NEMA Releases Revisions of ANSI Z535 Safety Sign and Color Standards
5 August 1998
NEMA Releases Revisions of ANSI Z535 Safety Sign and Color Standards
ROSSLYN, Va.--Aug. 5, 1998--NEMA, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, and Global Engineering Documents has announced the release of the ANSI Z535, Safety Sign and Color series.
The new edition series includes Z535.1-1998, Safety Color Code; Z535.2-1998, Environmental and Facility Safety Signs; Z535.3-1998, Criteria for Safety Symbols; Z535.4-1998, Product Safety Signs and Labels; Z535.5-1998, Accident Prevention Tags (for Temporary Hazards). Together, these five standards specify formats, colors, and symbols for safety signs used in environmental and facility applications, product appliances, and temporary accident prevention tags. The series is available through Global Engineering Documents, an IHS Group company, based in Englewood, Colo.
- Safety Color Code, Z535.1-1998, sets technical definitions, color standards, color tolerances for safety colors, and the applications of these safety colors. It establishes a safety color code that will inform people to take precautionary action in the presence of hazards.
- Environmental and Facility Safety Signs, Z535.2-1998, provides a visual alerting system to aid in identifying potential hazards existing in the environment. It furnishes the design, application, and use of signs employing this visual alerting system. Its primary intent is to provide an effective means of alerting potential accident victims to existing hazards.
- Criteria for Safety Symbols, Z535.3-1998, provides general criteria for the design, evaluation, and use of safety symbols.
- Product Safety Signs and Labels, Z535.4-1998, provides guidelines for the design, application, use, and placement of safety signs and labels intended to identify potential hazards for people using, operating, servicing, or in proximity to a wide variety of products. Product safety signs and labels should alert people to a specific hazard, the degree of hazard seriousness, the probable consequences of confronting such hazard, and how to avoid the hazard.
- Accident Prevention Tags (for Temporary Hazards), Z535.5-1998, sets forth guidelines for accident prevention tag use. It states that such tags should be used only until the identified hazard is eliminated or the hazardous operation is completed. Requirements for design and usage of accident prevention tags are defined in this standard.
"The Z535 series," says Ron Runkles, Program Manager at NEMA, "are 'horizontal standards,' that is, they cut across all industries [because all industries use signs and labels on equipment]. Users will notice that new options have been added in formatting signs and labels and explanatory material has been added in the annexes." The Z535.4 standard, according to Runkles, has become the basis of a U.S. proposal on graphical symbols to the International Electrotechnical Commission.
Z535.1, Z535.2, Z535.4, and Z535.5 can be purchased for $40.00 each, Z535.3 for $80.00, the entire set for $230.00, and the Z535 Color Chart for $5.00 by contacting Global Engineering Documents at (800) 854-7179 (within the U.S.), (303) 397-7956 (international), (303) 397-2740 (fax), or on the Internet at http://global.ihs.com.
Global Engineering Documents is the world's leading distributor of industry, U.S., international, and national standards, specifications, and publications in hardcopy. Global serves more than 60,000 customers in 120 countries. IHS Group companies deliver engineering, energy, and regulatory information, including NEMA standards.