Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor § 1910.145
markings appear, used for emergency hazard against which proper precaution stopping of machinery shall be red. should be taken. (2) [Reserved] (3) Safety instruction signs. Safety in- (3) Yellow. Yellow shall be the basic struction signs shall be used where color for designating caution and for there is a need for general instructions marking physical hazards such as: and suggestions relative to safety Striking against, stumbling, falling, measures. tripping, and ‘‘caught in between.’’ (d) Sign design—(1) Design features. All (b) [Reserved] signs shall be furnished with rounded [39 FR 23502, June 27, 1974, as amended at 43 or blunt corners and shall be free from FR 49748, Oct. 24, 1978; 49 FR 5322, Feb. 10, sharp edges, burrs, splinters, or other 1984; 61 FR 9239, Mar. 7, 1996] sharp projections. The ends or heads of bolts or other fastening devices shall § 1910.145 Specifications for accident be located in such a way that they do prevention signs and tags. not constitute a hazard. (a) Scope. (1) These specifications (2) Danger signs. The colors red, apply to the design, application, and black, and white shall be those of use of signs or symbols (as included in opaque glossy samples as specified in paragraphs (c) through (e) of this sec- Table 1 of Fundamental Specification tion) intended to indicate and, insofar of Safety Colors for CIE Standard as possible, to define specific hazards of Source ‘‘C’’, American National Stand- a nature such that failure to designate ard Z53.1–1967, which is incorporated by them may lead to accidental injury to reference as specified in § 1910.6. workers or the public, or both, or to (3) [Reserved] property damage. These specifications (4) Caution signs. Standard color of are intended to cover all safety signs the background shall be yellow; and except those designed for streets, high- the panel, black with yellow letters. ways, railroads, and marine regula- Any letters used against the yellow tions. These specifications do not apply background shall be black. The colors to plant bulletin boards or to safety shall be those of opaque glossy samples posters. as specified in Table 1 of American Na- (2) All new signs and replacements of tional Standard Z53.1–1967. old signs shall be in accordance with (5) [Reserved] these specifications. (6) Safety instruction signs. Standard (b) Definitions. As used in this sec- color of the background shall be white; tion, the word sign refers to a surface and the panel, green with white letters. on prepared for the warning of, or safe- Any letters used against the white ty instructions of, industrial workers background shall be black. The colors or members of the public who may be shall be those of opaque glossy samples exposed to hazards. Excluded from this as specified in Table 1 of American Na- definition, however, are news releases, tional Standard, Z53.1–1967. displays commonly known as safety (7)–(9) [Reserved] posters, and bulletins used for em- (10) Slow-moving vehicle emblem. This ployee education. emblem (see fig. J–7) consists of a fluo- (c) Classification of signs according to rescent yellow-orange triangle with a use—(1) Danger signs. (i) There shall be dark red reflective border. The yellow- no variation in the type of design of orange fluorescent triangle is a highly signs posted to warn of specific dangers visible color for daylight exposure. The and radiation hazards. reflective border defines the shape of (ii) All employees shall be instructed the fluorescent color in daylight and that danger signs indicate immediate creates a hollow red triangle in the danger and that special precautions are path of motor vehicle headlights at necessary. night. The emblem is intended as a (2) Caution signs. (i) Caution signs unique identification for, and it shall shall be used only to warn against po- be used only on, vehicles which by de- tential hazards or to caution against sign move slowly (25 m.p.h. or less) on unsafe practices. the public roads. The emblem is not a (ii) All employees shall be instructed clearance marker for wide machinery that caution signs indicate a possible nor is it intended to replace required
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lighting or marking of slow-moving ve- used to identify hazardous conditions hicles. Neither the color film pattern and provide a message to employees and its dimensions nor the backing with respect to hazardous conditions as shall be altered to permit use of adver- set forth in paragraph (f)(3) of this sec- tising or other markings. The material, tion, or to meet the specific tagging re- location, mounting, etc., of the em- quirements of other OSHA standards. blem shall be in accordance with the (ii) This paragraph (f) does not apply American Society of Agricultural En- to construction, maritime or agri- gineers Emblem for Identifying Slow- culture. Moving Vehicles, ASAE R276, 1967, or (2) Definitions. Biological hazard or ASAE S276.2 (ANSI B114.1–1971), which BIOHAZARD means those infectious are incorporated by reference as speci- agents presenting a risk of death, in- fied in § 1910.6. jury or illness to employees. Major message means that portion of a tag’s inscription that is more specific than the signal word and that indicates the specific hazardous condition or the instruction to be communicated to the employee. Examples include: ‘‘High Voltage,’’ ‘‘Close Clearance,’’ ‘‘Do Not Start,’’ or ‘‘Do Not Use’’ or a cor- responding pictograph used with a written text or alone. Pictograph means a pictorial rep- resentation used to identify a haz- ardous condition or to convey a safety instruction. Signal word means that portion of a tag’s inscription that contains the word or words that are intended to cap- ture the employee’s immediate atten- FIGURE J±7.