Safety

Sign
and
Label
Design

SWEDE 2011 – Bastrop, Texas

presented by Dan Cowan, Oncor
 Cause and effect
The life cycle of our equipment
can easily reach beyond
“off-the-shelf” label designs.

Equipment – 30-40 years on-site typical

Labels – some colors may fade away in

as little as 2 years without protection!

Use Standards to convey expectations

consistently!
Standards – ANSI, ASTM and UL

•Response to life cycle needs:

Incorporating National Standards

These sources include:

1. ANSI Z535
2. ASTM D256, D4956 and E810
3. UL 969 and UL 94-VTM
Other National Standards also exist.

By referencing sources that are readily

available and accepted, one can be confident
that the end product will provide consistent
results from several manufacturers.
 Benefits of incorporating National
Standards

1. System wide consistency regarding

visual alert system of potential hazards

2. Expectations and deliverables are explicit to all

manufacturers

3. Sign and Label – Design, Performance and Details

may be clearly defined
 ANSI Z535

• Basically - Z535 of American National Standards

Institute clearly provides significant and
essential design elements

Z535.1 Safety Color Code

Z535.2 Environmental and Facility Safety Signs
Z535.3 Criteria for Safety Symbols
Z535.4 Product Safety Signs and Labels
Z535.5 Safety Tags and Barricade Tapes
(for Temporary Hazards)
 ANSI Z535.1
Safety Color code

Defines technical definitions, color standards

and color tolerances for safety colors,
so the end user may have a consistent
reference that will assist the manufacturer
when creating Safety Signs and Labels.

Various sources are referred to within Z535.1 that further

explain intent, application, expectation, color specifications
1983 version
2011 version
ANSI Z535.2
Environmental and
Facility Safety Signs
Society diversity - standardized
visual alerting system for safety
signs and labels.

FIVE keys to meet the objective:

1. Safety Alert Symbol (with triangle-exclamation point)
2. Signal words: DANGER, WARNING, CAUTION, NOTICE
3. Background Color behind the Signal word:
• red, orange, yellow, blue/green or black
4. Label background – white is preferred and retroreflective
5. Text: left justified and mixed case
ANSI Z535.3
Criteria for Safety Symbols
• Symbols effectively communicate with:
• - people who cannot read
• - who do not understand text
• - in consideration for Cultural diversity

• “Symbols have demonstrated their ability to

communicate effectively regarding accident
• prevention and for personal protection”, ANSI Z535.3

• For complete details, please refer to ANSI Z535.3

• To purchase a copy go to  www.nema.org/stds/
Z535.3
Criteria for Safety Symbols –
Electric Shock –

• Electric Shock – body with wire and lightning bolt

• Electric Shock – Hand with wire

• Some users prefer the Hand with wire due to its simplicity
and the ease of enlarging it on signs and labels

• Example…
Z535.3 Criteria for Safety
Symbols
• Hand with wire…label has 8 inch width
and hand is over 3 inches wide in this
graphic:
• Easy to see and Easy to read…
 ANSI 535.4
Product Safety Signs and Labels
• Used on the product itself.
• Not for Substations-
• Not for Padmounted Enclosures-
• Not for Towers.

• Proper application example: Waste Transformer Oil

• Depending on the contents in the drum –
use the appropriate Signal Word and hazard color code:
• Danger - (red background)
• Warning - (orange background)
• Caution - (yellow background)
• Notice - Information only – (blue background)
 ANSI Z535.5
Safety Tags and Barricade Tapes
(for Temporary Hazards)

This Standard is similar to Z535.4 except

it is specifically for use with temporary hazards

• Utility applications:
• Lock-out tags (may be Red, Orange, Yellow or Blue
background)
• Message tags (pre-printed ownership markers)
• Information tags (that allow hand-written notes)
• Barricade tapes (these are usually off-the-shelf items) so
the Manufacturer would be following this Standard
Example of Red flag
 ASTM D256
Impact Resistance test

The ANSI Z535 does not cover impact

resistance, so we refer to ASTM D256
to qualify signs and labels by impact tolerance.

• Why?
• If defacement occurs easily, premature failure and costs
increase. Shipment, moving and the installation of
equipment - typical environmental impacts - could destroy
the label or sign.

• For instance: Vegetation that may grow around a

padmounted equipment device and then scratch or rub the
label for an extended period of time…the Impact resistance
would reduce or even prevent premature destruction
 ASTM D4956
Retroreflective Sheeting
Retroreflective sheeting -cornerstone
of effective safety labels and signs.
• Type 1 Class 1 re: 235°F internal temps

Reflective labels and signs provide a visual aid

to enhance awareness.
Drab colors and flat paint are often used to reduce visibility
of electrical enclosures.

Reflective labels counter this hidden overture.

ASTM 4956 provides many details for the base material,

overlaminates, optical properties, adhesive thickness and
adhesive bonding and other characteristics important to
utility signs and labels.
ASTM E 810
Retroreflective Sheeting

Standard test for Retroreflective

sheeting assures consistent quality and
performance.

When used with ASTM 4956 we can be more

certain that the label manufacturer has the base
material that maximizes display when needed.
 UL 969
Marking and Labeling Systems

This Standard test method provides for

consistent quality and performance at the site
of manufacture for certain labels and signs.

These requirements cover:

Adhesive attached labels
Unprinted materials (overlaminates, etc.)
Covers the “complete finished product”
Provide for test criteria (Permanence and Legibility)

Include reference to UL 969 within specification to

validate the test criteria and provide detail reference.
 UL 94 -VTM
Flammability of plastics

These test covers how a material reacts to:

Surface burns
Vertical burns
Horizontal burns

We include flammability standards within a

specification to validate the test criteria and
provide detail reference, since grass fires do
occur from time to time, and we need the labels
and/or signs to survive these events, when
possible.
 Support and Validity of Standards
Using ANSI, UL, ASTM and other widely
proven national industry standards provides
for consistent recognition of hazards.

Various Electrical products carry a tag, label

markings that read: “Danger” (red background) or
“Warning” (orange background) as shown earlier.

• This consistent message format will in fact increase

awareness by the general public of potential electrical
hazards as we apply it within electric utility systems.

• Competition to provide labels and signs for utilities with

similar products is validated when industry standards are
known and applied.
 Bottom line: Awareness
The use of safety labels and signs is
clearly aimed at conveying:
1. Hazardous conditions
2. Information

We convey Safety messages through:

• - Text
• - Symbols
• - Use of Color

The goal is to communicate with the observer:

• Regardless of age-
• Even if the observer may NOT be able to read-
• The observer needs to get the “message” quickly…
Safety
Sign
and
Label
Design

SWEDE 2011 – Bastrop, Texas

presented by Dan Cowan, Oncor