Health & Safety Symbols

Health and safety signs and symbols are all over. Designed to keep people safe, these symbols are often associated with hazards that people need to be aware of to change their behavior accordingly. These signs, often a legal requirement, are there to increase safety and should always be followed, even if at times it seems trivial.

ANSI Z535

• According to the International Association of Electrical Inspectors, ANSI Z535 is the American national standard for safety signs and symbols. Decided on by the American National Standards Institute in 1991, these guidelines are designed to regulate wording used, size of words, the colors of the signs and other aspects to ensure maximum safety. Companies and manufacturers use the guidelines set out in ANSI Z535 to improve safety and prevent potential lawsuits.

Workplace

• Many people perform work that requires health and safety signs to be present. For example, some signs denote the specific attire required to safely do a job, such as a hardhat or goggles. Not only is it important to follow such warnings for safety reasons; a lack of compliance could show your boss that you're not interested in following the rules, resulting in disciplinary action. New hires are typically trained in workplace safety and taught to identify certain symbols before they begin working.

On the Road

• Health and safety symbols and signs on the road are of particular importance because failure to follow such signs could easily kill or hurt people, including yourself. Signs near road construction are designed to protect both the public and the people working on the road. Similarly, dangerous roads are often marked accordingly. For instance, a road with a sharp turn will commonly have a sign with a curve symbol posted that includes a speed limit at which the turn can safely be made.

Identification

• Safety and health hazard warnings and signs are typically easy to spot. The signs are designed to stand out and be seen before an accident occurs so they're typically brightly colored. If the sign doesn't have bright colors you should still be able to identify it by the advice it gives. There is commonly a written warning accompanying the symbol with large text saying "CAUTION", "WARNING" or "HAZARD." For example, ladders frequently come with a warning sticker showing an illustration of a person falling from a ladder with text to indicate the dangers of using the device.

Warning

• While generally not the case, sometimes the hazard may have a confusing symbol associated with it. For instance, a skull and cross-bone symbol is a common safety symbol, but it doesn't clearly state any specific hazard. When you encounter a safety symbol in the workplace and you can't interpret it, ask. It never hurts to ask, but it could hurt you not to ask. Your boss should either know or be able to quickly get the information.