Telecommunications
Industry Forum
Sponsored by the Alliance for
Telecommunications Industry Solutions
Admonishments (SafetyRelated Warning Messages)
When to Use Them and How to Present Them on Workplace
Signs, on Product Labels, and in User Documentation
TCIF Guideline
TCIF-99-021
Issue 1
12/27/99
Signs, Labels, and Documentation
Intro ANSI (Tbl 1-1) ISO (Tbl 1-2) Categories (Tbl 2-1) Layout (Tbl 2-2) Typography Color (Tbl 2-3) Documents
Admonishments
Copyright Page
TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
Admonishments (Safety-Related Warning Messages)
Prepared by the TCIF Information Products Interchange Working Committee,
http://www.atis.org/atis/tcif/.
Approved by TCIF Guideline Review, December 26, 1999.
To order, please contact TCIF, +1 202 434-8844, FAX +1 202 393-5453.
If you have questions or comments, please contact Donald F. Pratt, +1 732 699-4012,
FAX +1 732 336-3640, e-mail dpratt@telcordia.com.
Copyright © 1998-1999 ATIS. This document is printed and distributed by the
Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (“ATIS”) on behalf of the
Telecommunications Industry Forum (“TCIF”). Participants in TCIF are hereby
authorized to reproduce this document and distribute it within their own business
organizations and to others for TCIF-related business provided that this notice
continues to appear in the reproduced documentation. Resale is prohibited.
TCIF-99-021
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TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
Contents
Tables
Contents
1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.1. Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.2. Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.3. Traditional Practice and Current Standards
1.3.1. Telecom Tradition . . . . . . . . . .
1.3.2. ANSI Z535 and OSHA 1910 . . . .
1.3.3. ISO 3864 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1.3.4. Other Considerations . . . . . . . .
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2. Recommendations for Design and Use of Admonishments
2.1. Basic Principles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.2. Categories of Admonishments and Reasons for Use
2.3. Message Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.4. Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.5. Typography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2.6. Color Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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. 11
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. 13
. 14
. 16
. 17
3. Recommended Designs for Documentation .
3.1. Recommended Color Designs . . . . .
3.2. Acceptable Variations in Color Designs
3.3. Grayscale and Halftone Variations . .
3.4. Two-Tone Variations . . . . . . . . .
3.5. Text-Only Variations . . . . . . . . .
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4
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5
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7
9
Tables
Table 1-1. ANSI Admonishment Types and Their Signal-Word Panel Designs 7
Table 1-2. ISO Admonishment Types and Their Surround Shapes and Colors . 8
Table 1-3. Contrast Problem for ANSI Black-and-Orange Messages . . . . . . 9
Table 2-1. Telecom Admonishment Types and Their Symbols and Signal Words 13
Table 2-2. Sign and Label Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Table 2-3. Color Definitions for Admonishments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
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Introduction
Background
1111
1.1
TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
1 Introduction
1.1 Summary
Standardization of safety-related warning messages has the goal of making the
warnings easy to recognize and easy to understand, and thus limiting the human and
dollar cost of foreseeable errors and accidents. In the telecommunications industry,
where such messages are commonly referred to as “admonishments,” traditional
usage has been in direct conflict with current standards from ANSI (the American
National Standards Institute) and ISO (the International Organization for
Standardization) and current regulations from OSHA (the Occupational Safety &
Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor).
This is a Guideline for implementing those standards and regulations in the telecom
industry. It describes new kinds of admonishments consistent with the standards,
explains when to use each type, and shows how to present them. It enables the
highest degree of compliance that is practical, given the contradictions among the
standards themselves. The information in this Guideline is important — it applies
to all safety-related messages in workplace signs, on product labels, and in user
documentation — and it is not currently available elsewhere.
The most significant changes from traditional telecom practice are these:
• The words CAUTION and WARNING, along with DANGER, should now be
used only for risks to personal safety, in compliance with ANSI and OSHA.
• There are now no categories of admonishments that correspond directly to two
traditional meanings of CAUTION and WARNING: risks of service interruption
and equipment damage, respectively. Instead, to comply with ISO, a distinction
is made between prohibitive and imperative messages, either of which could
replace a CAUTION or WARNING.
• Additional categories of lower-level admonishments have been created to cover
all uses defined by both ANSI and ISO.
• Presentation has been standardized around the colors and symbols prescribed by
ISO and the layouts and typography prescribed by ANSI, with alternatives for
those situations where the use of color or graphical symbols is impractical.
1.2 Background
Safety-related warning messages (admonishments) are increasingly part of our
everyday lives, and the reasons are obvious. The makers and sellers of products are
expected to do all they reasonably can, and maybe more, to ensure that customers
are aware of any risks inherent in the use of their products. Part of the
manufacturer’s responsibility is to make safety warnings easy to recognize and easy
to understand. To this end, national and international standards have been
developed to promote consistent designs for safety messages and consistent
contexts for their use. Following such standards will, it is hoped, minimize the
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TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
Introduction
Traditional Practice and Current Standards
chances that valuable employees or customers will fail to notice or understand
information important to their safety.
