A guide to Understand Warning Symbols and Pictograms on Packaging
With the growth of e-commerce and the increasing emphasis on sustainable initiatives, the current trend is to prioritize best practices in packaging. It is understandable that consumers are now well-versed in warning signs and the symbols on recyclable packaging due to their increasing exposure to them.
Packaging symbols, however, go beyond the 'Keep Dry.' You may have noticed various icons related to care, transportation, and other topics. Although most of these symbols are easy to understand, it's advisable to gain a bit of extra knowledge before attempting to lift a heavy box and straining your back.
An overview of the warning signs on packaging
In 1946, the radiation warning symbol, also called the Trefoil, was created by the University of California Radiation Laboratory in Berkeley. This symbol has since become the most widely recognized packaging mark globally.
A group of researchers eager to develop a warning symbol for an emerging class of hazardous materials originally "doodled" the radiation trefoil. A bold colour scheme (magenta-black) was used to draw the Trefoil, representing an atom's activity and standing out on any surface and material.
If we come across this warning symbol on the packaging, we should be aware to keep our distance, regardless of its variations. It's common knowledge that there's a potential danger, but beyond that, we lack information. The warning symbol has fulfilled its purpose of notifying us. Once we have a complete understanding of the situation, we can make an informed decision on how to move forward.
We know how to handle a box with a "way up" transit packing sign or fragile symbol. However, what should we do if a package has a warning symbol that we cannot fully understand?
The Trefoil caution sign illustrates how simple it is to assume we understand a symbol. Regrettably, the hazardous packaging symbol has been misunderstood for quite some time, determined necessitating the need for a follow-up to clarify the issue.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) defined that the Trefoil emblem required immediate replacement due to its lack of universal recognition. Most of us will rarely encounter a radioactive symbol, but this demonstrates how cognitive bias can be hazardous. Mishandling packages can result in injury or product damage, which is why it's crucial to know how to read warning signals on the packaging.
A list of packaging warning symbols, icons & meanings (add symbols and their names)
Although some icons may seem intuitive, others can be difficult to decipher. Packaging warning signals are more complex than they appear at first glance. To make sense of them, categorizing them can be helpful.
- Symbols for transit packaging
- Chemical symbols (warning symbols on chemical product packaging)
These are the most widely used transit packaging symbols, and each can be printed in various ways and come with a description in the text.
Proper packaging symbols on your boxes can have a positive impact on your business operations. It is important to cover this topic in any health and safety training. This will result in time savings in the supply chain and ensure safety precautions are taken to protect the personnel handling your packages and the contents inside.
Warning symbols for dangerous drugs should serve an educational purpose, not a commercial one. Therefore, it's important to introduce these concepts early in education. International law requires that these symbols are clearly displayed on product packaging.
In our approach, we take care to adhere to all packaging safety requirements and appropriately display all warning symbols.
To ensure that nothing goes wrong throughout this procedure, Kypson has a crew that is completely responsible for examining packaging at all times. We have crafted our packaging to ensure that your items remain secure and unscathed while they are being shipped. Our packaging is not only effective, but it is also cost-efficient and user-friendly.
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