Improvements in the 1997 revision of the ANSI Z535.4 Product Safety Signs and Labels standard were based largely on human factors considerations. The design guidelines for safety messages have been revised, affecting their content, order, grammatical style, and physical appearance. There are also revisions concerning the signal word panel, the use of pictorials, and multi-lingual, and multi-hazard warnings. Warnings designed according to the revised criteria are expected to be more recognizable, legible, readable, and understandable, and therefore, more effective. This paper explains the revisions of interest and the role of human factors in the standard's evolution. Potential liability issues related to the standard and suggestions regarding future revisions are also discussed.
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