Until now there has been little of this desirable consistency in the design and use of
safety-related messages within the telecommunications industry. Individual
companies have attempted to follow the traditions, standards, and regulations they
believed were applicable to them, but this has led to variations in practice that could
cause confusion and misunderstanding among users of products from more than one
vendor, with possibly expensive or tragic consequences.
Consistency has been needed:
• Among the major telecommunications equipment suppliers, in the user manuals,
signs, and labels associated with their products, so that safety-related messages
will be immediately recognized and understood.
• Between U.S. telecom practice and relevant ANSI standards and OSHA
regulations (these specifically cover workplace signs and product labels, but
imply that admonishments should be presented in much the same way in product
documentation).
• Across international boundaries, especially between North America and Europe
(where ISO, IEC, ITU, DIN, or other standards may have the force of law), since
products are increasingly used in both areas.
A TCIF Guideline prepared under the auspices of the Information Products
Interchange Committee has seemed the appropriate way to promote the consistency
needed, and recent queries directed to TCIF from member and nonmember
companies have indicated that others saw TCIF as the appropriate forum. However,
any coverage of this topic raises concerns for legal liability that cannot be fully
addressed by this Guideline. Therefore all persons with a responsibility for writing,
designing, or posting admonishments are strongly advised to consult their
companies’ legal departments for any further rules and guidance.
1.3 Traditional Practice and Current Standards
1.3.1 Telecom Tradition
Several pre-Divestiture Bell System documents, including some that are still
referenced (such as AT&T/Bellcore/Telcordia IP 10260, “Standards for TaskOriented Practices”) specified that admonishments were to be used as follows:
• DANGER — possibility of personal injury
• CAUTION — possibility of service interruption
• WARNING — possibility of equipment damage.
In some other references, the meanings specified were:
• DANGER — possibility of serious or fatal injury
• CAUTION — possibility of minor injury or of service interruption
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Introduction
Traditional Practice and Current Standards
TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
1313
• WARNING — possibility of equipment damage or software corruption.
Unfortunately, these definitions have been in direct conflict with standards from
ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and regulations from OSHA
(Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor) that
have been developed more recently.
1.3.2 ANSI Z535 and OSHA 1910
1.3
Current ANSI standards for workplace signs and product labels require that the
words “DANGER” and “WARNING” be used only for risks to personal safety.
OSHA 1910.145 requires that “DANGER” and “CAUTION” be used only for risks
to personal safety. These are paraphrases of the definitions in ANSI Z535.2-1991,
“Environmental and Facility Safety Signs,” and ANSI Z535.4-1998, “Product
Safety Signs and Labels”:
• DANGER — imminent hazard that will result in death or serious injury if not
avoided.
• WARNING — potential hazard that could result in death or serious injury if not
avoided.
• CAUTION — potential hazard that could result in minor or moderate injury if not
avoided. (CAUTION is also permitted for property-damage-only hazards in the
ANSI standards, but is specifically limited to injury risks in OSHA 1910.145,
which also incorporates older versions of the ANSI standards by reference.)
ANSI also defines these further types of admonishments in Z535.2:
• NOTICE — statement of company policy regarding safety of personnel or
protection of property.
• General Safety (“SAFETY FIRST,” “BE CAREFUL,” “THINK,” etc.) — for
general instructions and reminders and to mark locations of safety equipment.
Table 1-1 illustrates the ANSI standards and OSHA regulations. The “signal-word
panels” shown should appear above a black-on-white message panel, with an
optional symbol/pictorial panel to the left of or between those two required panels.
Unfortunately, the colors and shapes specified by ANSI and OSHA are partly in
conflict with those in the corresponding standard from ISO (International
Organization for Standardization).
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TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
Introduction
Traditional Practice and Current Standards
Table 1-1 ANSI Admonishment Types and Their Signal-Word Panel Designs
Admonishment Type
Current Design (1998)
Obsolete design (1991)
DANGER – Imminent
risk of death or serious
injury
White alert symbol and
“DANGER” centered on red
background
White “DANGER” in red
oval, white border, black
background
DANGER
WARNING – Potential Black alert symbol and
risk of death or serious “WARNING” centered on
orange background
injury
WARNING
CAUTION – Risk of
minor to moderate
injury
Black alert symbol and
“CAUTION” on yellow.
NOTICE – Company
policy
White “NOTICE” on blue
background
SAFETY – General
instructions or
reminders related to
safety
CAUTION
DANGER
Black “WARNING” in
truncated orange diamond
on black background
WARNING
Yellow “CAUTION” on
black background.
