Are the ANSI Z535 standards a legal requirement for American industry?
There are two parts to the answer to this question. First, all ANSI standards are voluntary. Thus, the ANSI Z535 standards are voluntary standards – they are not a legal requirement. But in practice they are essentially mandatory. Here’s the reason why: From a legal point of view, product manufacturers have a “duty to warn” about hazards associated with the transport, installation, use, maintenance and decommissioning/disposal of their products. Part of this legal requirement is the duty to “meet or exceed” standards. The ANSI Z535 standards are held up in U.S. courts as THE standards benchmark to “meet or exceed” when it comes to warnings. Though the ANSI Z535 standards are voluntary, state and federal courts have said that these standards represent the “state-of-the-art.” So from a liability perspective, your legal counsel should be advising you to comply with ANSI Z535 for the safety labels for all products sold for the U.S. market and for all safety signs intended for U.S. faciliti
