Clarion Safety Systems shares an update from the latest American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z535 standards committee voting and publication process for the standards' 2022 update.
MILFORD, Pa., March 31, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Clarion Safety Systems, a leading manufacturer of safety labels, signs, and tags, is pleased to share an update from the recent revision cycle of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z535 standards committee, as this year will mark the first time the standards have changed in over a decade.
ANSI Z535 is the U.S. group in charge of the standards for safety colors, safety signs, safety symbols, product safety labels, safety tags, and how safety information is presented in product manuals. Clarion Safety's director of standards compliance initiatives, Angela Lambert, has a leadership role in ANSI Z535 and has been active throughout the most recent revision and voting process, which takes place every five years. Lambert is a delegate representative for ANSI, and the chair of the ANSI Z535.1 subcommittee. The recently completed balloting period for ANSI Z535 encompassed all six of the standards, as well as any standard-specific proposals, and was the final step in the revision process before their publication. The 2022 publication will replace the latest version of the standards – from 2017 – when the prior, 2011 version was reaffirmed or republished without changes.
"This is a key year for ANSI Z535 as it marks the first time that the standards have been reviewed and updated in more than 10 years. The committee as a whole, as well as each standard's subcommittee, has worked hard to come to a consensus on how to refine the best practices related to communicating safety in order to help protect people from harm," Lambert says.
"Of special significance is the trend across the standards that we're seeing for continued attention on how best to refer to and harmonize with the international standards. This ranged from how to handle older versions of the safety alert symbol and "wordless" format messages with how to integrate with the ISO 7010 symbol library. While there is no easy answer, as a committee, we continue to explore how to make the standards most relevant to our audience, as well as how to align with the international standards."
The U.S. ANSI Z535 family of standards is commonly used by manufacturers and workplaces – along with its global counterparts within International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards – as a guideline for following best practices and creating consistency in their safety warnings and instructions.
A major topic of discussion in ANSI's revision has focused on whether or not to harmonize the standards in their differing opinions on ISO's symbol only and ANSI's text inclusive formats. "It's likely that, even with the publication of the 2022 version of ANSI Z535, this will continue to be an area that those looking to follow both the ANSI and ISO standards may continue to have questions around how best to navigate. The standards aren't prescriptive; they provide options and considerations that those applying them then need to articulate into their labels and signs with their specific application in mind. That can be a very challenging task."
Change proposals for each ANSI Z535 standard – including 'global' (encompassing all six of the standards) and standard-specific proposals – were discussed at committee meetings in 2021 and were recently balloted on in early 2022.
A few of the highlights from this process include:
- ANSI Z535.1, ANSI Z535.2, and ANSI Z535.5 will all individually see new clarifications revised in how they relate to and can be combined with other applicable standards and regulations. This includes revisions to be more consistent with other ANSI Z535 standards.
- ANSI Z535.3 will see updates regarding symbol comprehension testing to eliminate outdated methods, along with updates to several symbols found in its annex.
- ANSI Z535.4 will be updated with further clarification on its usage with other relevant standards. It will also see new text, definitions, and minor modifications to wording.
- ANSI Z535.6 is being revised to include minor clarifications, as well as updates to German translations of select signal words.
"The next step for the ANSI Z535 standards is that, following a translation period, they'll be published and available to the public for purchase, replacing the 2017 edition," Lambert says, noting that the timing will likely fall in the second quarter of this year.
In addition to this, there's another significant update on the horizon for ANSI. A new ANSI Z535 standard – ANSI Z535.7 – focusing on safety information in electronic media has been approved for development, after the idea was introduced in 2021. Its scope is expected to include video materials, webpages, smartphones/tablets, and virtual reality.
As a company, Clarion Safety is a longstanding and active member of both the U.S. and international standards bodies responsible for safety signs and labels. For over 30 years, Clarion Safety has been a member of the ANSI Z535 committee, and for over 20 years, has been a member of ISO/TC 145, a key international safety sign and label standards-writing committee, and the one tasked with standardizing symbols in the ISO 7010 library. Lambert was also recently appointed as a liaison between the two ISO committees of ISO/TC 145 and ISO/TC 283.
To learn more about Clarion Safety and its history in the field of visual safety communication, visit the company's website.
Clarion Safety also accepts media inquiries and speaking opportunities related to safety and risk. To submit a media inquiry, visit the company's "Newsroom" and select the "For the Media" tab.
ABOUT CLARION SAFETY SYSTEMS
Clarion Safety Systems, LLC, is the leading designer and manufacturer of visual safety solutions that help customers in more than 180 industries worldwide to make their products and premises safer. Clarion Safety offers a full range of standard and custom products including machinery safety labels, environmental and facility safety signs, pipe and valve identification markings, lockout/tagout products, and safety-grade photoluminescent egress path-marking escape systems. The company also provides complementary services for comprehensive machine safety, compliance and risk reduction. Founded in 1990, Clarion Safety continues to play a leading role in the development and writing of international and national standards for safety signs, labels, and markings. It is headquartered at 190 Old Milford Road in Milford, PA, 18337, and online at http://www.clarionsafety.com.
Media Contact
Erin Earley, Clarion Safety Systems, 5702965685, [email protected]
SOURCE Clarion Safety Systems
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