CAUTION
White “NOTICE” on blue
background
NOTICE
NOTICE
White key words (which vary)
on green background
White key words on green
background
SAFETY FIRST
SAFETY FIRST
1.3.3 ISO 3864
ISO 3864 specifies the meanings of colors and shapes for safety signs, but does not
specify signal words like “DANGER” and “CAUTION” — because it is an
international standard. Instead, current and future ISO standards specify icons to be
used within the shapes for various hazards, with the exclamation point as a default:
• Safety hazards: Yellow (with black) and a triangular shape shall be used for all
warnings about risks to personal safety.
• Other colors: Red shall be used for “Stop,” prohibition, and fire-related safety
messages (but not for warning of risks to personal safety). Blue shall be used for
“mandatory action” (the opposite of prohibition). Green shall be used to indicate
safe conditions (agreeing with ANSI and OSHA). Colors other than yellow, red,
blue, and green have no specific safety-related meaning in signs, and blue is
meaningful only when combined with a circular shape. (Florescent orange-red is
allowed as an alternative to yellow for marking hazards in dimly lit areas, but it is
not an alternative for signs.)
• Other shapes: Circles shall be used for prohibition (when red) and mandatory
action (when blue). Squares and rectangles shall be used for informational signs:
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TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
1313
red for fire safety, green for other safety information, other colors for non-safetyrelated information.
Table 1-2 illustrates the ISO standard.
Table 1-2 ISO Admonishment Types and Their Surround Shapes and Colors
1.3
Icons specified in ISO
3864 (more to come)
Purpose
Icon surround shape and colors
Warning
Triangle (yellow). Examples (general Fire, explosion, corrosive
use, electrical hazard):
substance, toxic
substance, electric shock.
Imperative/
prohibitive
Circle (blue for mandatory action, red No smoking, no open
for prohibition). Specified for general flame, no thoroughfare,
don’t use water, eye
use:
protection required, ear
protection required, hard
hat required.
Specified and permitted examples (no
smoking, speed limit):
50
Informative – general
instructions or
reminders related to
safety
Square (red for fire safety, green for First aid, direction to
general safety, another color for other safety.
information). No general sign is
specified. Permitted examples
(location of fire equipment, direction
to safety, suggested speed):
120
According to a representative to both the ANSI Z535 Committee and the
corresponding ISO committee (TC 80), there is currently no expectation that the
differences between the ANSI and ISO standards (mainly in the color coding) can
be resolved. ISO is committed to using “universal” colors and symbols, even if they
require training, rather than any language- or culture-dependent cues. For instance,
the ISO-standard “stop” sign is
which combines the “universal” symbol for “yield” with the “universal” surround
shape for “imperative/prohibitive.”
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TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
Introduction
Traditional Practice and Current Standards
ANSI, on the other hand, is relatively much more concerned with limiting legal
liability, so it tries to combine the verbal, color, and shape cues that are most
recognizable to Americans without any special training. In the judgment of the
aforementioned representative, it is not realistic to wait for the disagreements to be
resolved.
1.3.4 Other Considerations
To facilitate recognition, there should be consistency across the three contexts of
safety-related printed messages: workplace signs, product labels, and user
documentation. Therefore the limitations of all three media should be considered.
One important limitation is the added cost of color for labels and documents.
Typically signs can be made with colored ink or stock for about the same cost as
black-and-white, but for a product label or paper document to have a two-color
admonishment means that two ink colors must be used in printing. An absolute
requirement for two colors is not practical, at least at this time, so single-ink-color
versions of all types of admonishments are needed.
Further, a document designed in color may be printed or copied in black-and-white,
and messages must remain legible in that case. ANSI “safety orange,” specified for
“WARNING” messages, is very difficult to print accurately with typical computer
printers and even more difficult to reproduce legibly in black-and-white. To see the
problem, make a photocopy of Table 1-3.
Table 1-3 Contrast Problem for ANSI Black-and-Orange Messages
Printing the best computer approximation of ANSI orange (100% Red, 50% Green, or
50% Magenta, 100% Yellow):
WARNING
Printing the approximate grayscale value of ANSI orange (40% Gray):
WARNING
Printing the approximate halftone equivalent of ANSI orange (40% screen of Black):
WARNING
Another problem in applying the ANSI standard to documentation is its
requirement that the symbol-and-signal-word combination be centered horizontally
in the signal-word panel above the text message. Many documentation applications
(Web browsers in particular) would be likely to use a fixed-width graphic over an
adjustable-width text column, making the center a moving target.
Other limitations involve size and placement. Designs must be simple enough to be
recognized at a distance or when available space is limited (as on small products).
On the other hand, messages must not be small when available space is large, or
they may not be noticed.
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TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
1313
Overall, it must be recognized that maximizing compliance with the applicable
standards, while a desirable goal, is not necessarily the best strategy, since literal
compliance may not be technically or economically feasible. The writers of the
standards recognize the limitations themselves, and frequently use the words
“may,” “should,” “when feasible,” “preferably,” “as much as possible,” “it is
recommended that,” and “it shall be permissible to.” It is the TCIF’s belief that all
designs suggested in this Guideline fall within the range of variation allowed by the
applicable standards for at least some circumstances.
