The Role of Pictorials in Environmental Safety Signs

Abstract

The present study examined the role of pictorials in environmental safety signs. Thirty subjects created thirty signs on the computer with the aid of a technician. Subjects had different sign components available to them (e.g., signal words, verbal statements and pictorials). There were three different pictorial conditions in this study: none, generic (e.g., triangle with exclamation point), and specific (i.e., the pictorial's content was related to the hazard being described). Examination of the constructed signs suggests that the primary purpose of pictorials is to convey information and not simply to attract attention—specific pictorials were used most of the time that they were available, while generic pictorials were used very infrequently. Specific pictorials were generally used in a redundant manner—that is, they tended to be added to existing signs rather than being used to replace other, non-pictorial information. Finally, the use of specific pictorials affected the size of other, non-pictorial components. This study suggests that pictorials are an important component in environmental safety signs, but only to the extent that they serve some functional purpose related to the sign being constructed.