warning signs

January 18, 2019November 9, 2020

Caution, Warning and Danger Signs Explained

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’ 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

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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December 11, 2015August 7, 2018

Something Winter This Way Comes!

winter ice snowman — Photo courtesy of news.discovery.com

We’ve waited for eleven long months and now here we are at the very beginning of winter! It’s time to pack up those summer shorts and flip flops because old man winter implements a strict dress code that includes boots, hats, scarves, heavy coats, and even long johns – bonus points for layering! Depending on where you are in the country, winter may have come early for you, you could have surpassed fall altogether and headed straight into winter, or your state could just now be beginning to feel the mischievously inconsistent hot and cold weather patterns that signal the arrival of Jack Frost (we’re looking at you Florida!).

But with the arrival of both fall and winter, many parts of the country are already experiencing a great deal of snowfall. And if last year’s annual amount of snowfall serves as any indication, there are a number of U.S. cities in for a very cold and very snowy winter yet again. But as beautiful as the fresh winter snow may be, it can also prove to be extremely dangerous.

Snow Tire Weather Hazard — Photo courtesy of smgmedia.blob.core.windows.net

Every year millions of people are affected by hazardous weather conditions throughout the colder parts of the year. Heavy snowfall and icy roads are extremely dangerous for drivers, not to mention icy sidewalks can be equally problematic for those walking. Given the seasonal conditions, many businesses choose to play things safe and install a number of signs alerting not just their customers, but their employees as well to any potential hazards they may encounter when walking or driving around the premises.

Ultimately this has proven to be a very smart move. While a business may not be liable for the weather, a business can be found liable if an injury occurs on their property when the business did nothing to prevent or notify anyone as to the potential risks (wet floor sign anyone?). With that being said, is your business ready to take on the winter weather?

Proper warning signs can save your business in the long run and prove beneficial for everyone from your guests to your employees. No one wants a potential lawsuit on their hands- especially not a small startup business!

To look into updating your winter weather signage, be sure to check your local and state regulations before you make any decisions. Oftentimes, states and local counties will outline specific instructions for businesses wishing to incorporate custom signage to their exterior in the winter time, or even year round.

Here at Custom Signs, we do our very best to provide our customers with only the highest quality signs and vinyl stickers that we can manage. In fact, we’ve been in business for over sixty years doing just that! Over the years our processes may have evolved and changed, but our fundamental belief in providing our customers with the very best customer service we can manage has not. Place your order for your own new and unique custom signage today!

May 15, 2015July 2, 2020

Summer Traffic Means It’s Time For Adding Warning Signs

Schools are out for the summer, which means families are spending more time than ever in public. Taking the kids out for a meal or a trip to the park is a great way to spend less on air conditioning! So how friendly is your business to groups with young members? Aside from adding menu items or changing your hours, you can make your place more attractive to families by increasing your overall levels of safety. Hanging the right warning signs around your property can make parents feel a lot more comfortable when visiting your shop, public space, cafe, or even amusement park!

Marking the Boundaries

When it comes to letting the public in, you’re faced with a lot of potential for liability. Your insurance coverage helps with this, but you can still end up on the wrong end of a lawsuit if the injured person is able to show that you neglected a basic safety requirement. Hanging signs to warn guests is a smart way to reduce your liability in case of accidents. In most states, children can’t sign liability waivers, so mounting warning signs is often the only way to prove you notified your customers of a risk while they were visiting.

Don’t Forget the Obvious

You might never jump into a deep fountain because it’s obviously a decorative feature, but you’re also not an adventurous five year old. Putting up No Swimming signs is often the best way to prevent soaked kids from ruining a parent’s trip to the spa, library, or shopping mall. These safety signs are also crucial for alligator farms, petting zoos, mini golf courses, and other places where kids and water can collide. Some water parks may even need pool safety signs to designate areas that are out of order or not intended for swimming use.

Shocking Facts

Do you rely on electrified fencing to keep animals in or unwanted guests out? Be sure to notify parents so that they can prevent grasping hands from accidentally wrapping around those live wires. It’s often hard to see electric fencing even as an adult, and it doesn’t take much to stray from a path and end up shocked. If the fence is only on when your business is closed or during certain hours, add that information to the sign as an extra warning against intruders.

Private vs Public

Of course, many businesses also include private areas where guests shouldn’t wander. Hanging private property or no trespassing signs around these areas is the fastest way to prevent confusion. Stick with the eye-catching international orange to help visitors notice the sign from a few feet away, or black and white color combinations when posting them in a more prominent location.

Go Custom

Is there an unusual situation taking place at your business, such as a string of owl attacks (yes, we’re looking at you Oregon)? Get a custom warning sign created by our expert team to fit your needs. Don’t resort to a handwritten marker sign when we can print polished and professional signs that last for years with proper care! Order your new warning signs today and stay safe this summer!