ÐSLOW-MOVING VEHICLE EMBLEM tion. NOTE: All dimensions are in inches. Tag means a device usually made of (e) Sign wordings. card, paper, pasteboard, plastic or (1) [Reserved] other material used to identify a haz- (2) Nature of wording. The wording of ardous condition. any sign should be easily read and con- (3) Use. Tags shall be used as a means cise. The sign should contain sufficient to prevent accidental injury or illness information to be easily understood. to employees who are exposed to haz- The wording should make a positive, ardous or potentially hazardous condi- rather than negative suggestion and tions, equipment or operations which should be accurate in fact. are out of the ordinary, unexpected or (3) [Reserved] not readily apparent. Tags shall be (4) Biological hazard signs. The bio- used until such time as the identified logical hazard warning shall be used to hazard is eliminated or the hazardous signify the actual or potential presence operation is completed. Tags need not of a biohazard and to identify equip- be used where signs, guarding or other ment, containers, rooms, materials, ex- positive means of protection are being perimental animals, or combinations used. thereof, which contain, or are contami- (4) General tag criteria. All required nated with, viable hazardous agents. tags shall meet the following criteria: For the purpose of this subparagraph (i) Tags shall contain a signal word the term ‘‘biological hazard,’’ or ‘‘bio- and a major message. hazard,’’ shall include only those infec- (A) The signal word shall be either tious agents presenting a risk or poten- ‘‘Danger,’’ ‘‘Caution,’’ or ‘‘Biological tial risk to the well-being of man. Hazard,’’ ‘‘BIOHAZARD,’’ or the bio- (f) Accident prevention tags—(1) Scope logical hazard symbol. and application. (i) This paragraph (f) (B) The major message shall indicate applies to all accident prevention tags the specific hazardous condition or the
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instruction to be communicated to the employee. (ii) The signal word shall be readable at a minimum distance of five feet (1.52 m) or such greater distance as war- ranted by the hazard. (iii) The tag’s major message shall be presented in either pictographs, writ- ten text or both. (iv) The signal word and the major message shall be understandable to all employees who may be exposed to the identified hazard. (v) All employees shall be informed as to the meaning of the various tags used throughout the workplace and what special precautions are necessary. (vi) Tags shall be affixed as close as safely possible to their respective haz- ards by a positive means such as string, wire, or adhesive that prevents their loss or unintentional removal. (5) Danger tags. Danger tags shall be Biological Hazard Symbol Configuration. used in major hazard situations where (9) Other tags. Other tags may be used an immediate hazard presents a threat in addition to those required by this of death or serious injury to employ- paragraph (f), or in other situations ees. Danger tags shall be used only in where this paragraph (f) does not re- these situations. quire tags, provided that they do not (6) Caution tags. Caution tags shall be detract from the impact or visibility of used in minor hazard situations where the signal word and major message of a non-immediate or potential hazard or any required tag. unsafe practice presents a lesser threat of employee injury. Caution tags shall APPENDICES TO § 1910.145(f), be used only in these situations. ACCIDENT PREVENTION TAGS (7) Warning tags. Warning tags may be used to represent a hazard level be- APPENDIX A TO § 1910.145(f)— tween ‘‘Caution’’ and ‘‘Danger,’’ in- RECOMMENDED COLOR CODING stead of the required ‘‘Caution’’ tag, While the standard does not specifically provided that they have a signal word mandate colors to be used on accident pre- of ‘‘Warning,’’ an appropriate major vention tags, the following color scheme is message, and otherwise meet the gen- recommended by OSHA for meeting the re- eral tag criteria of paragraph (f)(4) of quirements of this section: this section. ‘‘DANGER’’—Red, or predominantly red, (8) Biological hazard tags. (i) Biologi- with lettering or symbols in a contrasting cal hazard tags shall be used to iden- color. tify the actual or potential presence of ‘‘CAUTION’’—Yellow, or predominantly a biological hazard and to identify yellow, with lettering or symbols in a con- trasting color. equipment, containers, rooms, experi- ‘‘WARNING’’—Orange, or predominantly mental animals, or combinations orange, with lettering or symbols in a con- thereof, that contain or are contami- trasting color. nated with hazardous biological agents. ‘‘BIOLOGICAL HAZARD’’—Fluorescent or- (ii) The symbol design for biological ange or orange-red, or predominantly so, hazard tags shall conform to the design with lettering or symbols in a contrasting shown below: color.
