Appliance Design - September 2007 - (Page 66) DECORATION to accompany their messages so that product operators have the opportunity to visualize the hazard and see how to avoid it without needing to read text. A wide variety of standardized pictorials are available for use on safety labels, nearly all of which can be referenced through a number of resources. There are a number of databases available for manufacturers to review pictorial standards, including the subscription-based ISO database, which also allows for pictorial downloading. Within ISO, manufacturers can make reference to a variety of existing applicable standards, such as: 4ANSI Z535.4 – Product Safety Signs and Labels. 4ASAE S441.3 – Safety Signs. 4ANSI B71.1 – Outdoor Power Equipment, Walk, Behind Mowers and Ride-On Machines with Mowers, Safety Specifications. 4ISO 7000 – Graphical Symbols for use on Equipment. 4ISO 3864 – 1, 2 & 3 – Graphical Symbols, Safety Colors and Safety Signs: Design Principles for Graphical Symbols for use in Safety Signs. These resources, or standards unique to an industry, can identify the pictorials that best depict the hazard to be addressed by the safety label, as well as pictorials illustrating hazard avoidance. Accurately depicting how to avoid the hazard is a key component that is missing in many inappropriately designed safety labels. As pictorials are identified for specific manufacturer products, the development of an in-house pictorial library is highly recommended for quick and easy access to all of the commonly and often used pictorials by the manufacturer. Verbiage: While pictorials provide the important visual component of the hazard, the verbiage included on the safety label provides more finite detail around the hazard, hazard avoidance, and consequences. At this point in the label development process, a manufacturer has already provided the initial verbiage needed for the label by using one of the signal words CAUTION, WARNING or DANGER. The next step is to put the identified hazard into words and describe how do avoid the hazard. Fig. 1 illustrates potential verbiage for a lawn mower. The label contains the signal word (WARNING), identification of the hazard (SEVER HAZARD), avoidance text (Keep clear of mower blades), and the consequences of not avoiding the hazard (Failure to comply could result in death or serious injury). There are several keys to developing effective verbiage for safety labels. First, wording must be succinct and use a headline-style format. Label designers must avoid using excessive, unnecessary words (e.g., “the”) while presenting the text in easy-to-read upper and lower case letters. Note that it is acceptable to use all upper case letters in short phrases requiring impact (e.g. SEVER HAZARD). Second, be mindful of the font size of the text and the space available on the label. Manufacturers need to determine the proper distance from which the label will be viewed. ANSI has a set of font size guidelines that can be referenced for this very purpose (see ANSI Z535.4 Product Safety Signs and Labels Annex B). Layout and consistency: When design- For more Information Enter 144 66 applianceDESIGN September 2007 www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.dsmotor.com http://www.oshore.com http://www.dsmotor.com http://www.appliancedesign.com
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