1.3
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TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
Recommendations for Design and Use of Admonishments
Categories of Admonishments and Reasons for Use
2 Recommendations for Design and Use of Admonishments
2.1 Basic Principles
1. Admonishment content and design should follow applicable standards and
regulations (ANSI, ISO, and OSHA) as much as is feasible and practical. (The
applicability of these standards to product documentation, though not explicit, is
assumed because of the overall goal of consistency.) This leads to some divergence
from traditional telecom practice in documentation, especially that “WARNING”
and “CAUTION” should be used only for hazards to personal safety.
2. Where the standards themselves differ, practicality should again be the deciding
factor. This leads in particular to a decision to use ISO color coding in place of the
ANSI color coding, because the ISO use of yellow for all safety messages has two
important practical advantages:
• Red, specified by ANSI for the most serious safety risks, already has two other
significant uses (stop/prohibition and fire safety). Yellow is used only for safety.
• The black/orange color combination for ANSI “WARNING” messages offers
very poor contrast, making it hard to read, especially in photocopied documents.
The decision to use ISO color coding seems also to have been made by at least a
large portion of the automotive industry in the United States, judging by what can
be seen under the hoods of many new-model cars.
3. All recommended designs should be recognizable and distinguishable if reproduced
in black-and-white, but alternative designs should be provided for halftone
(grayscale) and two-tone (dark-and-light) printing.
NOTE In the remainder of this document, “ISO,” “ANSI,” or “OSHA” appearing in
parentheses without further explanation will indicate that ISO 3864, ANSI Z535, or
OSHA 1910, respectively, is the basis for a particular recommendation. “TCIF” will
indicate a decision by the TCIF IPI Committee (usually on a matter apparently left
open by the standards and regulations).
2.2 Categories of Admonishments and Reasons for Use
The following seven categories of admonishments should be used as indicated:
• DANGER: use to warn of a hazard the reader will be exposed to and that will
likely result in death or serious injury if not avoided (ANSI, OSHA).
• WARNING: use to warn of a potential hazard the reader may be exposed to and
that could result in death or serious injury if not avoided. DO NOT use for
situations that pose a risk only to equipment, software, data, or service (ANSI).
• CAUTION: use to warn of a potential hazard the reader may be exposed to and
that could result in minor or moderate injury if not avoided (ANSI, OSHA). DO
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Recommendations for Design and Use of Admonishments
Categories of Admonishments and Reasons for Use
TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
2222
NOT use for situations that pose a risk only to equipment, data, or service, even if
such use appears to be permitted in some of the applicable standards (OSHA).
• ALERT (Prohibitive): use to alert the reader to an action that must be avoided in
order to protect equipment, software, data, or service (ISO).
• ALERT (Imperative): use to alert the reader to an action that must be performed
in order to prevent equipment damage, software corruption, data loss, or service
interruption (ISO).
2.2
• FIRE SAFETY: use to inform the reader of (1) fire-safety information,
reminders, precautions, or policies (those not related to a particular safety hazard),
or (2) the locations of fire-fighting and fire-safety equipment (ISO).
• SAFETY: use to inform the reader of general safety information, reminders,
precautions, or policies not related to a particular source of hazard or to fire safety
(ISO, ANSI, OSHA).
An eighth type of message is not an admonishment, but may be used with
admonishments:
• NOTICE: use (optionally) to inform the reader of general rules or policies not
related to safety (ANSI).
The order listed is the “order of importance” and the order that should be observed
in sequencing multiple messages from top to bottom or left to right (ANSI for safety
messages, TCIF for the rest). Although the standards permit multiple messages of
different types to be combined under the label for the “greatest seriousness level,”
separate messages are preferable (TCIF); extremely limited space may require that
messages be combined.
Signs and labels and other messages in documentation that state a policy (“NO
SMOKING”) or provide information (“ENTRANCE”), but are not primarily for the
purpose of protecting people, equipment, software, data, or service should not be
considered admonishments, and therefore:
• They should occur after any admonishments (in top-to-bottom or left-to-right
sequence)
• They should not look like admonishments. Specifically, they may include a
prominent symbol, such as
but they should not include a symbol-and-signal-word panel as described in
Section 2.3 (TCIF):
FIRE SAFETY
The ANSI “NOTICE” message is not considered an admonishment; it may be
presented in the same manner as an admonishment with a signal-word panel, as
illustrated in Section 3.1 (TCIF), as long as the panel does not include a symbol.
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Admonishments
Recommendations for Design and Use of Admonishments
Message Content
2.3 Message Content
All admonishments consist of:
• REQUIRED (ANSI): A symbol-and-signal-word panel over the text message,
containing an icon (the default or a more specific one) within the ISO-specified
surround shape for the admonishment type, followed horizontally by the signal
word(s) specified for the admonishment type in Table 2-1.
