The ANSI Z535 Standards and their Scope

The ANSI Z535 is an American standard for safety and accident prevention symbols. It corresponds to, but also has points of deviation from the ISO 3864 standards. The ANSI Z535 comprises of six standards that include color charts and safety symbols.

ANSI Z535.1: American National Standard for Safety Colors

The only standard published separately, the ANSI Z353 Safety Color Chart is meant to provide a comprehensive sample of each color and its significance. The chart also provides the color’s ink formulation and the closest PANTONE color. It was prepared by the Z535.1 Subcommittee on Safety Colors. The foreword and all annexes are considered to be informative while the body is considered to be normative, according to the 2006 edition of the same, which was reaffirmed in 2011. This was eighth revision of the American War Standard which was developed by the American Standard Association in 1945.

ANSI Z535.2: American National Standard for Environmental and Facility Safety Signs

This standard guides the design, application, and use of safety signs in the environment through a consistent layout. There are already a number of existing American National Standards that are recognized for particular industries or specific uses. The ANSI Z353.2 does not replace them, but rather encourages the incorporation of this standard in subsequent revisions of the other regulations. The purposes of this Standard were declared to be: a. establish a uniform and consistent visual layout for safety signs to be located in facilities and in the environment; b. minimize the proliferation of designs for environmental and facility safety signs; and c. establish a national uniform system for signs that communicate safety information. This is as per the 2011 edition of the standard.

ANSI Z535.3: American National Standard for Criteria for Safety Symbols

This standard is further subdivided into six definitive aspects which are accident, harm, incident, colors, critical confusion, excluded function, hazard and image. These aspects relate to products, immediate environment or workplace safety guidelines. Any information that must be provided by manufacturer, employer or state to prevent personal injury of the subject is covered under the ANSIZ535.3, according to an article published by ANSI News and Publications.

ANSI Z535.4: American National Standard for Product Safety Signs and Labels

The American National Standard for Product Safety and Labels developed in 1991 to address the lack of a multi-industry standard that gave comprehensive guidance on formatting on product warnings. It is a manufacturer’s legal obligation to meet this standard at the bare minimum, although he may choose to exceed the guidelines, when selling a product in the market place. This is according to the blog published on Manufacturing.net in 2014. A new type of product safety sign, the “safety instruction sign” was added to the existing signs in the 2011 edition.

ANSI Z535.5: American National Standard for Safety Tags and Barricade Tapes (for Temporary Hazards)

This standard is dedicated to the signs that are temporarily used until the completion of the hazard has been eliminates or the activity has been completed. According to the 2011 edition of the standard, its purposes are: a. to establish a uniform and consistent visual layout for safety tags and barricade tapes; b. to minimize the proliferation of designs for safety tags and barricade tapes; and c. to establish a national uniform system for safety tags and barricade tapes that communicate safety information.

ANSI Z535.6: American National Standard for Product Safety Information in Product Manuals, Instructions, and Other Collateral Materials

This standard was first published in October 10, 2006 and it now applies to all manuals and other collateral materials for products sold in the United States with the exception of those products on which a specific standard already applies, such as the prescription drugs industry, on which the FDA regulations already apply. The standard gives four types of safety messages: Grouped Safety Message, Section Safety Message, Embedded Safety Message and Supplemental Directives. This is according to the blog published by CEMarking.net. Not only does the standard mention the format of the safety messages, it also clarifies the placement of the same in the manual or collateral materials.

Therefore, even though the different aspects of the ANSI standards developed over time, as and when the need was felt, they now form comprehensive guideline for anyone who wishes to produce or sell in the United States.