Warning Signs
Making Warning Signs and Tags
These pages provide information about safety and hazard warning signs, labels and tags. Select the type of hazard sign you'd like to learn about:
| Warning | Danger | Biohazard | Caution | Notice |
| Safety | RTK | Laboratory | LOTO | Emergency |
Warning signs represent a hazard level between Caution and Danger. A warning indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or serious injury.
Making Warning Signs: Warning signs most often have an orange body with a black panel at the top. Warning is written in orange on the black panel. Additional wording and pictograms are printed in black on the lower portion of the sign.
Warning signs and labels can be any size, as is appropriate for the sign to be noticed and easily read from a safe distance. They need to communicate the warning information before someone is in a dangerous area or performs a dangerous action.
An area of growing important is that of arc flash labels and signs. The image of an arc flash sign and label to the left shows another style of warning sign. It has an orange header with black printing. A warning symbol included in the header emphasizes that warnings are important.
The use of symbols and pictograms on signs helps to communicate information faster and more clearly. In this example the exclamation point is quickly noticed and communicates the importance of the message on the sign.
This image shows an 8" x 12" sign and a 4" x 6" warning label. The same standards that apply to signs also apply to labels. In addition, as shown here, both signs and labels should follow a consistent design standard throughout a facility.
(Note: The 8" x 12" sign is a die-cut sign printed by the DuraLabel 7000. The 4" x 6" label is a die-cut printed by the DuraLabel PRO 300. Both a label and a sign were applied to this device only to show the similarity in design. Only one is required to meet arc flash labeling requirements.)
Below are some useful links:
| OSHA | ANSI | NFPA |