Table 2-1 Telecom Admonishment Types and Their Symbols and Signal Words
Admonishment
Type
Colors, as defined in
Table 2-3
Symbol
Surround
Shape
Symbol
Default
Icon
DANGER
Black on yellow (ISO,
contrary to ANSI)
Triangle
“!” (ISO, DANGER
(ISO, ANSI) ANSI)
(ANSI)
WARNING
Black on yellow (ISO,
contrary to ANSI)
Triangle
“!” (ISO, WARNIN
(ISO, ANSI) ANSI)
G (ANSI)
CAUTION
Black on yellow (ISO,
ANSI)
Triangle
“!” (ISO, CAUTION
(ISO, ANSI) ANSI)
(ANSI)
ALERT
(Prohibitive)
Red symbol, black icon on
white (ISO); text white on
blue (preferred, TCIF) or
black on white or white on
red
Circle with
slash (ISO)
ALERT
(Imperative)
White on blue (ISO, ANSI) Circle (ISO)
FIRE SAFETY
White on red (ISO, ANSI)
Square (ISO) Flame
(TCIF)
SAFETY
White on green (ISO,
ANSI)
Square (ISO) “!” (ISO) SAFETY
(TCIF)
NOTICE (not an
admonishment)
White on blue (ANSI)
None (TCIF) None
(TCIF)
None
(ISO)
Signal
Word
ALERT
(TCIF)
“!” (ISO, ALERT
ANSI)
(TCIF)
FIRE
SAFETY
(TCIF)
NOTICE
(ANSI)
• OPTIONAL (ANSI): A pictorial panel with any useful pictorial information
(which may include more-specific icons), to the left of or between the symboland-signal-word panel and the text message (see Table 2-2). The pictorial panel
may include an ISO icon, but the symbol-and-signal-word panel must still contain
at least the default icon in the surround shape specified in Table 2-1.
• REQUIRED (ANSI): A text message, preferably black text on a white
background, which must include:
– For documentation and labels, but not signs: the signal words repeated from the
symbol-and-signal-word panel or more specific words identifying the nature of
the risk (TCIF). These words repeat or narrow the meaning of the signal word(s)
because there is the chance that the symbol-and-signal-word panel will not be
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Recommendations for Design and Use of Admonishments
Layout
TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
2424
readable: as a computer graphic, it may not display or print correctly, and if
printed as a knockout (light text on dark background), it may be misregistered.
– A brief statement of the specific risk, problem, policy, or information content.
For a safety hazard, this is a statement of what could happen if the precaution is
not taken.
– If needed, terse but complete instructions on the precautions to be taken: how to
avoid the risk or how to perform the necessary actions.
2.4 Layout
For an admonishment sign or label with a single message in a single language, there
are three acceptable layouts; each may be extended for multiple messages or
multiple languages. Acceptable layouts are illustrated in Table 2-2 (these are a
selection by TCIF from the layouts allowed by ANSI).
2.4
Table 2-2 Sign and Label Layouts
Nonpictorial (two-panel):
Horizontal pictorial (three-panel):
@ SIGNAL
@ SIGNAL
Text message.
Text message.
Picture
Vertical pictorial (three-panel):
@ SIGNAL
Vertical nonpictorial multimessage or
multilanguage:
@ SIGNAL
Text message.
Picture
@ SIGNAL
Text message.
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Second text message,
etc.
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TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
Recommendations for Design and Use of Admonishments
Layout
Table 2-2 Sign and Label Layouts (Continued)
Horizontal pictorial multimessage or multilanguage:
@ SIGNAL
Text message.
Picture
Horizontal nonpictorial multimessage or
multilanguage:
@ SIGNAL
@ SIGNAL
Second
text message.
Third
text message,
etc.
Vertical pictorial multimessage or
multilanguage:
@ SIGNAL @ SIGNAL
@ SIGNAL
Text message. Second
text message,
etc.
Picture
Alternative pictorial multimessage or
multilanguage:
Picture
Text message.
@ SIGNAL
@ SIGNAL
Text message.
Second text message,
etc.
@ SIGNAL
Second, etc.
Height-to-width ratios and proportions may vary, as long as the height (top-tobottom measurement) of the symbol-and-signal-word panel is at least 25% of the
shorter overall dimension (height or width) of the largest pictorial or text panel
(TCIF). For instance, in the first example shown in Table 2-2, the height of the
symbol-and-signal-word panel should always be at least 25% of the height (shorter
dimension) of the text panel. In the lower left example in the table, the height of the
symbol-and-signal-word panel should be at least 25% of the width (shorter
dimension) of the picture panel (largest panel). The minimum width of the symbol-
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Recommendations for Design and Use of Admonishments
Typography
2525
2.5
TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
and-signal-word panel is automatically constrained by the width of the symbol and
text, since the type size will vary with the height of the panel (Section 2.5).
