1. SCOPE
This document presents a standardized catalog of safety sign text and artwork that may be used by any apparatus manufacturer to warn of common hazards. It remains the product manufacturers’ obligation to furnish adequate warnings and instructions, after consideration of the product specific characteristics and environment of use. A manufacturer may elect to use any of the standardized signs, text and/or artwork contained in this catalog, but no manufacture is required to do so.
Contents
2. REFERENCES
The following publications form a part of this specification to the extent specified herein.
ISO 9244 Earth-moving machinery – Machine safety labels – General Principles
ISO 7010 Graphical symbols – Safety colours and safety signs – Registered safety signs
ANSI Z535.4 American National Standard for Product Safety Signs and labels
ANSI Z535.6 American National Standard for Product Safety Information in Product Manuals, instructions, and Other Collateral Materials
NFPA 1900 Standard for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicles, Automotive Fire Apparatus, Wildland Fire Apparatus, and Automotive Ambulances
3. DEFINITIONS
3.1 Product Safety Sign: Sign, label, or decal affixed to a product that provides essential information concerning a potential hazard, the degree or level of hazard seriousness, the probable consequence of involvement with the hazard, and how the hazard can be avoided.
4. GENERAL
4.1 New proposals for product safety sign ideas should be forwarded to FAMA. The FAMA Product Safety Sign group will consider new ideas at each FAMA technical committee meeting and may add new text and artwork to this catalog as appropriate.
4.2 The product safety signs shown in this document are intended as examples for sufficiency of text and graphic size with respect to each hazard, however it is the product manufacturer’s responsibility to determine the adequacy of warnings and/or instructions that are provided with the product.
4.3 Limitations inherent in some reproduction and display technologies may require increased line thickness or other minor modifications of symbols. Such modifications are acceptable provided the symbol is unchanged in its basic graphical elements and remains easily discernible by the operator.
4.4 To improve the appearance and perceptibility of a safety sign, or to coordinate with the design of the equipment to which the sign is applied, it may be necessary to change the line thickness or round the corners of a symbol. The graphic designer is free to make such changes, provided that the essential perceptual characteristics of the symbol are maintained.
4.5 Some of the product safety signs included in this document are provided with “textless” two-panel versions developed using the guidelines found in ISO 7010. Where appropriate, these versions could be used in place of the ANSI Z535.4 signs at the option of the manufacturer.
4.6 Symbols on controls and displays should have good contrast to their background. Pictorials may use either a light symbol on a dark background or a dark symbol on a light background at the manufacturer’s discretion. When a pictorial image is reversed (for example, from black-on-white to white-on-black and vice versa), it should be done for the entire pictorial.
4.7 Where used, product safety signs should be located as close as practical to the location of the hazard addressed. Some recommendations regarding sign placement are included in this catalog.
4.8 Reference numbers are provided as a convenience to the organization of this document and need not appear on the final product.
4.9 The ISO version reference number uses the root of the ANSI number followed by the character G. Example: FAMA01 (ANSI version), FAMA01G (ISO version)
4.10 Product safety sign graphic thumbnails are provided in this document. Full scale artwork can be downloaded from the FAMA website at www.FAMA.org.
4.11 All standard ISO version signs are 6.65 in. tall by 3.35 in. wide.
4.12 Font sizes are based on using Microsoft Sans Serif.
4.13 Colors may conform to the following specification chart Color
5. NFPA APPARATUS STANDARD COMPLIANCE
5.1 Those FAMA safety signs that are required by the 2024 edition of NFPA 1900 Standard for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicles, Automotive Fire Apparatus, Wildland Fire Apparatus, and Automotive Ambulances are indicated by (NFPA) symbol below the reference number.
5.2 The following is a list of the safety signs required by NFPA 1900
* NFPA requires labeling of these hazards but does not specifically call out the FAMA graphics.
6. SAFETY SIGN TEXT AND ARTWORK
For Safety Sign Artwork files go to: SAFETY SIGN ARTWORK – FAMA
