Safety labels (Warning labels, Safety stickers) are marking tools used to convey safety information, usually in the form of a graphic symbol, text description or color coding. Its main purpose is to alert users to potential safety hazards and prevent accidents or injuries caused by improper operation or misuse. Safety warning labels are widely used in industrial production, transportation, building construction, chemical management and daily consumer products.
According to international standards (e.g. ISO 7010) and national laws and regulations, safety warning labels must be designed to be clear, intuitive and easy to understand, so that they can effectively convey safety information in different languages and cultural backgrounds.
The characteristics of safety warning labels are:
- Intuitive: Safety warning labels are usually designed with graphic symbols and eye-catching colors to attract attention and convey the core message in a short period of time. For example, the color red is often used to indicate “No” or “Danger”, while yellow represents “Warning” or “Caution”. Standardization.
- Standardization: In order to ensure commonality and consistency across the globe, the design and content of safety warning labels need to conform to international or industry standards. For example, ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and ANSI (American National Standards Institute) have both developed relevant specifications.
- Simplicity: The information on the label is usually concise, avoiding lengthy descriptions to ensure that the user can quickly understand its meaning.
- Durability: Safety warning labels need to be durable and able to withstand environmental factors (e.g. UV, humidity, temperature changes, etc.) so that they remain legible for a long period of time.
- Specificity: Safety labels for different scenarios will be customized according to specific needs. For example, labels for the chemical industry may emphasize the hazardous properties of chemicals, while labels for machinery and equipment focus on operational risks.
- Legally mandatory: In many countries and regions, the use of safety warning labels is part of the legal requirements. Failure to post the required warning labels may result in legal liability or fines.