Do you have proper signage and labeling throughout your workplace? Are your employees, customers or guests properly informed about possible danger throughout the building, both inside and out? If your store, building or machinery lacks the necessary safety labeling to warn others, you are taking many risks as a business owner or manager.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) states that safety labels should include a pictogram, which is an image that describes the risk as well as a signal word; the most common signal words include:

• NOTICE – The text should appear in blue print and used as a reminder of the environment to avoid possible risks.
• CAUTION – The text should appear in yellow print and used when referring to the risk of a minor or moderate injury.
• WARNING – The text should appear in orange print and used when death or serious injury could occur.
• DANGER – The text should in red print and used ONLY when death or serious injury WILL occur.

Along with the common safety signal words there needs to be a short, yet effective description of the nature of the hazard, possible consequences of the hazard and how to avoid the hazard all together.

Safety labels in the workplace and around the areas that customers could get hurt play a highly important role in protecting their safety as well as the company. There are many options that business owners have to replace or update the different safety and warning labels.

Types of Safety Labels

• Machine Safety Labels – From standard electronics to heavy equipment to dangerous machinery, every item that poses any sort of risk of injury should have a clear and visible safety warning label to inform the user of the potential danger when using or operating it. Overtime and after continued use, the labeling can become worn to the point that it can no longer be read or completely worn off. To renew these important warnings, it is recommended to replace them with strong, durable and long lasting printed materials such as polycarbonate, polyester, vinyl or foil.
• Building or Facility Safety Labels – The most common types of labels should be posted in and around a workplace, and are designated to remind employees about the typical or basic safety precautions like watching your step in certain areas, keeping a door closed, low hanging equipment, wearing proper clothing and/or footwear. These types of workplace safety labels are somewhat flexible according to the specifications by the ANSI, but it is recommended that each one includes the proper pictogram, signal word in proper coloring and description.
• Fire Equipment and Emergency Exit Labels – Safety labels referring to any type of fire prevention or emergency are extremely important as they are a key aspect of keeping your facility up to code. Without proper fire equipment labels, the local fire marshal could shut your business down. All fire safety labels should be in red and identify the equipment in large, capitalized letters, and is recommended that they include a pictogram and a description about proper use of the equipment. Emergency Exit labels simply need to say “EXIT” and be placed above entryways that lead to an exit and above exit doors and be in green, but it is best if they are lit up at all times with a green back-light.

Safety Label Printing

Take a look around your facility and on the equipment. If any of the safety labels are rubbing off, are illegible or completely missing, you are putting yourself, your employees, your customers and your business at risk. Then, contact Aluma Graphics, we can provide safety label printing for all types of industries in all types of environments. Custom safety label printing is one of our identification product printing specialties!