1. ANSI Z535.6-2011 Overview
Eric F. Shaver, Ph.D.
Senior Consultant
January 2012
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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6. What are Collateral Materials?, cont.
 Examples
• Assembly instructions
• Instructions
• Maintenance or service manuals
• Owner’s manuals
• Safety manuals
• User’s guides
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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.
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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
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9. Supplemental Directives - Format
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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
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11. Section Safety Messages - Format
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12. Section Safety Messages - Format, cont.
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13. Embedded Safety Messages - Format
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14. Embedded Safety Messages - Format, cont.
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15. Signal Word Panel
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16. Safety Alert Symbols
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17. Signal Words
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18. Links
 For additional details, including purchasing the standard:
• http://www.nema.org/stds/z535-6.cfm
• http://www.nema.org/
• http://www.ansi.org/
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19. Contact Information
 Eric F. Shaver, Ph.D.
Senior Consultant
Benchmark Research & Safety, Inc.
Email: eshaver@benchmarkrs.com
Website: www.benchmarkrs.com
Blog: www.thehumanfactorblog.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ericshaver
SlideShare: www.slideshare.net/ericfshaver
Twitter: @ericshaver
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