Any company that uses or sells safety labels needs to know the regulations concerning safety labels. Safety labels education and training gives you the information needed to use or manufacture safety labels. This training teaches what specific colors are used for each label, the wording required for certain labels, the specified size of labels and the proper placement of the labels. Safety labels education and training ensures that your company follows regulations the government has set in place.

When learning about safety labels education and training, a company must first find out which regulatory commission presides over your industry. All companies with employees are governed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Companies using, manufacturing or shipping chemicals of any kind are under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation. Each agency determines their own regulations for safety labels.

1. Discover what the regulations are for OSHA warning sticker labels.

2. Read Department of Transportation information rules about warning labels.

3. Learn about the EPA's regulations concerning warning labels.

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Learn what the regulations are for OSHA warning sticker labels

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulates the safety conditions for workers in the United States. They provide specific guidelines that each company must abide by when using electrical safety labels or any other type of safety label.

I recommend: Seton provides OSHA guidelines and descriptions that detail how each safety sticker or tag needs to be made, including dimensions and colors. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration posts all of their regulations concerning warning stickers and warning labels on their website.

Locate Department of Transportation information about warning labels

The Department of Transportation is the regulatory commission that oversees the highways and roads in the U.S. Transport trucks that carry certain materials must be properly marked in specific places on the vehicle. Failure to post appropriate safety labels can result in fines and more.

I recommend: Safety.BLR.com provides Department of Transportation chemical safety label regulations for trucks and trailers. The Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration Office of Hazardous Materials Safety is the office within the Department of transportation that regulates safety labels on vehicles. Their site provides detailed instructions about how to properly label a vehicle.

Review the Environmental Protection Agency's regulations concerning warning labels

The EPA regulates all products that are harmful to the environment. Certain labels must be used on various types of chemicals and other products to ensure customer and environmental health. These regulations include the size, shape and colors used in the safety labels.

I recommend: Lab Safety Supply supplies resource for bilingual warning labels and tamper-evident labels for chemicals. Search Regulations.gov for federal and state safety label regulations for your industry.

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Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Any of the above agencies can enforce fines against any company that does not comply with the regulations and laws set concerning safety stickers.

Safety labels offer a constant guide to workers about how to manage themselves and their workplace surroundings. Accidents happen, but doing all you can to prevent them is beneficial to everyone involved. Warning labels are often required for OSHA safety standards and can reduce lost productivity due to any unfortunate workplace incidents.

Find your warning stickers from online providers, and save money by buying in bulk if you need a number of the same labels around your workplace.

When searching for a warning label online, look for the labels that will be the most useful for your own work environment:

1. Bilingual warning labels guide employees whose knowledge of English may be limited.

2. Use tamper evident labels for long-lasting durable warnings that will alert you if they've been tampered with.

3. Erect a product safety label if you work with a product that is inherently dangerous or difficult to use.

Action Steps
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Buy custom safety stickers

Many warning labels come with predetermined messages, but you are ultimately the best judge of what warning stickers in your workplace should say. Create a safety sticker with a custom message that your employees will notice and comply with.

I recommend: LabelLab.com offers affordable customizable safety stickers. Get a quote on the designs and quantity of labels you want, and design your label online using their templates or upload your own design materials. For blank safety stickers you can write on and place on equipment or materials, emedco sells custom punch-out inspection labels.

Buy tamper evident labels for extra security

Use tamper evident labels when you need permanent labels on sensitive items. Tamper evident labels show evidence of tampering, either by completely destroying the label or leaving behind evidence that the label has been removed or tampered with.

I recommend: Horizons Product Identification Group sells two types of security labels. Their destructible vinyl label is practically impossible to remove and will break into small pieces when tampered with. Their tamper evident polyester label will leave behind a residue reading "Void" if the label is removed. NovaVision offers custom hologram security labels. When removed, the hologram will self-destruct, offering proof of tampering.

Get quick online quotes for safety labels

If you want a quick quote on safety labels, look to a supplier that offers free online quotes based on the quantity, type, and material you're looking for.

I recommend: Get an instant online quote from Maverick Label. Choose between pre-sized labels and custom digital labels, and enter the label specifications to receive an instant quote on the warning stickers you need. If you want to print your own safety labels or security identifications, check out IDville for a selection of safety label printers. Specify the type of machine you're looking for and receive an instant quote.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you need safety labels that comply with government safety standards, buy from a label supplier that advertises its products as ANSI and ISO compliant.