Safety Label Design Guide
Below are two different label layouts to assist you in constructing safety label designs that are compliant with ANSI Z534.4 and to help identify some of the differences between ANSI, SEMI, and ISO label formats.
- Indicate whether your label is horizontal or vertical.
- Provide the "W" and "L" dimensions in inches.
For example: W = 2 inches, L = 1 inch.
- Specify the label material required.
For example: .002 white polyester with Flexcon L-23 adhesive or equivalent. Laminate with .001 transparent matte polyester.
- Indicate "Signal Words" to be used according to the severity of the hazard.
ANSI Signal Word Format: White text with safety red background.
Danger: indicates an imminently hazardous situation which, if not avoided, will result in death or serious injury. Black text with safety orange background.
Warning: indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in death or serious injury. Black text with safety yellow background.
Caution: indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in minor or moderate injury. Black text with safety yellow background.
Caution without the alert symbol: indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in property damage. ISO Hazard Severity Panel: 
NOTE: ISO defines the signal word panel as the "Hazard Severity Panel" and it is optional for ISO safety labels, however if used, the coloring is different than ANSI & SEMI.
- For the "Pictorial Panel," ANSI Z535.3, "Criteria for Safety Symbols," describes the procedure for creating custom safety symbols.
NOTE: Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) has developed a specification, SEMI S1-0701, based largely on ANSI Z535.4, specifying labeling guidelines for safety labels used on semiconductor capital equipment. The mandatory EU standard for CE marked product safety labels used by the European Union is ISO/DIS 3864-2 "Safety colours and safety signs - Part 2: Design principles for product safety labels."
ISO safety labels, like SEMI, require the use of surround shapes. A "surround shape" is "a geometric configuration that is placed around a symbol..." Surround shapes may also be used for ANSI labels.
For your convenience, we have compiled a few pages of standard ANSI safety symbols and ISO/SEMI symbols with surround shapes that you can reference when ordering labels from Cellotape:
- Specify text required in the "Word Message Panel" of the label.
The word message panel should be concise and readily understood, and should communicate:
• The nature of the hazard. Example: Hot Surface
• The consequences of the hazard. Example: Can Cause Severe Burns
• The means of avoiding the hazard. Example: Use Protective Gloves
- Specify whether an "identifier" is needed.
The identifier is usually a part number and is optional for ANSI (required for SEMI).
- ANSI Z535.4 also makes allowances for special situations where
modified formats may be desirable:
• Two panel labels without a symbol.
• Multilingual formats.
• Multiple Hazard formats.
• Multiple symbol panels.
