Signs and signals

Overview

We take signs and signals for granted but they are an essential form of communication that keeps us safe, organized, and informed.

OSHA’s requirements for signs include danger signs, caution signs, warning signs, exit signs, directional signs, safety instruction signs, and traffic signs. That is a long list, but most of those signs must meet design requirements set by other organizations, such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Signals, on the other hand, inform us through sounds, gestures, and even words (such as the standardized signal words in Oregon OSHA’s hazard communication rules). There are requirements for alarm signals, warning signals, and hand signals throughout Oregon OSHA’s general industry, construction, agriculture, and forest activities rules.