ISO 7010:2019 / ISO 3864-1
ISO W022 Sharp element Sign
ISO W022 Sharp element Sign means the W022 triangle warns of a sharp element — any exposed edge, point, or blade that can cut or puncture on contact — covering unfinished sheet-metal and glass edges, knife edges on cutting machinery, swarf, protruding fasteners, and sharps in waste streams. 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 | #FFCC00 / RAL 1003 Signal Yellow |
| 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 | w022, iso 7010, warning, sharp, element, warn |
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
Sheet-metal and glass handling areas, guillotine and slitter blade storage, and box-cutter issue points are typical placements, frequently paired with the M009 gloves-required sign on the same carrier. Recycling and waste sorting lines where needles or broken glass appear, packaging lines using steel strapping, and maintenance zones around fan blades or shredder internals also carry the sign.
In-Depth Guidance
What Counts as a Sharp Element
W022 warns of a sharp element — any edge, point, or blade capable of cutting or puncturing on contact. The ISO 7010 register keeps the definition broad on purpose: it covers exposed knife edges on cutting and slitting machinery, unfinished sheet-metal and glass edges, protruding fasteners and banding, swarf around machining centers, trimmed plastic flash, barbed fencing, and sharps in waste-handling streams. The common thread is passive injury: the hazard cuts anyone who touches it, powered or not.
That passivity distinguishes W022 from the machinery triangles around it. W024 and W025 warn of parts that move against you; W022 warns of geometry. It earns its place where the sharp edge is inherent to the product or process — a stack of laser-cut blanks, a glazing rack, a blade magazine — and cannot simply be blunted away.
Elimination, Then Gloves, Then the Sign
Deburring, edge-rounding, corner protectors, blade covers, and sheathing dispensers remove the hazard at source, and ISO 12100's hierarchy says those measures come before any warning. On machines, OSHA 1910.212 expects points of operation with cutting actions to be guarded. Where sharp edges remain part of the work — handling blanks, changing slitter blades, sorting mixed waste — cut-resistant gloves selected to the appropriate ANSI/ISEA 105 or EN 388 cut level become the operative control.
That is why the natural partner of W022 is M009, the blue mandatory sign for protective gloves, often mounted on the same carrier. The pairing converts a bare warning into an instruction: sharp edges here, gloves required. On blade-change stations, supplementary text naming the specific task (for example, use the blade tool provided) outperforms the symbol alone.
Where W022 Is Posted
Typical locations include sheet-metal and glass handling areas, guillotine and slitter blade storage, box-cutter and knife-issue points, recycling and waste sorting lines where needles or broken glass appear, packaging lines using steel strapping, and maintenance zones around fan blades or shredder internals opened for cleaning. On public-facing sites, it also marks barbed or flesh-hook fencing where legitimate access brings people close to it.
Do not stretch W022 to cover hazards with their own symbol. Biologically contaminated sharps in healthcare belong under the W009 biohazard sign and sharps-container labeling, since infection rather than laceration is the controlling risk. And where a blade moves under power at a point of operation, guard it and consider the moving-machinery warnings; a static sharp-element triangle understates a powered cutting hazard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the W022 sharp element warning sign mean?
It warns that something at this location can cut or puncture skin on contact — exposed blades, sheet-metal or glass edges, protruding points, or sharp waste. Handle items only with suitable cut-resistant gloves and use any tools or handling aids provided.
Which PPE sign is usually paired with W022?
M009, the mandatory protective gloves sign. The warning identifies the laceration hazard and the blue circle mandates the control, so the two are commonly mounted together at glass racks, blade-change points, and metal-handling stations. The gloves specified should carry a cut-resistance rating appropriate to the edges being handled.
Should I use W022 for medical needles and contaminated sharps?
No. Contaminated sharps are primarily an infection hazard, so the biohazard warning W009 and regulated sharps-container labeling apply. W022 is for clean mechanical sharpness — blades, edges, and points where the injury is the cut itself rather than what the cut transmits.
Is a warning sign an acceptable control for sharp edges on a machine?
Only as the last layer. Machine cutting points must be guarded under OSHA 1910.212, and sharp edges that serve no function should be deburred or covered. W022 is appropriate for residual sharpness that cannot be engineered out, such as product edges during handling or blades exposed during changeover.