DIN ISO 3864-1:2012-06

There is a need to standardize a system of giving safety information that relies as little as possible on the use of words to achieve understanding. Continued growth in international trade, travel and mobility of labour requires a common method of communicating safety information. Lack of standardization may lead to confusion and the risk of accidents. Safety signs do not replace proper work methods, instructions and accident prevention training or measures. Education is an essential part of any system that provides safety information. This part of ISO 3864 specifies the safety identification colours and design principles for safety signs and safety markings to be used in workplaces and in public areas for the purpose of accident prevention, fire protection, protection from health hazards and emergency evacuation. It also establishes the basic principles to be applied when developing standards containing safety signs. This part of ISO 3864 is applicable to all locations and areas where safety issues related to people need to be addressed. It is not applicable to the signalling used for guiding rail, road, river, maritime and air traffic; generally speaking, to those sectors subject to a regulation which may differ. The ISO 3864 standard series consists of the following parts under the general title "Graphical symbols - Safety colours and safety signs": - Part 1: Design principles for safety signs and safety markings; - Part 2: Design principles for product safety labels; - Part 3: Design principles for graphical symbols for use in safety signs; - Part 4: Colorimetric and photometric properties of safety sign materials. This standard, together with DIN 4844-1, replaces DIN 4844-1:2005-05, which was the modified adoption of ISO 3864-1:2002. The following modifications have been made with respect to DIN 4844-1:2005-05: a) ISO 3864-1:2011 has been adopted in full; b) division of the content into two standards: DIN ISO 3864-1 and DIN 4844-1 dealing with calorimetric and photometric requirements; c) preferred sizes of safety signs and fonts have been deleted; d) specifications relating to outer borders have been deleted; e) specifications relating to borders of supplementary signs have been deleted; f) specifications relating to combination signs and associated direction arrows have been deleted; g) specifications relating to distance factors have been modified and transferred to an informative annex; h) the standard has been editorially revised. The International Standard ISO 3864-1 has been prepared by ISO/TC 145 "Graphical symbols", Subcommittee SC 2 "Safety identification, signs, shapes, symbols and colours" with the essential participation of German experts. The committee responsible for the revision on a national level is Joint Working Committee NA 095-01-06 GA "Sicherheitskennzeichnung" ("Safety marking") of the Safety Design Principles Standards Committee (NASG).