Glossary · Safety information
Safety sign
Also known as: safety label, safety symbol
In safety documentation, a safety sign is a visual sign using standardized color, shape and symbols to communicate a prohibition, a warning, a mandatory action, a safe condition or emergency information.
- Standards
- Technical documentation
In one sentence
A safety sign uses standardized colors, shapes and symbols to convey a prohibition, warning, mandatory action or emergency information.
Example
At the infeed of a conveyor, a yellow triangle with the entanglement symbol warns of the drawing-in hazard, and a blue circle next to it requires wearing close-fitting clothing.
Explained in context
Context cards connect this term with others to answer one question. Also in British English and German.
- Cognitive load and split attention: why figures, labels and text belong togetherTransitional topicWhat does cognitive load theory say about combining figures and text in instructions, and what follows for technical documentation?UKDeutsch
- Attention and warning placement: from selective attention and habituation to where warnings goTransitional topicWhat does research on attention and warnings say about where and how warnings should be placed in instructions?UKDeutsch
How it applies
- Standards: ISO 3864-1 defines the design principles: red circle with diagonal bar for prohibition, yellow triangle with black border for warning, blue circle for mandatory action, green rectangle for safe condition, red rectangle for fire equipment. ISO 7010 provides registered symbols. In the USA, the ANSI Z535 series is used, often with signal-word panels.
- Machine safety: Signs on the machine address residual risks where they occur. They complement, never replace, guards and protective devices.
- Technical documentation: Signs used on the machine should appear in the manual with their meaning and location, and the manual should require replacing damaged or illegible signs; see safety information readability.
- Markets: Products for both the EU and the USA often combine ISO symbols with ANSI Z535-style signal words.
Safety sign vs. warning message
A safety sign is a mostly graphical sign placed on the machine or in the workplace. A warning message is a structured text, often with a symbol, in the documentation or on the HMI, stating hazard, consequence and avoidance. A sign can be part of a warning message, as in a DITA hazard statement.