1910.145(d): Safety Sign Design and Colors
Employers must use signs with rounded or blunt corners, free from sharp edges, burrs, splinters or projections, with fasteners that are not a hazard. Danger signs use red, black and white; caution signs have a yellow background with a black panel and yellow letters; safety instruction signs have a white background with a green panel and white letters, in the referenced ANSI colors. The slow-moving vehicle emblem is a fluorescent yellow-orange triangle with a dark red reflective border.
Key takeaways
- 1910.145(d) is part of OSHA's general industry standards (29 CFR Part 1910, Subpart J).
- OSHA cited it 24 times in the last 3 years, in 24 inspections, with $10,972 in current penalties.
- Most citations: IL (17), PA (3), NJ (2).
- Related part: 1910.145(d)(10) Slow-moving vehicle emblem (17 citations).
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In this article
What this rule covers
29 CFR 1910.145(d) ("Sign design") is one requirement inside 1910.145 Specifications for accident prevention signs and tags, an OSHA general industry standard (Part 1910, Subpart J). It includes 8 sub-paragraphs. The official text below is copied word for word from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). The numbers, injury cases and training on this page show how OSHA enforces it on real job sites.
Official text
(d) Sign design — 24 citations
(1) Design features. All signs shall be furnished with rounded or blunt corners and shall be free from sharp edges, burrs, splinters, or other sharp projections. The ends or heads of bolts or other fastening devices shall be located in such a way that they do not constitute a hazard.
(2) Danger signs. The colors red, black, and white shall be those of opaque glossy samples as specified in Table 1, “Fundamental Specification of Safety Colors for CIE Standard Source ‘C,’ ” of ANSI Z53.1-1967 or in Table 1, “Specification of the Safety Colors for CIE Illuminate C and the CIE 1931, 2 Standard Observer,” of ANSI Z535.1-2006(R2011), incorporated by reference in § 1910.6. 4 citations
(3) [Reserved]
(4) Caution signs. The standard color of the background shall be yellow; and the panel, black with yellow letters. Any letters used against the yellow background shall be black. The colors shall be those of opaque glossy samples as specified in Table 1 of ANSI Z53.1-1967 or Table 1 of ANSI Z535.1-2006(R2011), incorporated by reference in § 1910.6. 2 citations
(5) [Reserved]
(6) Safety instruction signs. The standard color of the background shall be white; and the panel, green with white letters. Any letters used against the white background shall be black. The colors shall be those of opaque glossy samples as specified in Table 1 of ANSI Z53.1-1967 or in Table 1 of ANSI Z535.1-2006(R2011), incorporated by reference in § 1910.6. 1 citations
(7)-(9) [Reserved]
(10) Slow-moving vehicle emblem. This emblem (see fig. J-7) consists of a fluorescent yellow-orange triangle with a dark red reflective border. The yellow-orange fluorescent triangle is a highly visible color for daylight exposure. The reflective border defines the shape of the fluorescent color in daylight and creates a hollow red triangle in the path of motor vehicle headlights at night. The emblem is intended as a unique identification for, and it shall be used only on, vehicles which by design move slowly (25 m.p.h. or less) on the public roads. The emblem is not a clearance marker for wide machinery nor is it intended to replace required lighting or marking of slow-moving vehicles. Neither the color film pattern and its dimensions nor the backing shall be altered to permit use of advertising or other markings. The material, location, mounting, etc., of the emblem shall be in accordance with the American Society of Agricultural Engineers Emblem for Identifying Slow-Moving Vehicles, ASAE R276, 1967, or ASAE S276.2 (ANSI B114.1-1971), which are incorporated by reference as specified in § 1910.6. Open (d)(10) 17 citations
All dimensions are in inches.
Source: eCFR, text current as of 2026-10-15. Read all of 1910.145.
Export the list: 24 inspections cited 1910.145(d) in the last 3 years, with employer, location, penalty and date.
Purple Belt, $59/moWhere and how often it was cited
| Year | Citations |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 18 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 | 1 |
Top states: IL (17), PA (3), NJ (2), VT (1), NY (1)
Largest penalties
| Employer | Location | Penalty for this rule |
|---|---|---|
| BOROUGH OF BELMAR | BELMAR, NJ | $4,200 |
| WESTCHESTER TREE LIFE INC. | BREWSTER, NY | $3,972 |
| TOWNSHIP OF GREEN BROOK - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS | GREEN BROOK, NJ | $2,800 |
| HENSLEY TOWNSHIP - ROAD DIST. | CHAMPAIGN, IL | $0 |
| PRO TUBE, INC | ZULLINGER, PA | $0 |
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A 5-minute crew talk on 1910.145(d), plus alerts when this rule changes. Free.
OSHA interpretation letters
None exist. OSHA has not published a letter of interpretation for 1910.145(d).
Related parts of this rule
- 1910.145(d)(10) Slow-moving vehicle emblem 17 citations
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Frequently asked questions
What colors are caution signs?
A yellow background and a black panel with yellow letters; letters on the yellow background must be black.
What colors are safety instruction signs?
A white background and a green panel with white letters; letters on the white background must be black.
What colors are danger signs?
Red, black and white, matching the ANSI color specifications.
About this page
Sources
- 29 CFR 1910.145 (eCFR), text current as of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data: OSHA inspections, citations and accident records, copied nightly; data as of 2026-11-06
3-year window. Federal OSHA only; state-plan rules are not counted. Plain-language text is a summary, not legal advice; the official text controls. Black Belt Safety is not part of OSHA or the Department of Labor.