UMB Environmental Health and Safety

A system of signs has been designed to bring uniformity to the hazard warning signs used at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. This guide describes the signage system and sets the conditions under which the signs are to be posted. It is important that all employees and visitors comply with the policy for entering areas where these signs have been posted, such as laboratories, cold rooms, warm rooms, chemical storage areas and autoclave rooms..

The 10" x 10" hazard warning sign illustrated in this section (Figure 1) is to inform personnel and visitors that a hazard exists in the area. Pressure sensitive labels identifying the type of hazard will be affixed to the hazard warning sign. The labels available for hazard identity - hazard symbols, hazard warnings, personal protective equipment requirements, and required work practices - are shown on pages 2-8. If more than one hazard exists in an area, the appropriate labels (up to a total of 8) should be displayed on one placard. The access restriction shall be determined by the greater hazard. The text accompanying the labels specify conditions warranting posting of these labels.

It is the responsibility of the laboratory supervisor to determine the need for the hazard warning(s) and to contact the department of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) to determine the level of hazard in the area. The laboratory supervisor needs to provide the emergency contact information for the placard such as the name, day/nighttime telephone numbers of the laboratory supervisor or other responsible person(s). Listed emergency contact person(s) must have some familiarity with the hazards in the posted location. After initial posting, the laboratory supervisor shall contact EHS whenever a change in specific conditions and/or emergency contact occurs. EHS will maintain records of all areas posted. Door Signage Information Form

The Office of Safety and Environmental Health will maintain the supply of warning signs and labels.

V. The Environmental Health and Safety department would like to provide credit to professor Dr. Byron Tepper from The Johns Hopkins University for his innovative design of this hazard labeling system. Dr. Tepper has contributed many years to continuing education of biosafety officers as course director of the "Control of Biohazards in the Research Laboratory" class, offered at The Johns Hopkins Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (410.955.5918).

	This Restricted Area label signifies "admittance to laboratory personnel only." All others must obtain permission from the laboratory supervisor to enter the area or to open the containment equipment labeled as restricted.
	This Biohazard label will be posted outside laboratories or storage rooms where multiple biological hazards and/or biological wastes are stored. Laboratories using or storing potentially infectious materials (e.g., human blood) will be posted with this label. This label, with the restricted area label, is generally used to identify refrigerators, incubators, and cabinets where biological agent or materials are stored.
	This Biohazard/Infectious Agents label will be posted outside laboratories or storage rooms where viral, bacterial, rickettsial, fungal, and parasitic agents requiring containment at Biosafety Level 2 or greater are used or stored.
	This Biohazard/Infected Animals label will be posted outside animal rooms and other containment areas which house animals deliberately infected with agents requiring Biosafety Level 2 or greater.
	This Biosafety Level 2 (BSL 2) label, with the appropriate biohazard warning, designates a containment level that meets the BMBL* recommendations for BSL 2 work practices, safety equipment and facility design.
	This Biosafety Level 3 (BSL 3) label, with the appropriate biohazard warning, designates a containment level that meets the BMBL* recommendations for BSL 3 work practices, safety equipment and facility design.
	This Biosafety Level 3 - Work Practices label, with the appropriate biohazard warning, designates a BSL 2 facility in which special work practices, the additional practices recommended for BSL 3, are required.
	This Radioactive Materials label will be posted outside laboratories where radioactive materials are used or stored or where radioactive wastes are accumulated.
	This Radiation Area label will be posted outside laboratories where ionizing radiation exists at such levels that a major portion of the body could receive in any 1 hour a dose in excess of 5 millirem or in any 5 consecutive days a dose in excess of 100 millirem.
	This High Radiation Area label will be posted outside laboratories where ionizing radiation exists at such levels that a major portion of the body could receive in any hour a dose in excess of 100 millirem.
	This Microwave Radiation label will be posted outside laboratories containing equipment capable of generating microwave energy in excess of 10 mW/cm²averaged over 0.1 hour. This warning sign is not intended or necessary for domestic type microwave ovens.
	This Ultraviolet Light label will be posted outside laboratories containing equipment capable of generating ultraviolet light above the MOSH published recommended exposure limit (REL) for occupational exposure. At 254nm, the wavelength for ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI), the REL is 0.006 joules per square centimeter (0.006 J/cm²). The permissible irradiance for an 8 hour workday exposure is <0.2 mW/cm²or 6000 mWsec/cm².
	This Laser Radiation label will be posted outside laboratories where Class 2, 3 or 4 lasers are used or stored. Protective eyewear that absorbs the exact wave length of light produced by the laser in use shall be worn by all personnel with potential for exposure to this laser source or to the reflected beam.
	This Cancer Hazard label will be posted outside laboratories or storage rooms where chemicals classified as suspect human or known human carcinogens by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), International Agency for Research on Cancer Monographs (IARC)and OSHA, are used or stored.
	This Chemical storage area label will be posted outside chemical stockrooms or storage rooms used by multiple users or high volume users for chemicals storage.
	This Corrosive Materials label will be posted outside laboratories or storage rooms where corrosives (concentrated acids or bases) are used or stored.
	This Toxic Chemicals label will be posted outside laboratories or storage rooms where hazardous chemicals with an American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) threshold limit value (TLV) of 5 ppm or less are used or stored. A list of chemicals with a TLV < 5 ppm can be found in Appendix A.
	This Toxic Gas label will be posted outside laboratories or storage rooms where toxic gases with an ACGIH threshold limit value (TLV) of 10 ppm or less are used or stored. A partial list of these toxic gases and their TLV or ceiling level (C) can be found in Appendix B.
	This High Voltage label will be posted outside laboratories containing, unguarded (exposed, open) electrical equipment in excess of 600 volts.
	This Electrical Hazard label will be posted outside laboratories containing accessible electrical equipment with exposed (open) electrical systems or wiring less than 600 volts.
	This Flammable Materials label will be posted outside laboratories or storage rooms that have one or more approved flammable storage cabinets.
	This No Food or Drink label will be posted outside laboratories or storage rooms where chemicals, radioactive materials or potentially infectious materials are used.
	This Eye Protection Required label shall be posted outside laboratories or storage rooms where there is a reasonable probability of exposure to hazardous chemicals, potentially infectious materials/agents or physical hazards which could result in injury if eye protection is not used.
	This Hearing Protection Required label shall be posted outside laboratories where is a potential for noise exposure which may equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average sound level (TWA) of 85 dBA.
	This Protective Clothing Required label shall be posted outside laboratories when work conditions require specific protective clothing which is beyond the standard laboratory coat.

*CDC/NIH 1993 Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories. 3rd Edition. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, and subsequent revisions.