notice signs

Safety Sign Meanings

Table of Contents
Safety Headers
Safety Symbols
Sign Legends
Types of Safety Signs
▸ Caution Signs
▸ Warning Signs
▸ Danger Signs
▸ Notice Signs
▸ Instructional Signs
▸ Alert Symbols

Workplace safety signage is required by law. All organizations, from international companies to small businesses, are legally responsible for knowing the risks, effectively communicating these risks with all employees, and complying with all safety regulations, specific to their industries, as set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is responsible for setting the standards and guidelines for proper workplace safety signage that is enforced by OSHA. There are three key standards that specify the design and content of safety signs.

It is also important to understand what social distancing signs mean to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Caution, Warning, & Danger Signs

Here are the brief meanings of these types of signs:

Caution Signs: minor or moderate injuries may occur
Warning Signs: serious injuries or death MAY occur
Danger Signs: serious injuries or death are VERY LIKELY to occur

These signs all serve to remind everyone to take proper safety precautions to prevent injury or death in the appropriate degrees.

Safety Headers or Signal Words

A SAFETY HEADER or signal word, including danger, warning, caution, notice, or specific safety instructions, is determined by the degree of the potential hazard.

Safety Symbols

SAFETY SYMBOLS or pictograms effectively communicate across language barriers, providing visual alerts about hazards, precautions, or other necessary information.

Sign Legends

SIGN LEGENDS must accurately communicate the hazard the sign is warning of.

Types of Safety Signs

There are a variety of workplace safety signs and they each signify different hazard levels. With this comes a variety of questions. What does a Caution sign mean? What is a Warning sign? What do Danger signs indicate? Below are brief descriptions of the different types of workplace safety signs and what they stand for.

Caution Signs

These signs warn of potential physical injuries caused by slips or falls, harmful substances, or other unsafe practices. All caution signs must have a bright yellow background and yellow letters against a black panel.

What Does Yellow Caution Tape Mean for OSHA?

Much like how Caution signs identify potentially dangerous areas, caution tape also marks areas to be wary of. It may be used to label areas that may be entered but only with caution, areas that are no longer safe to enter, or sensitive areas such as crime scenes.

Warning Signs

‘WARNING’ text must be printed in black letters on an orange background. These signs may also include a bright blue graphic depicting a safety precaution that should be taken in a specific area.

Danger Signs

These signs should only be posted in areas where there is potentially deadly harm from dangerous equipment or other environmental hazards, such as radiation, high voltage, or hazardous fumes, among others. Danger signs must be red, black, and white, and include ‘DANGER’ printed in white lettering on a red, oval shaped background. OSHA requires that all employees be made aware that danger signs indicate immediate danger and extreme caution must be used in the area at all times.

Is Danger or Warning More Severe?

It can be easy to lose track of the differences between Warning and Danger. What it boils down to is this; Warning signs indicate areas where severe injury or death MAY happen, whereas Danger signs indicate a zone where injury or death is VERY LIKELY to occur unless proper precautions are taken.

NOTICE SIGNS signify lower risk areas and can also promote safety in the workplace or other public areas.

These signs generally display rules such as ‘please wash hands’ or ‘keep this area clean’. Notice signs also are used for distinguishing areas designated as ‘employees only’ and other low risk designations. Notice signs are blue and white.

Safety Instruction Signs

SAFETY INSTRUCTION SIGNS are used to relay general instructions and suggestions as they relate to safety measures. Safety instruction signs must include a green panel with white letters and a white background. All letters printed on the white background must be black.

Safety Alert Symbol

The universal SAFETY ALERT SYMBOL is a yellow triangle, outlined in black, containing an exclamation point. This symbol is only used on caution, warning, and danger signs, labels, or tags.

CustomSigns.com is your resource for ready made or design your own workplace safety signs. Our Customer Focus Team is here to answer your questions and help you determine proper signage needs for your organization.

For more information about workplace safety, please see our related blog posts:
The Importance of Understanding OSHA and Displaying Proper Signage for Workplace Safety
The Importance of OSHA Signs for Construction Sites
OSHA’s National Youth Safety Initiative

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The snow is finally melting, leaving spring rain puddles in its place as the new slipping hazard. As your customers venture outdoors again in the warming temperatures, it’s the right time for upgrading your public facilities with safety signs. Basic printed notices give you a chance to prevent accidents that raise your business insurance rates. No matter what kind of retail or office you run, check out our notice signs to find the ones that fit your needs for a more orderly work environment.

Advertise Changes

Did you invest in an ADA compliant ramp or an automatic door system over the winter? Let your customers know about the big change to your facility with an eye-catching notice sign. Mark closed off entrances and explain changes in traffic flow to keep everything running smoothly.

Secure Your Stairs

While the ice and salt might be gone from your concrete steps, spring rain still leaves them slippery and dangerous. Tell visitors to be cautious with a “Watch Your Step” sign. If you’ve got a handrail to prevent slips, remind your guests to use it with the right sign. There’s no use to safety devices, if your customers forget to use them. Consider matching signs at both the top and bottom of each set of stairs to keep everyone aware of the obstacle.

Block Off Safety Zones

Does your business create a lot of hazards that put both employees and visitors at risk? Separate your safe and risky zones with clear notices. Whether you’re trying to set up a hard hat zone or just want customers to watch out for slippery floors, signs keep you from repeating yourself dozens of times a day. Some of the safety related notices may also help you meet OSHA regulations too, depending on the hazards in your facility.

Keep Clean

Don’t forget about the spring arrival of cold and flu season. Hand washing is the best way to limit the spread of viruses and bacteria, so install a few more easy to read signs in your bathrooms. Encouraging both employees and guests to wash their hands protects everyone, including family members at home that end up exposed. Wash hands signs are especially crucial in restaurants and hospitals, but even hardware stores and outdoor attractions need reminders to keep the threat of illness low. Foot wiping signs also reduce the amount of cleaning your staff does on a daily basis.

Prepare For Emergencies

Stocking a few temporary signs also helps in case of damage to your store. Unexpected emergencies can always pop up to leave a section of floor covered in an inch of water. It’s much easier to hang up a warning while you fix the problem instead of shutting down entirely for an isolated emergency.

Warn Criminals

Finally, don’t forget to deter crime with one of our well-placed notice signs. Draw attention to your brand new wireless security cameras by posting a warning right below them. Properly placed signs also help reduce loitering and littering, especially if you have a large teenage population in your area. Private property notices also help you make a case against trespassers.

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Caution, Warning and Danger Signs Explained