Subchapter 7. General Industry Safety Orders
Group 2. Safe Practices and Personal Protection
Article 7. Miscellaneous Safe Practices

§3341. Accident Prevention Tags.

(a) Scope and application. This section applies to all accident prevention tags used to identify hazardous conditions and provide a message to employees with respect to hazardous conditions as set forth in subsection (c) of this section, or to meet the specific tagging requirements of other standards.

Exception: This section does not apply to construction, maritime or agriculture.This section does not apply to construction, maritime or agriculture.

(b) Definitions. "Biological hazard" or "BIOHAZARD" means those infectious agents presenting a risk of death, injury or illness to employees.

"Major message" means that portion of a tag's inscription that is more specific than the signal word and that indicates the specific hazardous condition or the instruction to be communicated to the employee. Examples include: "High Voltage," "Close Clearance," "Do Not Start," or "Do Not Use" or a corresponding pictograph used with a written text or alone.

"Pictograph" means a pictorial representation used to identify a hazardous condition or to convey a safety instruction.

"Signal word" means that portion of a tag's inscription that contains the word or words that are intended to capture the employee's immediate attention.

"Tag" means a device usually made of card, paper, pasteboard, plastic or other material used to identify a hazardous condition.

(c) Use. Tags shall be used as a means to prevent accidental injury or illness to employees who are exposed to hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions, equipment or operations which are out of the ordinary, unexpected or not readily apparent. Tags shall be used until such time as the identified hazard is eliminated or the hazardous operation is completed. Tags need not be used where signs, guarding or other positive means of protection are being used.

(d) General Tag Criteria. All required tags shall meet the following criteria:

(1) Tags shall contain a signal word and a major message.

(A) The signal word shall be either "Danger," "Caution," or "Biological Hazard," "BIOHAZARD," or the biological hazard symbol.

(B) The major message shall indicate the specific hazardous condition or the instruction to be communicated to the employee.

(2) The signal word shall be readable at a minimum distance of five feet or such greater distance as warranted by the hazard.

(3) The tag's major message shall be presented in either pictographs, written text or both.

(4) The signal word and the major message shall be understandable to all employees who may be exposed to the identified hazard.

(5) All employees shall be informed as to the meaning of the various tags used throughout the workplace and what special precautions are necessary.

(6) Tags shall be affixed as close as safely possible to their respective hazards by a positive means such as string, wire, or adhesive that prevents their loss or unintentional removal.

(e) Danger Tags. Danger tags shall only be used in major hazard situations where an immediate hazard presents a threat of death or serious injury to employees.

(f) Caution Tags. Caution tags shall only be used in minor hazard situations where a non-immediate or potential hazard or unsafe practice presents a lesser threat of employee injury.

(g) Warning Tags. Warning tags may be used to represent a hazard level between "Caution" and "Danger," instead of the required "Caution" tag, provided that they have a signal word of "Warning," an appropriate major message, and otherwise meet the general tag criteria of subsection (d) of this section.

(h) Biological Hazard Tags. Biological hazard tags shall be used to identify the actual or potential presence of a biological hazard and to identify equipment, containers, rooms, experimental animals, or combinations thereof, that contain or are contaminated with hazardous biological agents.

(1) The symbol design for biological hazard tags shall conform to the design shown below:

Image 1 (7" X 7") Not available for Offline Print to STP or FAX

Biological Hazard Symbol Configuration

(i) Other Tags. Other tags may be used in addition to those required by this section, or in other situations where this section does not require tags, provided that they do not detract from the impact or visibility of the signal word and major message of any required tag.

Appendix A.

Recommended Color Coding For Accident Prevention Tags

While this appendix does not specifically mandate colors to be used on accident prevention tags, the following color scheme is recommended for meeting the requirements of Section 3441:
"DANGER" - Red, or predominantly red, with lettering or symbols in a contrasting color.
"CAUTION" - Yellow, or predominantly yellow, with lettering or symbols in a contrasting color.
"WARNING" - Orange, or predominantly orange, with lettering or symbols in a contrasting color.
"BIOLOGICAL HAZARD" - Fluorescent orange or orange-red or predominantly so, with lettering or symbols in a contrasting color.

   Note: Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code. Reference: Section 142.3, Labor Code.Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code. Reference: Section 142.3, Labor Code.

 HISTORY     1. Renumbering of former section 6004 and accompanying Appendix A to new
section 3341 and Appendix A and amendment of Appendix A filed 2-5-97; operative
3-7-97 (Register 97, No. 6).

2. Change without regulatory effect providing more legible illustration of
Biological Hazard Symbol Configuration filed 2-9-2009 pursuant to 
section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2009, No. 7).