Corners of the sign or label may be rounded (ANSI). Borders are unnecessary if the
background of the sign or label is a contrasting color; but if there is another sign or
label or other text near the admonishment, there must be a border along any edge
between admonishment and nonadmonishment text (ANSI).
On signs and labels, the symbol and signal word should be centered horizontally
and vertically within the symbol-and-signal-word panel (ANSI). In documentation,
they may be centered or to the left of center or left-aligned so as to accommodate
varying column widths (TCIF, contrary to ANSI). In documentation, the overall
width of the admonishment (particularly the colored background of the symboland-signal-word panel) should be at least 2/3 of the width, and preferably the full
width, of the text column in which the admonishment appears; if less than the full
width, it may be centered or left of center or left-aligned within the column (TCIF).
2.5 Typography
(All of these recommendations are in accord with ANSI Z535.4, except as noted.)
All admonishment text should be in a highly readable sans-serif typeface, such as
Arial/Helvetica, Folio, Franklin Gothic, Frutiger, Gill Sans, Lucida Sans, News
Gothic, Trebuchet MS, Verdana, or Univers. Do not use “display” typefaces with
unusual letter shapes, such as Avant Garde or Impact.
Signal words in the symbol-and-signal-word panel should be in ALLCAPS
(UPPER CASE) and in a bold (or “demibold,” but not “heavy” or “black”) font.
The measured height of the letters should be at least 40% of the height of the panel,
but not more than 75%; the point-size measurement might vary but will usually be
55% to 100% of the panel height in points (TCIF).
For maximum readability, type in the message panel should be in normal mixed
case, left-aligned and ragged right (not centered and not fully justified). A bold font
is optional; bold type may be reserved for emphasis. If the text is entirely in a bold
font, ALLCAPS is preferred for emphasis; italics, which are harder to read, should
be avoided whenever possible.
The minimum type size used in documentation should be 14 points for signal words
and 11 points (but not smaller than body type) for message text (TCIF). For type not
measured in points, the minimum height of capital letters such as “E” should be 0.14
in. (3.6 mm) for signal words and 0.11 in. (2.8 mm) for message text. For signs and
labels, the minimum type size depends on the expected reading distance: capital
letters in signal words should have a minimum height of 1% of the viewing
distance, and capital letters in message text should have a minimum height of 0.7%
of the viewing distance. Equivalently, point sizes should be at least 1.0 and 0.7
points for each inch of distance. The viewing distance should not be assumed to be
less than 12 inches (30 cm), so the type used in labels, even on small parts, should
be at least 8.4 points for message text, 12 points for signal words.
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Admonishments
Recommendations for Design and Use of Admonishments
Color Definitions
The symbol surround shape should be at least as large as the signal-word type (0.01
inch per point of type size), but not larger than 250% of the type size (TCIF). The
symbol should be separated from the signal word by about half its height or width.
2.6 Color Definitions
Table 2-3 defines the colors to be used for admonishments. The Munsell and
“Printer’s Ink” values are taken from ANSI Z535.1, “Safety Color Code.” The
“Computer RGB” values are the color mixtures that appear to give the best
approximations of the ANSI standard colors on most computer screens. The
“Printer CMYK” values are ranges, allowing adjustments; the first values are exact
equivalents for the RGB values in the previous column, but the colors may have to
be adjusted toward the second values to get the best approximations of the ANSI
colors with most computer color printers.
Table 2-3 Color Definitions for Admonishments
Computer
RGB
(TCIF)
Printer
CMYK
(TCIF)
Substitute
Gray
(TCIF)
60 parts Warm
Red, 4 Rubine
Red, 1 Black
100% R
100% M,
100% Y,
0-10% K
100%
(Black)
5.0Y 8.0/
12.0
Pantone 108C
100% R,
100% G
100% Y,
0-10% M
10% to 20%
Green
7.5G 4.0/
9.0
Pantone 3415C
80% G,
20% B
100% C,
60-80% Y,
20-0% K
50% to 60%
Blue
2.5PB
3.5/10.0
27 parts Process
Blue, 5 Reflex
Blue
40% G,
80% B
100% C,
60-40% M
50% to 60%
Black
Should be at most 3% of the luminance of a perfect reflecting diffuser
(ANSI).
White
Should be at least 75% luminance (ANSI).
Color (see
Table 2-1)
Munsell
(ANSI)
Printer’s Ink
(ANSI)
Red
7.5R 4.0/
14.0
Yellow
Samples of these colors appear in Section 3.1.
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Recommended Designs for Documentation
Recommended Color Designs
3131
3.1
TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
3 Recommended Designs for Documentation
Specifications for admonishments in documentation must allow that graphic
designs will be constrained by the capabilities of the originator’s publishing
software. These recommendations provide options that accommodate a wide range
of capabilities while maintaining distinctiveness and consistency in appearance.
