Safety signs have an important role in our daily life, especially when its come to safety equipment of an employee or visitors in their working environment. The main purpose of this sign is intended to minimize any work accidents that might occur, or as a reminder for workers and everyone nearby that there are potential hazards in the workplace.
The installation process of these signs includes so many specifications and rules. To achieve their main goal, implemented as an effort to control risks or hazards in creating a safe work environment and reducing the level of possibility work accidents.
Mandatory safety sign is a visual communication medium which is usually in the form of pictographs/symbols and text to provide information about hazards and the ability to cause work accidents or commonly referred to as PAK.
In addition, these signs are also useful for giving directions to eliminate or minimize hazards and provide information related to the consequences that might occur if hazards are not avoided. Each company is required to install these signs in accordance with established standards and technical guidelines.
For example, the place where signs are installed must have good lighting and be easy to see and read. Based on the standards, the purpose of installing safety signs is to make it easier for workers or people in the work environment to recognize and understand the meaning of the signs.
In addition, they also become more visually aware of the locations of the danger and how to avoid it. Workers must to understand safety instructions, the location of safety equipment and expedite them in evacuating when an emergency occurs.
Color of Mandatory Sign According to Each International Standards
ANSI Z535 ANSI Z535 Committee on safety sign colors, safety sign markings, symbols used as safety sign markings. This committee has the scope to develop standards on the design and application of markings and colors to identify and warn workers about a particular hazard and how to prevent it.
ANSI is divided into several standards from the ANSI Z535 series, such as :
- ANSI Z535.1: Safety Color Code (latest 2017)
- ANSI Z535.2: Environmental and Facility Safety Signs (latest 2011-R2017)
- ANSI Z535.3: Criteria for Safety Symbols (latest 2011-R2017)
- ANSI Z535.4: Product Safety Signs and Labels (latest 2011-R2017)
- ANSI Z535.5: Safety Tags and Barricade Tapes (for Temporary Hazards) (latest 2011-R2017)
- ANSI Z535.6: Product Safety Information in Product Manuals, Instructions, and Other Collateral Materials (latest 2011-R2017)
ANSI Z535 series is used as a basic guideline in determining OSH signs regarding workplace standards, communicating safety, which contains more substantive content explaining hazards and how to deal with certain hazards and helping reduce the risk of injury to accidents.
BS ISO 3864 BS ISO 3864 is a standard related to the application of safety marks. Where this standard also explains the colors, symbols, designs and others. At first glance, it is almost the same as ANSI, but there are several things that distinguish BS ISO from ANSI.
The following is the division of BS ISO, namely BS ISO 3864-1 Graphical symbols — Safety colors and safety signs – Part 1: Design principles for safety signs and safety markings, BS ISO 3864-2 Graphical symbols — Safety colors and safety signs—Part 2: Design principles for product safety labels, BS ISO 3864-3 Graphical symbols — Safety colors and safety signs — Part 3: Design principles for graphical symbols for use in safety signs, BS ISO 3864-4 Graphical symbols — Safety colors and safety signs—Part 4 : Colorimetric and photometric properties of safety sign material.
The Different Between ANSI, ISO and Australian Standards for Mandatory Sign
What Color Is a Mandatory Safety Sign? According to ANSI Z535 DIFFERENCES with BS ISO 3864 a. Color Both ANSI and BS ISO are aimed at using K3 signs. Where the k# sign should have a striking color so that workers can easily see it and attract the attention of workers.
According to ANSI Z535, red warning signs, orange warnings, yellow alerts, blue safety information, green safety instructions and red fire equipment. But according to BS ISO 3864 the color prohibition is red, warning is yellow, safety command is blue, safety condition is green and fire extinguisher is red.
ANSI Z535 Safety alert symbol is a symbol that indicates danger, usually in the form of a triangle that surrounds an exclamation point in the middle. Where this symbol is only used to warn of danger and is not used as information or notification of safety, location of safety equipment, and firefighters.
BS ISO 3864 Unlike ANSI Z535, the sign format used by KS does not have or use safety alert symbols and signal words. According to ANSI Z535 geometric shape is a geometric shape that is around the symbol or that surrounds the image. Meanwhile, according to BS ISO 3864, designers must comply with the geometric and color arrangements that have been arranged.
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