The US Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration places a heavy value on accident preventions signs and tags. All signs and tags must be properly created, have appropriate lettering and colors, and follow standard hazard definitions. In order to assist business owners in creating proper signage, OSHA created Standard 1910.145.

Standard 1910.145 defines what a sign is; when a sign is needed; which signs are needed in which circumstances; what design must be present on the sign; how to apply the signs; and any parameters of the sign, including size, shape, and corner type. OSHA further defines specific sign types, such as “danger” signs, “caution” signs, “biohazard” signs, etc. OSHA also defines several emblems and figures within the standard.

Because OSHA takes such a narrow view to signs and their design, it is important to make sure all of your signs are up to code, and to have a plan in place for the constant review of existing signs, and replacement of signs as they get old, as they can fall out of compliance with age. To help in the review process, it is usually advisable to have regular third party audits of your safety signs, to ensure slowly aging signs have not gone unnoticed by employees who see these signs multiple times a day.

To help with the replacement of outdated or damaged signs, it is advisable to purchase new signs from a qualified OSHA expert. We have a store where you can buy any sign you need, and rest assured knowing we guarantee it is OSHA compliant.

If you have any further questions about OSHA accident prevention signs and tags, or if you need to have your facility audited, please contact us. If you have anything to add about these signs and tags, please leave a comment.