OSHA Safety Signs
Best Practices
Compliance with OSHA safety standards, as defined in Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1972, is critical in all industrial workplaces because safety signs in accordance with OSHA not only increases safety for workers, but may also improve morale by demonstrating concern for their well being. Signs indicating dangers and warnings are strictly regulated by OSHA to accord to uniform design and color schemes and denote specific levels of hazard.
Danger signs specify an immediate hazard that can result in death or serious injury if not avoided. These warning signs should be limited to the most extreme situations. The “DANGER” header is printed in white letters on a red background along with the safety alert symbol. The sign message must be printed in black or red letters on a white background, or white letters on a black background.
Warning signs indicate hazardous situations less immediate and extreme than those indicated by Danger signs, but still pose a threat of death or serious injury if not avoided. The “WARNING” header is written in black on an orange background and is accompanied by the safety alert symbol. Additional wording and safety symbols are printed in black on the lower portion of the sign.
Caution signs indicate situations that are less hazardous, but can still result in minor or moderate injury if not avoided. They also warn against unsafe work practices. The “CAUTION” header is written in black letters on a yellow background that includes the safety alert symbol. The message and safety symbols in the body of the sign are printed in black.
OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), commonly referred to as “Right-to-Know,” is designed to inform workers about all chemical hazards that exist in their work place and how to protect themselves from them. HCS is one of the most commonly cited standards violations by OSHA compliance officers.
Two types of Right-to-Know labels are commonly used in the HCS: NFPA diamond labels and color bar labels. Both use a three-color system to indicate the health, fire and reactivity hazards of chemicals. NFPA diamond labels are used for firemen and emergency responders and bar labels are used for employees who come into regular contact with the chemicals.
For more information on OSHA-compliant labeling, order our Free OSHA Safety Labeling Poster. This free gift offers extensive information for proper safety labeling on an attractive poster that can hung anywhere where OSHA compliance reminders are helpful.
