ANSI Z535.4
Browse ANSI Z535.4 Labels
The American National Standard Institute
(ANSI) is the organization responsible for publishing the ANSI Z535
series of standards. The ANSI Z535.4 Standard, titled Product Safety Signs and Labels, defines
the content for a safety label.
“A
product safety sign or label should alert persons to a specific hazard,
the degree or level of hazard seriousness, the probable consequence of
involvement with the hazard, and
how the hazard can be avoided.”
ANSI Z535.4-1998
The Signal Word communicates the degree or level of hazard seriousness. The
other three components: the specific hazard, the probable consequence
of involvement with the hazard, and how the hazard can be
avoided are communicated through the
word message and the optional use of a pictorial.
Signal Word
The ANSI Z535.4 standard (section 4) contains the following Signal Word definitions:
 "DANGER
indicates an imminently hazardous situation
which, if not avoided, will result in
death or serious injury. This signal word is to be limited to the most
extreme situations.
 WARNING indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could
result in death or serious injury.
 CAUTION indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result
in minor or moderate injury. It may also be used to alert against unsafe practices."
In choosing a signal word there are two questions to ask:
1. If the safety label’s message is ignored, how severe will the injury be?
2. If the safety label’s message is ignored, how likely is it that an injury
will occur?
If the answer to the first question “death or serious injury”? is YES: The choice is between DANGER and WARNING.
If the message is ignored, how likely is it that an injury will occur?
If it is highly likely (a will situation) the correct signal word is DANGER.
If it is a possibility (a could situation) the correct signal word is WARNING.
If the answer to the first question “death or serious injury”? is NO: The correct signal word is CAUTION.
The signal word’s colored background, in
accordance with ANSI Z53.1 (Safety Color Code), in combination with the
signal word, communicates the seriousness level of the hazard.
The other three components: the specific
hazard, the probable consequence of involvement with the hazard, and how
the hazard can be avoided are
communicated through the word message
and the optional use of a pictorial.
The use of a pictorial is recommended. A
pictorial is able to communicate a message across language barriers. It
is also a quick, attention getting form of
communication. There are two distinct
formats for the pictorial, a standard graphic, or a graphic formatted to
the ISO 3864 standard. SLS offers pictorials
in both formats. The standard graphic,
combined with English text, is intended for use in the United States.
The ISO 3864 formatted graphic, combined with
English text, is a format intended for
use worldwide. However, customer requirements and/or specific country
requirements may dictate that the word message be translated.
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