Clarion, an active member of both the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards committees, shares insight on safety communication related to pipemarking following August committee meetings in Delft, Netherlands
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Milford, PA – October 10, 2016 – Clarion Safety Systems, a leading designer and manufacturer of safety signssafety labels, is pleased to share insight on safety marking and labeling systems for pipes, following International Organization for Standardization (ISO) committee meetings held in the end of August in Delft, Netherlands.
Clarion is an active member of the preeminent standards bodies responsible for safety sign and label standards – the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) domestically and ISO internationally. The company’s CEO, Geoffrey Peckham, is chairman of both the ANSI Z535 Committee for Safety Signs and Colors and of ANSI’s U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to the ISO standards committee responsible for safety signs, labels, colors and symbols – ISO/TC 145.
This international committee, ISO/TC 145, standardizes the symbols that appear on products and for use in built environments. ISO/TC 145 subcommittee 2 focuses on safety identification, signs, shapes, symbols and colors. Its working group 6’s (WG 6) primary task is the development of a new standard, ISO 20560-1 – Safety signs – Part 1: Pipemarking.
The proper identification of these system components is critical. ISO 20560 will help to bolster safety for personnel, maintenance staff and firefighters in any workplaces where pipemarking systems are in use – from oil rigs and ships to industrial plants and building complexes. “Continuous growth in mobility of labour has resulted in a need to standardize a system of safety information for the content of pipemarking systems and storage tanks. The use of this International Standard is expected to reduce risk by providing a means of improved training and education and to reduce possible confusion with working on and near piping systems and storage tanks and in case of an emergency situation,” according to the draft standard’s introduction.
This global standard on pipemarking is the very first of its kind. Currently under discussion in its first working draft are ideas on combining the NFPA 704: Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response (commonly referred to as the “NFPA hazard diamond”) with globally recognized GHS/ISO graphical symbols and safety color-coding to communicate information related to the contents of piping systems.
“While ISO 20560 is currently a work in progress, the development of this standard is a promising direction and push forward for safety. WG 6 has the task of combining different international safety standards – GHS, ISO 3864, ISO 7010 – and existing pipemarking standards to accomplish their objective of realizing a truly global, harmonized system of hazard recognition for pipemarking systems,” says Peckham.
“This uniformity of graphics, color-coding and formatting of safety messages will bring important consistency, which in turn drives familiarity and increased comprehension, all of which are an important part of effective safety communication; communication that is aimed at reducing risk and saving lives.”
The Netherlands headed the development of the ISO “new work item proposal” and submitted a thought-provoking document to serve as the basis for the ISO 20560 standard’s first working draft. As the new work item proposal was supported by delegates from more than five ISO member countries, it is proceeding on to become a new ISO standard. The U.S. has agreed to be members of WG 6. This will be a multi-part standard, with process system components as a future addition. Part one, on pipemarking, is expected to publish within the next three years.
To stay up-to-date on ISO 20560 – or to learn how to become involved in the U.S. TAG assisting with the standard’s development – contact Clarion today.
To learn about how ISO uses symbols, vocabulary and color to standardize safety sinage on a worldwide basis, watch Clarion’s short, educational video “ISO Symbols for Safety Signs and Labels.”
ABOUT CLARION SAFETY SYSTEMS
Clarion Safety Systems, LLC, is the leading designer and manufacturer of visual safety solutions that help customers in more than 180 industries worldwide to make their products and premises safer. Clarion offers a full range of standard and custom products including machinery safety labels, environmental and facility safety signs, pipe and valve identification markings, lockout/tagout products, and safety-grade photoluminescent egress path-marking escape systems. Founded in 1990, the company continues to play a leading role in the development and writing of international and national standards for safety signs, labels, and markings. Clarion is headquartered at 190 Old Milford Road in Milford, PA, 18337, and online at www.clarionsafety.com.
ABOUT ISO
ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organization with a membership of 161 national standards bodies. Through its members, it brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based, market-relevant international standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges. To learn more, visit www.iso.org.