• Safety signs are composed of one or more distinct areas called panels.
• The panels that can be included on a sign are the message, signal word, safety symbol, and directional arrow panels.

Safety signs are composed of one or more panels, including the message, signal word, safety symbol, and/or directional arrow panels. A panel is a distinct area of a sign.

Message panel

The message panel offers the basic words used to convey what is being said. Messages communicate hazards, the consequences of ignoring hazards, prohibitions, mandatory actions, and other information.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says the message should be easily read and concise. The message must be factually accurate and contain sufficient information to be clearly understood. Finally, the agency recommends positive rather than negative suggestions, when possible. This means, except where prohibitions are the best approach, the message should inform employees of what to do, rather than what not to do.

Signal word panel

Between OSHA and the American National Standard for Environmental and Facility Safety Signs (ANSI Z535.2), there are at least nine signal words, each with a different meaning:

• DANGER — Indicates an immediate severe hazard that presents a threat of death or serious injury.
• WARNING — Indicates a hazard that presents a potential threat of death or serious injury.
• CAUTION — Indicates a potential or non-immediate minor/moderate hazard.
• NOTICE — Indicates non-hazard information, like company policies for housekeeping.
• SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS — Indicate procedures relative to safety.
• SAFETY EQUIPMENT — Indicates the location of safety equipment, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) or eyewash stations.
• FIRE EQUIPMENT — Indicates the location of fire protection equipment.
• BIOHAZARD — Indicates an agent infectious to humans.
• EXIT — Indicates a way of travel to an exit discharge.

However, for general industry and shipyards, 29 CFR 1910.145 only offers four signal words — DANGER, CAUTION, SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS (or equivalent), and BIOHAZARD. What about the other signal words?

• WARNING is offered by ANSI Z535.2. If it can be demonstrated that this ANSI standard provides employee protection equal to or greater than 1910.145, the WARNING signal word can be used in accordance with ANSI Z535.2, and the employer risks only a de minimis (no penalty) violation from OSHA.
• NOTICE, SAFETY EQUIPMENT, and FIRE EQUIPMENT appear to be acceptable because they are outside the scope of 1910.145. (A sign under 1910.145 is intended for the warning of, or safety instruction of, employees or the public who may be exposed to hazards.)
• EXIT is required elsewhere at 1910.37 for general industry.

Note that ANSI advises the use of what it calls a “safety alert symbol” for DANGER, WARNING, and CAUTION signal word panels. This symbol has an exclamation point inside an equilateral triangle.

Safety symbol panel

The safety symbol panel depicts one or more graphical symbols that contribute to a sign’s meaning, help sidestep language barriers, and capture employees’ attention. Common hazard symbols include those for radiation, biohazard, high voltage, and no smoking.

Selecting or creating symbols for signs should take into account the design principles found in ANSI Z535.3, American National Standard for Criteria for Safety Symbols. These principles recommend designs that are consistent, legible, understandable, representational, and simple. Surround shapes (shapes that surround a symbol) also give meaning to a sign:

• Triangle — Depicts the nature of the hazard.
• Circle with slash — Depicts what not to do.
• Circle — Depicts a mandatory behavior.
• Square or rectangle — Depicts an equipment location, egress information, or permissible action.

Directional arrow panel

Only 29 CFR 1926.200 for construction mentions directional signs, which point the employee to a way out or way to something, such as a room, fire exit, fire escape, or first aid. The directional arrow panel, with its white arrow on a black background, may be used with other sign panel types.