Safety Resources for your Facility
Distance - Size Chart
Use the following chart to determine the size of the lettering for use in your safety signs.
| Letter height for Signs |
Letter Height for Lettering on Moving Signs |
Optimal Viewing Distance |
Maximum Viewing Distance |
| 3" | 4" | 30' | 100' |
| 4" | 5" | 40' | 150' |
| 6" | 7" | 60' | 200' |
| 8" | 10" | 80' | 350' |
| 9" | 11" | 90' | 400' |
| 10" | 12" | 100' | 450' |
| 12" | 14" | 120' | 525' |
| 15" | 18" | 150' | 630' |
| 18" | 21" | 180' | 750' |
| 24" | 28" | 240' | 1000' |
| 30" | 35" | 300' | 1250' |
| 36" | 41" | 360' | 1500' |
| 42" | 48" | 420' | 1750' |
| 48" | 55" | 480' | 2000' |
| 54" | 62" | 540' | 2250' |
| 60" | 69" | 600' | 2500' |
Understanding Safety Signs
Safety signs are used to prevent accidents in a facility. They are common in the work area, along the roadside, and in public buildings. OSHA has specific requirements for signs. These requirements are designed to ensure hazard warnings are easy to recognize and don't vary from workplace to workplace.
 Danger signs must only be used where an immediate hazard exists as specified by OSHA. These signs are red, black and white with room for words or symbols to describe the particular danger. Danger signs are common in areas where high voltages exist and where automatically-starting equipment is in use. You may be aware of other hazards which warrant the use of a danger sign. |
 Warning signs are usually orange with black lettering or symbols. They are employed to warn against hazards which aren't quite as serious as those requiring a danger sign-but are more serious than those requiring a caution sign. Warning signs may alert us to forklift traffic or similar hazards. |
 Caution signs must be used only to warn against potential hazards or to caution against unsafe work practices. Caution signs are predominately yellow with a black panel at the top of the sign. The word "caution," written in yellow appears on the panel. The lower part of the sign is used for additional wording which must be written in black (or a contrasting color). Caution signs warn of numerous hazards-everything from slippery floors to reminding us to wear safety glasses. Even traffic signals take a cue from the yellow caution sign as they warn us to be careful on the road. |
Special signs are used just for biological hazards and radiation hazards. |
Radiation hazards are identified with a sign bearing the familiar three-bladed radiation symbol in black or magenta or red on a yellow background. |
 Safety instruction signs are used to provide information about safety. They are not used to warn against specific hazards. These green and white signs remind you to report accidents, help locate first-aid equipment, and direct you along an evacuation route. |
The biological hazard (biohazard) sign is fluorescent orange or orange-red with letters or symbols in a contrasting color. The biohazard sign alerts us to the presence or potential presence of blood or other biological hazards.
Though signs are never a substitute for good safety procedures and training, they are useful to remind us of hazards and ways we can protect against them. Always take seriously the information on a sign-whether in the workplace or on the road. Understanding signs and the hazards they warn us about can help prevent injuries and save lives.
HazCom Links
- ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
- Ammonia Refrigeration Piping Reference
- NAG (National AG Safety Database)
- NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemicals
- NOAA Chemical Reactivity Worksheet
- Free HazCom Training
- Key to the NFPA Diamond
- Online Safety Library
- Safe Workplace (Safety and OSHA VPP Blog)
Energy Savings
Use this free online calculator to find out how much you can save by upgrading your motors to new energy efficient models. In most cases this upgrade will pay for itself in 12-18 months.
Motor Energy Savings Calculator
This second calculator shows the energy costs of pipeline friction. When installing a new piping system using a larger diameter pipe can result in energy savings tat quickly cover the greater cost of the larger pipe.
