ISO 7010 is the international standard that registers specific safety signs, each with a fixed design and a reference code. Its current edition is ISO 7010:2019, which has been extended by a series of amendments that add new signs.

What do the letters in ISO 7010 codes mean?

The letter gives the sign category: E for safe condition and emergency signs, F for fire equipment, M for mandatory action, P for prohibition and W for warning. The number identifies the sign, as in W001 (general warning) or M002 (refer to the instruction manual).

What is the difference between ISO 7010 and ISO 3864?

ISO 3864 sets the rules (colors, shapes, layout and how to design symbols), while ISO 7010 is the catalog of signs designed to those rules. ISO 3864-2 extends the rules to product safety labels.

Can I use ISO symbols on labels sold in the United States?

Yes. ANSI Z535.2 and Z535.4 both address ISO-formatted signs and labels, and many US labels pair an ISO-style symbol with an ANSI signal word and message. Check any product-specific standard or customer specification that applies to you.

Are wordless ISO signs enough on their own?

Sometimes, but not always. ISO 7010 signs are designed to be understood without words, yet some hazards need an explanation, and some rules require text; adding a supplementary text panel or using a combined format is common.

Do ISO safety signs show how serious a hazard is?

Not by themselves. An ISO 7010 warning triangle says a hazard exists, not how severe it is; ISO 3864-2 product labels can add a hazard severity panel with a signal word such as DANGER, WARNING or CAUTION.

ISO 7010 Safety Symbols and ISO 3864 Explained

ISO safety signs are the picture-first signs used across Europe and much of the world: the yellow triangle, the blue circle, the red circle with a slash, the green square. They are built to be understood without reading, which makes them useful wherever several languages are spoken. This guide explains how ISO 3864 and ISO 7010 fit together, how ISO signs differ from ANSI-style signs, and how to combine the two for products sold in the US, Canada and abroad.

ISO 3864: the design rules

ISO 3864 is a multi-part standard on safety colors and safety signs:

ISO 3864-1 sets the safety colors and design principles for safety signs and safety markings in workplaces and public areas: which shape and color mean what.
ISO 3864-2 applies those principles to product safety labels on manufactured products, from consumer goods to industrial machinery.
ISO 3864-3 gives design principles for the graphical symbols used inside safety signs.
ISO 3864-4 covers the colorimetric and photometric properties of safety sign materials.

The core of ISO 3864-1 is a small set of shape and color combinations:

Sign type	Shape and colors	Meaning	ISO 7010 prefix
Warning	Yellow triangle with a black border and black symbol	A hazard is present	W
Prohibition	White circle with a red border and red diagonal bar, black symbol	Do not do this	P
Mandatory action	Blue filled circle with a white symbol	You must do this	M
Safe condition	Green square or rectangle with a white symbol	Emergency exits, first aid, safety equipment	E
Fire equipment	Red square or rectangle with a white symbol	Location of fire-fighting equipment	F

ISO 7010: the registered signs

ISO 7010 is a register of specific safety signs designed to ISO 3864. Each sign has a reference code, a fixed graphic and a stated meaning, for example W001 general warning, W012 electricity, M002 refer to the instruction manual, P002 no smoking, E003 first aid and F001 fire extinguisher. The standard covers accident prevention, fire protection, health hazard information and emergency evacuation in all kinds of locations, but not signals for rail, road, river, maritime and air traffic.

The current edition, ISO 7010:2019, has been extended by amendments that add signs, and ISO lists it as under revision. The standard provides sign originals that can be scaled for reproduction. Using the registered graphic without redrawing it is what makes a sign an ISO 7010 sign; a lookalike drawing is not the same thing.

Supplementary text, combination and multiple signs

ISO 3864-1 also describes how a safety sign can be paired with text. A supplementary sign carries a short message, usually in a rectangle below or beside the safety sign, in the color of the sign or in black on white. A combination sign joins a safety sign and its supplementary text on one carrier, and a multiple sign groups two or more safety signs, for example a warning and the protective equipment required, with their text. These layouts are how ISO-style signage adds a language-specific explanation without losing the symbol-first design, and they are a practical way to add English and French text to the same sign.

How ISO signs differ from ANSI-style signs

Point	ISO 3864 / ISO 7010	ANSI Z535
Lead element	A symbol inside a shape that signals the sign type	A signal word panel (DANGER, WARNING, CAUTION, NOTICE)
Text	Optional; supplementary text may be added in a separate panel	Usually expected: a message naming hazard, consequence and avoidance
Severity levels	Signs do not grade severity on their own; ISO 3864-2 product labels can add a hazard severity panel with a signal word	Built in: the signal word and color show the level
Language	Designed to work with little or no language	Depends on readers understanding the text language
Where it is expected	Europe and many international markets; widely recognized elsewhere	United States; common in Canada and in US-built products

Using both: combined formats

The two systems were brought closer over successive revisions, and ANSI Z535.2 and Z535.4 both address ISO-formatted signs. Three approaches are common:

ANSI label with an ISO symbol. The ANSI signal word panel and message stay, and the symbol panel uses an ISO-style symbol in its triangle, circle or square. This is the usual choice for US-built equipment that also ships abroad.
ISO sign with supplementary text. The ISO safety sign is the main element, with a text panel next to or below it, sometimes in more than one language.
Wordless ISO label. A symbol-only label, often with the text moved into the manual. It suits small parts and multilingual markets, provided the symbol is well understood and no rule requires text.

For Canada, a symbol-led design can reduce the amount of text that has to appear in English and French, but any text that is required still has to be bilingual where the rules say so; see ourbilingual labels guide. For products sold in the European Union, machinery and product rules have their own requirements for warnings and instructions, including language; check those separately.

Choosing symbols well

Use a registered ISO 7010 sign where one fits the hazard, rather than inventing a new symbol.
Do not mix the shapes: a mandatory blue circle used as a warning confuses readers.
If no registered sign exists, follow ISO 3864-3 or ANSI Z535.3 for designing and testing a new one.
Train people on any symbol that is not widely understood, and consider adding text.
Keep symbol size readable at the distance where people first see the hazard.

Ordering ISO and combined-format signs

Browse ISO 7010 symbol safety signs,wordless symbol labels andIEC and ISO indication labels, or send the codes and wording you need through the quote form. Tell us which ISO 7010 reference numbers you want so the proof matches your specification. Choosing the right sign and confirming that it fits your market's rules remains your responsibility.