3.1 Recommended Color Designs
In these first examples (preferred color designs), exact matches to the dimensions
shown are not expected. As illustrated, the triangular and circular surround shapes
are each larger than the rest of the symbol-and-signal-word panel so that the icons
inside them can be as large as they are in the square surround shapes, but the
oversize triangles and circles are not necessary. The panel type is 14-point bold. The
panels themselves are 18 points (0.25 in.) high (the triangular symbols in these
example are 21 points high, the imperative symbol 23 points and the prohibitive
symbol 25 points). All border lines are 2.5 points thick. The outlines of the surround
shapes are approximately 2 points thick.
If printed in black-and-white, yellow areas may be 10% to 20% gray, blue and green
may be 50% to 60% gray, and red may be black (TCIF).
The symbol is a required part of each symbol-and-signal-word panel (ISO, ANSI).
More-specific icons may be used within the symbols (ISO, ANSI), but all specific
icons used in admonishments should be explained in the frontmatter of the
document (TCIF). ISO standard symbols should be used whenever possible (only a
small number have been defined so far).
The DANGER message below uses all bold type, slightly larger than body type —
the size and weight are optional, but sans-serif type and a size at least equal to body
type are strongly recommended in all cases. The signal word (“DANGER”) should
appear in both the symbol-and-signal-word panel, where it is more noticeable, and
at the beginning of the text message, in case the graphic panel does not print legibly
(TCIF).
!
DANGER
DANGER! (Sample only!) Do not do touch bare wires. Severe or fatal
electric shock may result.
This sample WARNING message uses regular type slightly larger than body type
— again, size and weight are options:
!
WARNING
WARNING! (Sample only!) Do not cross this fence. If you proceed, you will
be exposed to avoidable risk of severe injury or even death from falls or rock
slides.
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Admonishments
Recommended Designs for Documentation
Acceptable Variations in Color Designs
This sample CAUTION message has type the size of body type in the message:
!
CAUTION
CAUTION! (Sample only!) Wear protective gloves and goggles while chopping
Habaneros. You risk chemical burns while handling this kind of chile, and
especially its seeds.
The next two examples are of admonishments involving risks of equipment
damage, service interruption, data loss, software corruption, etc. The prohibitive
message may be simplified to two colors by using a solid red panel, like the FIRE
SAFETY message, but the suggested design is more distinctive (TCIF).
ALERT
ALERT! Do not turn off this switch except in emergency. Service to customers will
be interrupted. (Prohibitive symbol.)
!
ALERT
ALERT! Use only approved solvents when cleaning. Equipment can be damaged
by ordinary solvents. (Imperative symbol.)
Next is an example of an admonishment specifically related to fire safety.
(“Standard” icons for fire were found to be unrecognizable at sizes appropriate for
documents; artwork for this icon is available from TCIF.)
FIRE SAFETY
FIRE SAFETY: Fire extinguishers are located on all floors in this stairwell.
This is an example of an admonishment regarding general safety practices (note that
the signal word may be replaced by something more specific in the label of the text
message):
!
SAFETY
FOR YOUR SAFETY: Follow all safety instructions on equipment in this room.
Finally, an example of a non-safety-related policy notice (a quasi admonishment
that should not have a symbol in the signal-word panel):
NOTICE
NOTICE: Visitors must be escorted at all times.
3.2 Acceptable Variations in Color Designs
The following are examples of how the designs shown above may be varied while
remaining within the overall recommendations in this Guideline.
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Recommended Designs for Documentation
Acceptable Variations in Color Designs
TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
3232
Messages may use type the same size as body text. Symbols may be less than or
equal to the height of the panel, and, when a color panel background is used, may
have their own color reversed. Yellow panels and borders may be outlined in black
to provide better contrast in black-and-white reproduction (TCIF):
DANGER
ALERT! (Sample only! Example of a DANGER message with ordinary type, a
symbol no larger than the panel, and panel outlined in black.)
Prohibitive ALERT messages may use just two colors for the panel (TCIF):
3.2
ALERT
ALERT! (Example of a Prohibitive ALERT message with a two-color symbol-andsignal-word panel and a symbol no larger than the panel.)
If necessary, admonishments may use borders only rather than solid-color panels
(solid panels are closer to the ANSI standard and are therefore preferred):
DANGER
ALERT! (Sample only! Example of a DANGER message using yellow borders but
no background on the symbol-and-signal-word panel.)
Similarly for all other types:
FIRE SAFETY
ALERT! (Example of a FIRE SAFETY message using red borders but no
background on the symbol-and-signal-word panel.)
In documents, pictorial and even nonpictorial admonishments may be implemented
as tables, using cell shading and borders with the appropriate colors:
(Artwork here.)
