TS ISO 3864-2

TS ISO 3864-2 is the document that sets additional design principles for product safety labels on top of ISO 3864-1. In the field of graphical symbols, safety colours and safety signs, the label is not only meant to attract attention; it is intended to identify a specific hazard and show how that hazard can be avoided.

What a product safety label is meant to do

In this standard, “product” is used in a broad commercial sense: any manufactured item offered for sale in the normal course of commerce, including consumer products and industrial equipment. In general technical terms, a product safety label is a visual communication device on or with a product that warns users about a particular risk and guides them toward safer behaviour. Colour, symbol choice, layout and message clarity therefore work together.

Why the design principles matter

For a safety label to be effective, people must be able to notice it quickly, understand the nature of the hazard, and recognise the avoidance action if one is needed. ISO 3864-2 provides additional principles that support that design logic, rather than defining the content of every possible label. In practice, product labels are considered alongside permanent markings, instructions for use and the conditions in which the equipment or product will be encountered. The result is a common reference for consistent and credible safety communication.

• Adds design principles to ISO 3864-1.
• Focuses on product safety labels in commercial product contexts.
• Defines the label’s purpose as warning of a specific hazard and indicating how to avoid it.
• Applies broadly to products such as consumer goods and industrial equipment.