2. This slide deck provides a brief overview of the
ANSI Z535.6-2011 standard.
It does not include all information needed to
develop collateral materials that meet the
standard’s requirements.
Please use for informational purposes only.
2
3. What is ANSI Z535.6-2011?
Title:
• American National Standard for Product Safety Information in
Product Manuals, Instructions, and Other Collateral Materials
Background
• Published by NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers
Association)
• One of six standards in the ANSI Z535 series
• First published in 2006
• Current revision
Published: September 15, 2011
Errata: November 1, 2011
3
4. Scope & Purpose
Scope:
• “…sets forth requirements for the design and location of product
safety messages in collateral materials for a wide variety of
products.” (p. 2)
Purpose:
• Address applicability of applying elements from other ANSI Z535-
series standards to collateral materials
• Establish uniform & consistent visual layout for safety information
• Minimize the proliferation of designs for safety information
• Establish a national uniform system for product safety information
• Assist manufacturers in providing safety information
• Promote efficient development of safety messages
4
5. What are Collateral Materials?
They:
• Contain more information than product safety signs
• Address multiple hazards and contain multiple safety messages
• Provide longer and more detailed safety messages
• Contain multiple pages of information that cannot be viewed
simultaneously
• Provide information that would be impractical to provide on
product safety signs, such as definitions of the safety alert
symbol, signal words, and safety symbols
5
6. What are Collateral Materials?, cont.
Examples
• Assembly instructions
• Instructions
• Maintenance or service manuals
• Owner’s manuals
• Safety manuals
• User’s guides
6
7. What are Safety Messages? Types?
Word messages that provide information primarily about
the:
• nature of the hazard;
• consequences of not avoiding a hazardous situation; and/or
• method(s) for avoiding a hazardous situation
Four types:
• Supplemental Directives
• Grouped Safety Messages
• Section Safety Messages
• Embedded Safety Messages
Note: The standard does not require that documents include any particular types of
safety messages. Some documents may contain no safety messages.
7
8. Types of Safety Messages
Definition Format Location
Supplemental Messages about other May be preceded by Cover
Directive safety messages a signal word and/or First page
safety alert symbol Preceding grouped safety
messages
Grouped Collected or grouped in a Title Separate document
Safety Message document or section of a Section heading Distinct section within a
document devoted Minimize individual document
primarily or exclusively to message formatting
safety messages
Section Apply to entire sections, Signal word panel or Beginning of the section
Safety Message subsections, or multiple safety alert symbol Before the messages to
paragraphs or procedures which they apply
within a document
Embedded Apply to a specific part of a Signal word Integrated with the non-safety
Safety Message section, a paragraph, a Safety alert symbol information to which they
particular procedure or Signal word panel apply
part of a procedure, a
particular sentence, etc. Or no formatting
8
10. Grouped Safety Messages - Format
No example provided in the standard
Formatting
• Provided in a separate document or distinct section within a
document
• Shall have a heading indicating the safety-related nature of the
information
• If a signal word is used, it should have a signal word panel &
safely alert symbol
• Typical product safety sign and label formatting should not be
used for each individual message
• Safety symbols may be used
10
