Refer to instruction manual/booklet
Instructs the reader to refer to the instruction manual or booklet.
Understanding this sign
Blue circular signs communicate an action, such as wearing eye protection or following a specified procedure.
A pictogram does not select the grade of PPE or explain a complete procedure. Use the task-specific instructions.
What ISO 7010 M002 Requires
M002 is the most general mandatory-action sign in ISO 7010 after M001 itself: a white open-book pictogram on a blue disc, meaning the instruction manual or booklet must be read before proceeding. The official register description is short — to signify that the instruction manual/booklet must be read — and that brevity is the point. Rather than communicating one specific behavior, M002 redirects the viewer to the document where the manufacturer has put the full set of behaviors that matter for this product or machine.
Because it delegates its meaning to a document, M002 only works where a manual actually exists and is reachable. A blue book symbol on a machine whose manual was lost years ago communicates nothing. Sites that apply M002 well treat it as a pointer with an obligation attached: the referenced instructions stay with the equipment, in the language of the people who operate it, and get replaced when they go missing.
Where the Symbol Appears
Unlike most workplace safety signs, M002 is more often molded, engraved, or printed on a product than posted on a wall. You will find it on machinery control panels, power tools, laboratory instruments, medical equipment, garden machinery, and consumer appliances, frequently placed next to a specific control or access point whose safe use depends on information in the manual — a tensioning adjustment, a battery compartment, a service hatch.
On industrial machinery, M002 typically sits near the main nameplate or at operator positions, telling anyone who approaches an unfamiliar machine that operating knowledge is a precondition, not an option. In training-driven environments it reinforces a procedural rule: nobody runs this equipment until they have worked through the documented operating instructions, and setup, cleaning, and fault-clearing steps come from the manual rather than from improvisation.
The Legal Context Behind a Simple Symbol
Product safety legislation in most major markets obliges manufacturers to supply instructions for safe use, and machinery legislation in particular requires instructions covering installation, operation, and maintenance. M002 is the visual hook into that obligation. It tells the user that residual risks — the hazards that could not be designed out or guarded — are managed through information, and that the information lives in the accompanying documentation.
The preparation of those instructions is itself standardized: IEC/IEEE 82079-1 sets out how instructions for use should be written, structured, and presented. M002 on the product and a well-prepared manual behind it form a matched pair. A symbol pointing to poor documentation offers little protection, legally or practically, which is why auditors reviewing machinery compliance often follow the M002 symbol straight to the manual to check what it actually says.
M002 and Look-Alike Symbols
Medical device labeling uses a closely related but distinct symbol: the consult instructions for use graphic drawn from the ISO 7000 database and catalogued for devices in ISO 15223-1. That symbol is typically rendered as a plain book outline without the blue mandatory disc. The two convey similar intent, but the ISO 7010 version carries the mandatory-action format of workplace and product safety signing, while the device-labeling symbol belongs to a separate regulatory vocabulary.
M002 also differs from a text warning such as read manual before use in a way that matters for global products: it needs no translation. Manufacturers shipping one product into dozens of language markets rely on it precisely because a blue disc with an open book is understood the same way in every jurisdiction that recognizes ISO 3864-1 sign formats.
Where you will see M002
More often molded or printed on products than posted on walls, M002 appears on machinery control panels, power tools, laboratory instruments, medical equipment, garden machinery, and consumer appliances, frequently beside a specific control or access point whose safe use depends on the manual. On industrial machines it typically sits near the main nameplate or at operator positions, reinforcing rules that nobody runs the equipment without working through the documented instructions.
Common questions about M002
What does the blue sign with an open book mean?
It is ISO 7010 M002, a mandatory-action sign meaning you must read the instruction manual or booklet before using the equipment. It appears on machinery, tools, appliances, and medical equipment, usually near controls or access points whose safe use depends on information in the manual.
Is the M002 symbol the same as the consult-instructions symbol on medical devices?
No. Medical device labels use a separate book symbol from the ISO 7000 database, catalogued in ISO 15223-1, usually shown as a plain outline without a blue disc. M002 is the workplace and product safety version in the ISO 7010 mandatory format. They express similar intent but belong to different labeling systems.
Does putting M002 on a product satisfy the requirement to provide instructions?
No. The symbol only points to the instructions; it does not replace them. Product and machinery legislation requires manufacturers to actually supply adequate instructions for use, and standards such as IEC/IEEE 82079-1 describe how they should be prepared. M002 is meaningless if the referenced manual is missing, outdated, or in the wrong language.
Where should the M002 symbol be placed on a machine?
Put it where the decision to proceed is made: at the operator position, on the control panel, or directly beside the specific control, adjustment, or access point that requires manual knowledge. Placing it next to the relevant feature is more effective than one generic symbol on the housing.
Reference details
| Symbol code | M002 |
|---|---|
| Sign family | ISO Mandatory Signs |
| Standard reference | ISO 7010:2019 / ISO 3864-1 ISO Online Browsing Platform: M002 |
| Screen color reference | #0000FF. Screen colors are not a production color specification. |
| Download formats | SVG reference artwork; a 1024 × 1024 pixel PNG conversion on a white canvas. |
| Record date | · How to interpret our dates |
| Page updated |
Choosing a physical sign size
Download dimensions are not installation dimensions. Select sign size, material, placement, and lighting using the applicable standard and the actual viewing conditions. Chemical label sizing follows its own rules. Read the artwork and sizing guide.
Sources and artwork credits
- Artwork source
- Wikimedia Commons file page
- Creator credited by source
- ISO
- License
- CC BY-SA 3.0
- Source metadata checked
SVG files are local reference copies. PNG files are raster conversions. Check the linked file history and license terms before reuse; a source-metadata check is not certification of the artwork or a workplace installation.
Report a correction to this reference
