Safety Signage Alert: How to Meet OSHA Sign Requirements

Employers who post caution signs, hazard signs and safety signs as part of their manufacturing sign initiatives can expect to enjoy fewer accidents and injuries––along with increased efficiency––throughout their production facilities or job sites. 

When properly applied, safety signs will also help companies ensure they’re in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards set by the federal government.

Where to begin? On its website, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration posts OSHA sign guidelines that identify hazards, outline design requirements for sign manufacturers and specify when safety signs must be used. These design elements are expanded upon in the ANSI Z535 standard from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which employs pictograms and alert symbols to communicate hazards.

From these sources, you’ll learn that OSHA and ANSI have established three primary severity classifications for safety signs: 

• Danger signs signal the most serious hazards where special precautions must be taken. This type of sign indicates that death or serious injury is almost certain to occur if the hazard is not avoided.
• Warning signs point out a hazard that may result in death or serious injury but the overall risk is not severe enough for a danger sign. 
• Caution signs describe hazards that may result in minor or moderate injuries if not avoided. These signs typically caution against unsafe practices. 

Biological hazards are grouped into another hazard sign classification. These safety signs alert employees to the presence or potential presence of biological dangers where workers may be at risk.

Are you in need of danger, warning or caution signs? For expert assistance with manufacturing signs and safety signs that adhere to OSHA sign standards, look to Signs By Tomorrow Greenville.

Our network has been meeting the needs of businesses and organizations of all types and sizes for more than 30 years! You can look to us for affordable, custom exterior signage, window graphics and other outdoor solutions that will help you attract more customers. To get started, contact us today.