Yesterday, we talked about color-coding requirements for safety signs and tags. Today, we briefly review OSHA’s specifications for workplace signs and tags.
OSHA specifications for safety signs and tags apply to the design, application, and use of signs or symbols intended to indicate and define specific workplace hazards. They do not apply to plant bulletin boards, safety posters, or other types of workplace signs.
Signs
OSHA says that the type of sign used in a particular situation should be appropriate for the degree of hazard or intent of the message. All signs must have standard legends that are:
- Concise;
- Easy to read;
- Contain enough information to be easily understood; and
- Understandable to all employees who may be exposed to the identified hazard (i.e., if you have workers who have poor English reading skills, signs must also be in their native language).
Other requirements include:
- Signs must have rounded or blunt corners free from sharp edges, burrs, splinters, or other sharp projections.
- The ends or heads of bolts or other fastening devices should be located in such a way that they do not constitute a hazard.
- The design of accident prevention signs must be uniform in all work areas.
- Signs must be visible at all times when work is being performed.
Signs should be removed or covered when the recognized hazard no longer exist.
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Tags
All required tags must meet the following specifications:
- They must contain a signal word—either “Danger,” “Caution,” “Warning,” or “Biological Hazard/Biohazard”—and a major message indicating the specific hazardous condition or the instruction to be communicated to the employee.
- Danger tags should be used only in major hazard situations where an immediate hazard presents a threat of death or serious injury to employees.
- Caution tags should be used only in situations where a non-immediate or potential hazard or unsafe practice presents a lesser threat of employee injury.
- Warning tags, bearing the signal word “Warning,” may be used to represent a hazard level between Caution and Danger.
- The signal word should be readable at a minimum distance of 5 feet or such greater distance as warranted by the hazard.
- The major message must be presented in either pictographs, written text, or both.
- Both the signal word and the major message must be understandable to all employees who may be exposed to the identified hazard, including ESL workers.
- Tags should be affixed as close as safely possible to their respective hazards by a positive means such as string, wire, or adhesive that prevents their loss or unintentional removal.
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