geoffrey peckham

In this column, we’ll discuss the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) newly proposed...

In this column, we’ll discuss one way to carry out a systems approach to...

In this column, we’ll explore the importance of guards on products and machinery, and...

In this column, we’ll explore how the safety labels you use on your products...

Well-designed safety symbols look simple, but getting there is anything but. This column examines how ISO's graphical symbol standards guide the redesign of shipboard safety icons, from assembly points to radiotelephone markers, and why engineers should build on established symbol elements rather than start from scratch.

An alligator attack on a Florida golf course might seem like an unlikely compliance lesson — but it perfectly illustrates why engineers must look beyond their own products to spot foreseeable risks. Your warning labels may be overdue for a reality check.

"CAUTION – HOT" gets the job done, but does it meet current standards? This article explores ISO and IEC graphical symbols for thermal hazards, label placement strategies for high-heat environments, and material choices that hold up when the surface itself is the danger.

Arc flash labels do more than meet code—they can mean the difference between clear warnings and catastrophic misunderstanding. This column breaks down the two‑tier labeling approach in the NEC and NFPA 70E and explains how to design safer, more effective arc‑flash markings.

Over 100 different hazard communication regulations existed worldwide—until GHS changed everything. Discover how the Globally Harmonized System creates universal chemical labeling standards, why OSHA adopted it, and what the nine standardized pictograms mean for global safety.

Why does the electrical hazard symbol look exactly the way it does? Discover how safety symbols migrate between IEC and ISO standards, the science of icon design for instant recognition, and why exactness in standardization could save lives.