The design of safety signs for products has been influenced for many years by standards originally developed for accident prevention signs to be used in the general environment. As product safety signs evolved, some basic differences developed between their characteristics and those of environmental safety signs: Environmental safety signs are usually larger, observed at longer distances, and frequently contain lesser amounts of information for visual clarity at a distance. Product safety signs are likely to contain more information within a smaller format, are usually observed at closer distances, and must physically and visually integrate with a wide range of product size, shape, and color characteristics. Attempts by product manufacturers to address these variable characteristics have produced numerous approaches to the graphic treatment of such signs.

This standard sets forth a hazard communication system developed specifically for product safety signs and labels. It consolidates a number of previous graphic approaches into a common design direction carefully selected to present product hazard information in an orderly and visually consistent manner for effective communication.

The ANSI Z535.4 standard developed for Product Safety Signs and Labels complements the ANSI Z535.2 standard developed for Environmental and Facility Safety Signs. These standards are similar in many respects. However, they each address different physical and visual requirements as noted above. As a result, the Accredited Standards Committee Z535 has recognized and affirmed the need for these two separate standards.

This standard sets forth performance requirements for the design, application, use, and placement of safety signs and labels intended to identify potential hazards for persons using, operating, servicing, or in proximity to, a wide variety of products.