ALERT
ALERT! (Example of an Imperative ALERT message laid
out within a ruled table with a border in the panel color.)
Or:
DANGER
ALERT! (Sample only! Example of a DANGER message laid out within a ruled
table with a thin black border.)
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TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
Recommended Designs for Documentation
Two-Tone Variations
3.3 Grayscale and Halftone Variations
If color printing is not feasible, grayscale or halftone coloration is the preferred
alternative, as in these examples (TCIF). Table 2-3 specifies the gray values to
substitute for each color.
WARNING
ALERT! (Example of a WARNING message with a 20%-gray symbol-and-signalword panel.)
Or, with acceptable black outlining:
WARNING
ALERT! (Example of a WARNING message with a 20%-gray symbol-and-signalword panel.)
And:
ALERT
ALERT! (Example of a Prohibitive ALERT message with a black symbol-andsignal-word panel. The panel may also be 60% gray.)
And:
ALERT
ALERT! (Example of an Imperative ALERT message with a preferred 60%-gray
symbol-and-signal-word panel.)
3.4 Two-Tone Variations
If neither color nor halftone printing is possible, black-and-white presentations may
use borders for DANGER, WARNING, CAUTION and either borders or
knockouts for the other types. Use thicker borders for DANGER, WARNING, and
CAUTION than for any other admonishments using borders:
DANGER
ALERT! (Example of a DANGER message with a two-color symbol-and-signalword panel.)
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Text-Only Variations
TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
3535
And:
CAUTION
ALERT! (Example of a CAUTION message with a two-color symbol-and-signalword panel. The symbol is smaller than above, an acceptable variation.)
And:
ALERT
ALERT! (Example of a Prohibitive ALERT message with a two-color symbol-andsignal-word panel.)
And:
ALERT
ALERT! (Example of an Imperative ALERT message with a two-color symbol-andsignal-word panel.)
3.5
Or, for types other than DANGER, WARNING, and CAUTION:
ALERT
ALERT! (Example of an Imperative ALERT message in two tones with a knockout
symbol-and-signal-word panel.)
3.5 Text-Only Variations
When no graphical capability exists in the presentation medium (as on an ASCII
terminal), these designs are recommended. Danger:
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/!\ DANGER! Text message.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Warning:
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/!\ WARNING! Text message.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Caution:
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/!\ CAUTION! Text message.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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Admonishments
Recommended Designs for Documentation
Text-Only Variations
Prohibitive Alert:
=============================================================
(\) ALERT: Text message.
=============================================================
Imperative Alert:
=============================================================
(!) ALERT: Text message.
=============================================================
Fire Safety:
=============================================================
[!] FIRE SAFETY: Text message.
=============================================================
General Safety:
=============================================================
[!] SAFETY: Text message.
=============================================================
TCIF will provide a font that includes all approved safety symbols for systems that
can display symbols more easily as fonts than as graphics.
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Intro ANSI (Tbl 1-1) ISO (Tbl 1-2) Categories (Tbl 2-1) Layout (Tbl 2-2) Typography Color (Tbl 2-3) Documents
Recommended Designs for Documentation
Text-Only Variations
TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
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TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
References
References
Appendix A: References
ANSI Z535.1-1991, American National Standard: Safety Color Code,
Washington, DC: National Electrical Manufacturers Association, 1991.
ANSI Z535.2-1991, American National Standard: Environmental and Facility
Safety Signs, Washington, DC: National Electrical Manufacturers Association,
1991.
ANSI Z535.3-1991, American National Standard: Criteria for Safety Symbols,
Washington, DC: National Electrical Manufacturers Association, 1991.
ANSI Z535.4-1998, American National Standard: Product Safety Signs and
Labels, Rosslyn, VA: National Electrical Manufacturers Association, 1998.
ISO 3864, International Standard: Safety Colors and Safety Signs, Switzerland:
International Organization for Standardization, 1984.
OSHA 1910.144, OSHA Regulations (Standards – 29 CFR): Occupational Safety
and Health Standards: Subpart J – General Environmental Controls: Product
Safety Signs and Labels. http://www.osha-slc.gov/OshStd_data/
1910_0144.html. Washington, DC: Occupational Safety & Health
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 1996.
OSHA 1910.145, OSHA Regulations (Standards – 29 CFR): Occupational Safety
and Health Standards: Subpart J – General Environmental Controls:
Specifications for accident prevention signs and tags. http://www.oshaslc.gov/OshStd_data/1910_0145.html. Washington, DC:
Occupational Safety & Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor,
1996.
OSHA 1926.200, OSHA Regulations (Standards – 29 CFR): Safety and Health
Regulations for Construction: Subpart G – Signs, Signals, and Barricades:
Product Safety Signs and Labels. http://www.osha-slc.gov/
OshStd_data/1926_0200.html. Washington, DC: Occupational Safety
& Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 1993.
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A
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References
References
TCIF Guideline
Admonishments
AA
A
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