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APPENDIX B TO § 1910.145(f)— Acceptable entry conditions means the REFERENCES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION conditions that must exist in a permit space to allow entry and to ensure that The following references provide informa- employees involved with a permit-re- tion which can be helpful in understanding the requirements contained in various sec- quired confined space entry can safely tions of the standard: enter into and work within the space. 1. Bresnahan, Thomas F., and Bryk, Jo- Attendant means an individual sta- seph, ‘‘The Hazard Association Values of Ac- tioned outside one or more permit cident Prevention Signs’’, Journal of Amer- spaces who monitors the authorized en- ican Society of Safety Engineers; January 1975. trants and who performs all attend- 2. Dreyfuss, H., Symbol Sourcebook, McGraw ant’s duties assigned in the employer’s Hill; New York, NY, 1972. permit space program. 3. Glass, R.A. and others, Some Criteria for Authorized entrant means an em- Colors and Signs in Workplaces, National Bu- ployee who is authorized by the em- reau of Standards, Washington DC, 1983. 4. Graphic Symbols for Public Areas and Oc- ployer to enter a permit space. cupational Environments, Treasury Board of Blanking or blinding means the abso- Canada, Ottawa, Canada, July 1980. lute closure of a pipe, line, or duct by 5. Howett, G.L., Size of Letters Required for the fastening of a solid plate (such as a Visibility as a Function of Viewing Distance spectacle blind or a skillet blind) that and Observer Acuity, National Bureau of completely covers the bore and that is Standards, Washington DC, July 1983. capable of withstanding the maximum 6. Lerner, N.D. and Collins, B.L., The As- pressure of the pipe, line, or duct with sessment of Safety Symbol Understandability by Different Testing Methods, National Bureau of no leakage beyond the plate. Standards, Washington DC, 1980. Confined space means a space that: 7. Lerner, N.D. and Collins, B.L., Workplace (1) Is large enough and so configured Safety Symbols, National Bureau of Stand- that an employee can bodily enter and ards, Washington DC, 1980. perform assigned work; and 8. Modley, R. and Meyers, W.R., Handbook (2) Has limited or restricted means of Pictorial Symbols, Dover Publication, New for entry or exit (for example, tanks, York, NY, 1976. vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, 9. Product Safety Signs and Labels, FMC Cor- poration, Santa Clara, CA, 1978. vaults, and pits are spaces that may 10. Safety Color Coding for Marking Physical have limited means of entry.); and Hazards, Z53.1, American National Standards (3) Is not designed for continuous em- Institute, New York, NY, 1979. ployee occupancy. 11. Signs and Symbols for the Occupational Double block and bleed means the clo- Environment, Can. 3–Z–321–77, Canadian sure of a line, duct, or pipe by closing Standards Association, Ottawa, September and locking or tagging two in-line 1977. valves and by opening and locking or 12. Symbols for Industrial Safety, National Bureau of Standards, Washington DC, April tagging a drain or vent valve in the 1982. line between the two closed valves. 13. Symbol Signs, U.S. Department of Trans- Emergency means any occurrence (in- portation, Washington DC, November 1974. cluding any failure of hazard control or [39 FR 23502, June 27, 1974, as amended at 43 monitoring equipment) or event inter- FR 49749, Oct. 24, 1978; 43 FR 51759, Nov. 7, nal or external to the permit space 1978; 49 FR 5322, Feb. 10, 1984; 51 FR 33260, that could endanger entrants. Sept. 19, 1986; 61 FR 9239, Mar. 7, 1996] Engulfment means the surrounding and effective capture of a person by a § 1910.146 Permit-required confined liquid or finely divided (flowable) solid spaces. substance that can be aspirated to (a) Scope and application. This section cause death by filling or plugging the contains requirements for practices respiratory system or that can exert and procedures to protect employees in enough force on the body to cause general industry from the hazards of death by strangulation, constriction, entry into permit-required confined or crushing. spaces. This section does not apply to Entry means the action by which a agriculture, to construction, or to ship- person passes through an opening into yard employment (Parts 1928, 1926, and a permit-required confined space. 1915 of this chapter, respectively). Entry includes ensuing work activities (b) Definitions. in that space and is considered to have
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