signs to their Z535 standard.

While many signs are mandatory signs to have in the workplace, adding other types of
informational signs can greatly contribute to worker’s safety. Other types of signs that should be
considered include:

 Traffic control signs: If a facility has vehicle and pedestrian traffic, stop signs, yield
signs, and other types of traffic control signs will keep forklifts and pedestrians safe.
 Prohibition signs: Remind people not to smoke, not to enter certain areas, not to use
their cell phone, etc. with prohibition signs.
 Security signs: These signs help to protect people and property by keeping people out
of certain locations.
 Office signs: Every facility, even a typical office, has a need for safety signs. Signs used
for office purposes often provide directions or instructions regarding tasks.
Safety signs are crucial to workplace safety, but training workers on the meanings of safety signs
and symbols used on signs are equally as important. Additionally, facility managers should
periodically assess and replace signs if they are damaged, faded, or otherwise unreadable.
What do different hazard
symbols on safety signs mean?
Symbols are a wonderful way to quickly communicate quickly and help communicate with non-
English speakers. A safety alert symbol has been added as a key component to OSHA’s safety
sign standard. This symbol, an exclamation point surrounded by a triangle, indicates a potential
personal injury hazard, and should not be used for possible damage to equipment or machines.

ANSI has developed standards regarding symbols, which can be found under ANSI Z535.3:
American National Standard for Criteria for Safety Symbols. Hazard alert symbols convey
information related to hazards. These symbols will either describe the hazard, how to avoid the
hazard, and often times the consequences of not avoiding the hazard. and if there is a shape
surrounding the symbol, it should be yellow triangle. Prohibition symbols are used for items or
actions not allowed and feature a red circle with a red diagonal going behind or in front of the
prohibited symbol. ANSI also refers to symbols featuring information to convey equipment
location, fire equipment location, and mandatory actions.

Symbols used on safety signs are usually black and white, simple in nature, and should be able
to be understood almost immediately. Symbols should not be used alone on a sign but should
also be accompanied by a more concise message. Even if a facility utilizes symbols that can be
quickly identified, it is still important to train workers on the meaning of safety signs and symbols
around the workplace. The use of safety symbols can be a particularly useful visual tool for
workplaces with employees who speak different languagesHere are some examples of safety
signs with symbols:

This symbol is commonly used for slipping and tripping hazards.

Many different types of required PPE can be represented with a symbol

including boots, gloves, eye protection, etc.

This symbol is often used for crush risks or pinch points.