ISO 7010:2019 / ISO 3864-1
ISO P073 Do not shut lid when burners are operating Sign
ISO P073 Do not shut lid when burners are operating Sign means the P073 sign forbids closing an appliance's hinged lid while any burner is alight, preventing unburned gas from accumulating under the cover and flashing on reignition, and protecting lids never designed to enclose a live flame from heat damage. It should be used where the cited standard, facility risk assessment, SDS, emergency plan, or written safety procedure requires this hazard or safety message to be communicated.
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Reference artwork: Wikimedia Commons · License: CC0
Technical Data
| Legal Standard | ISO 7010:2019 / ISO 3864-1 |
|---|---|
| Color Codes | #FF0000 / Closest practical match: RAL 3020 Traffic Red |
| Viewing Distance | 50 mm: close equipment or package label; 100 mm: approximately 5 m; 200 mm: approximately 10 m; 300 mm: approximately 15 m; 400 mm: approximately 20 m. |
| Review Status | approved / last reviewed 2026-07-07 |
| Jurisdiction Scope | Global, United States, European Union |
| Keywords | p073, iso 7010, prohibition, not, shut, lid, when, burners, are, operating, prohibit |
Standard Dimensions Table
| Sign Size | Recommended Visibility |
|---|---|
50 mm | close equipment or package label |
100 mm | approximately 5 m |
200 mm | approximately 10 m |
300 mm | approximately 15 m |
400 mm | approximately 20 m. |
Where This Sign Is Used
Appliance makers apply it near the hinge or on the lid of gas hobs with glass covers, outdoor cooking appliances, and camping stoves with fold-down lids, repeating the instruction in the user manual. It is primarily a product-safety label rather than a facility sign, also seen on rental and campsite equipment, and it does not apply to barbecues whose hoods are engineered for closed-lid roasting.
In-Depth Guidance
One Appliance, One Very Specific Rule
ISO 7010 P073 is among the narrowest prohibitions in the catalogue: do not close the lid while at least one burner is alight. It exists for gas-fired appliances built with a hinged cover over the burners — outdoor cooking appliances, gas hobs with glass lids, camping stoves with fold-down covers, and similar equipment — where the lid is meant to protect the appliance when it is off, not to enclose a live flame. The pictogram shows a lid closing over a flame, barred by the red prohibition ring.
This is a product-safety label first and a facility sign almost never. Manufacturers apply it near the hinge or on the lid itself and repeat the instruction in the user manual, because the hazard arises in the user's hands, at home or at a campsite, far from any workplace signage scheme. Its addition to the ISO 7010 catalogue reflects how far the standard now reaches beyond factory walls into consumer appliance labeling.
What Goes Wrong Under a Closed Lid
Two failure chains motivate the sign. The first is gas accumulation: a closing lid can disturb or starve the flame until it goes out while gas continues to flow. Unburned gas then pools in the covered space, and reopening the lid near the still-hot appliance — or attempting reignition — can flash the accumulated mixture in the user's face. The same chain is why gas barbecue instructions insist on lighting with the lid open.
The second is heat damage. Lids on appliances that carry P073 are not designed as combustion chambers: trapped burner heat can warp metal covers, shatter the tempered-glass lids fitted to many gas hobs, damage seals and controls underneath, and overheat the gas components themselves. On glass-lidded hobs the standing instruction is the same rule in reverse order — extinguish the burners and let them cool before the lid comes down.
Scope: Not Every Barbecue Lid
P073 does not declare closed-lid cooking universally forbidden. Many gas barbecues are engineered precisely for roasting with the hood down, with ventilation and materials rated for it, and their manuals say so. The prohibition belongs to appliances whose cover is a dust-and-weather lid rather than a cooking hood, and the deciding authority is always the manufacturer's instructions for the specific model.
Where the sign or its pictogram appears — on the appliance, in the manual, on rental or campsite equipment — treat it as a design statement: this cover and a burning flame must never coexist. Related signage covers the neighboring risks: P003 (no open flame) governs where the appliance may be lit at all, and hot-surface warnings address the lid and body after use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't you close the lid while a gas burner is still on?
Because the closing lid can snuff the flame while gas keeps flowing, letting unburned gas pool under the cover and flash when the lid is reopened or the burner is relit. Trapped heat can also warp the lid, shatter glass covers on hobs, and damage seals and gas components not designed to be enclosed with a live flame.
Does the P073 sign mean I can never cook with the barbecue hood closed?
No. Many gas barbecues are specifically designed for closed-hood roasting and their manuals permit it. P073 applies to appliances whose lid is a protective cover rather than a cooking hood — glass-lidded hobs, camping stoves, and grills the manufacturer says must run open. The instructions for your specific model are decisive.
Where is the do-not-shut-lid pictogram usually found?
On the appliance itself — near the lid hinge, on the lid, or beside the burner controls — and in the safety section of the user manual. It is essentially a product label for gas cooking equipment rather than a workplace wall sign, since the risk occurs wherever the appliance is used.
What should I do if the flame goes out under a partly closed lid?
Turn the gas off, open the lid fully, and let the appliance ventilate for several minutes before any attempt to relight, following the waiting time in the manufacturer's instructions. Relighting immediately over accumulated gas is the flash scenario the P073 prohibition exists to prevent.