What are ISO symbols?

Safety Symbol Definitions - ISO

Graphical symbols, whether used on safety signs and labels, instruction booklets, or in technology, are important for many reasons. One important reason for using graphical symbols is to increase understanding across language barriers.

ISO safety symbols are a subset of the ISO symbols that have been developed to provide information in a variety of use cases. These safety symbols provide graphical information about where to use personal protective equipment, potentially hazardous situations, and workplace policies.

These symbols, when designed using ISO standards, are guaranteed to be visually clear and consistent, aiding in the ability of the viewer to recognize and understand the symbol.

There are three types of ISO safety symbols: hazard alerting, prohibition, and mandatory action symbols.

Hazard alerting symbols, to be ISO compliant, must be contained in a yellow equilateral triangle with a black interior border.

Prohibition symbols must have a red circle with a 45° slash and a black image on a white background. ISO prohibition symbols convey actions that should not be taken.

Mandatory action symbols display actions that should be taken to avoid potential hazards. These images must be white inside blue surrounding circles.

ISO 3864-1 and ISO 3864-2 Compliance

ISO 3864-1 and ISO 3864-2 standards together outline the best practices for the design of product safety signs and safety labels. These standards create a unified design for safety signs and labels to be used on products and in the workplace.