ISO/FDIS 20712-3

FINAL INTERNATIONAL ISO/FDIS DRAFT STANDARD 20712-3 ISO/TC 145/SC 2 Water safety signs and beach safety Secretariat: DIN flags — Voting begins on: 2020-04-22 Part 3: Voting terminates on: Guidance for use 2020-06-17 Signaux de sécurité relatifs à l'eau et drapeaux de sécurité pour les plages — Partie 3: Lignes directrices pour l'utilisation RECIPIENTS OF THIS DRAFT ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT, WITH THEIR COMMENTS, NOTIFICATION OF ANY RELEVANT PATENT RIGHTS OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE AND TO PROVIDE SUPPOR TING DOCUMENTATION. IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS Reference number BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL, TECHNO- ISO/FDIS 20712-3:2020(E) LOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND USER PURPOSES, DRAFT INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS MAY ON OCCASION HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THEIR POTENTIAL TO BECOME STAN- DARDS TO WHICH REFERENCE MAY BE MADE IN NATIONAL REGULATIONS. ISO 2020 ---------------------- Page: 1 ---------------------- ISO/FDIS 20712-3:2020(E) COPYRIGHT PROTECTED DOCUMENT © ISO 2020

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Foreword ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................v

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................vi

1 Scope ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1

2 Normative references ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

3  Terms and definitions ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 1

4  Guidance for selection and siting of signs and flags ........................................................................................................ 2

4.1 Guidance for risk assessment ..................................................................................................................................................... 2

4.2 Siting ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3

4.2.1 Water safety signs and multiple signs ........................................................................................................... 3

4.2.2 Beach safety flags ............................................................................................................................................................ 3

5 Water safety signs ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

5.1 General requirements for aquatic environments ...................................................................................................... 3

5.1.1 General...................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

5.1.2 Mounting height ............................................................................................................................................................... 4

5.1.3 Lighting .................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

5.1.4 Sign height and maximum viewing distance ........................................................................................... 4

5.1.5 Use of supplementary text ....................................................................................................................................... 5

5.1.6 Construction: durability and suitability ...................................................................................................... 6

5.1.7 Servicing and maintenance ..................................................................................................................................... 6

5.2 Specific requirements for the swimming pool environment .......................................................................... 6

6  Beach safety flags ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7

6.1 General ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

6.2 Application of specific beach safety flags ......................................................................................................................... 7

6.2.1 Red flag BF.01 ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7

6.2.2 Yellow flag BF.02 .............................................................................................................................................................. 7

6.2.3 Red/yellow flag BF.03 .................................................................................................................................................. 7

6.2.4 Black/white flag BF.04 ................................................................................................................................................ 8

6.2.5 Red/white flag BF.05 .................................................................................................................................................... 8

6.2.6 Truncated orange cone ............................................................................................................................................... 8

6.3 Materials for beach safety flags ................................................................................................................................................ 8

6.4 Operation of flags .................................................................................................................................................................................. 8

6.4.1 Mounting position .......................................................................................................................................................... 8

6.4.2 Size of flag .............................................................................................................................................................................. 8

6.4.3 Hoisting and taking down of flags..................................................................................................................... 8

6.5 Flagpole ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9

6.6 Inspection and maintenance of flags and flagpoles ................................................................................................ 9

6.7 Storage of flags ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 9

7  Multiple signs ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9

7.1 General requirements ....................................................................................................................................................................... 9

7.2 Presentation of information ........................................................................................................................................................ 9

7.2.1 General...................................................................................................................................................................................... 9

7.2.2 Typeface .................................................................................................................................................................................. 9

7.2.3 Type size ................................................................................................................................................................................. 9

7.2.4 Colour .....................................................................................................................................................................................10

7.2.5 Use of symbols ................................................................................................................................................................10

7.2.6 Terminology and language ...................................................................................................................................10

7.3 Types of multiple signs .................................................................................................................................................................10

7.3.1 Approach signs ...............................................................................................................................................................10

7.3.2 Primary access signs .................................................................................................................................................11

7.3.3 Secondary access signs ............................................................................................................................................12

7.3.4 Directional signs ............................................................................................................................................................13

8 Tsunami signing system .............................................................................................................................................................................14

8.1 Planning .....................................................................................................................................................................................................14

8.2 Tsunami safety signs and associated safety information signs ..................................................................14

Annex A (informative) Distance factor z ........................................................................................................................................................16

Annex B (informative) Examples of signing swimming pools .................................................................................................17

Annex C (informative) Examples of positioning beach safety flags ...................................................................................19

Annex D (informative) Typeface for text .......................................................................................................................................................21

Annex E (informative) Examples of tsunami signing system ....................................................................................................23

Bibliography .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................28

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bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out

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ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of

The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are

described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the

different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the

editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of

patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of

any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or

Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not

For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and

expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the

World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) see www .iso .org/

This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 145, Graphical symbols, Subcommittee

This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO 20712-3:2014), of which it constitutes a

— references to ISO 20712-1 replaced with ISO 7010 as water safety signs with new registration

— all four references in Clause 2 moved to the Bibliography as these are informative;

Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A

This document reflects good practice in the use of water safety signs and beach safety flags. The

illustrations show examples of the selection and location of water safety signs and beach safety flags

designed to provide information about aquatic hazards and the action necessary to avoid those hazards.

A standardized method of signing with the use of appropriate supplementary text throughout the

working and public environment assists the process of education and instruction on the meaning of

water safety signs and beach safety flags, and the appropriate actions to take. The intention of this

document is to ensure a uniformity of application of water safety signs and beach safety flags which

leads to increased familiarity, and therefore improved safety, for the users including visitors and for the

The illustrations within this document are based on assumptions that some of the people may be

unfamiliar with the features of indoor or outdoor swimming pools or of the beach. The illustrations

are not intended to cover every potentially hazardous situation and they should be interpreted as

The use of water safety signs and beach safety flags does not replace the need for proper working

methods and safety instruction or for training in accident prevention and the actions to be taken in the

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users are

NOTE 1 Some countries’ statutory regulations might differ in some respect from those given in this document.

NOTE 2 Some countries might differ in some respect from the requirements given in this document where

IMPORTANT — The colours represented in the electronic file of this document can be neither

viewed on screen nor printed as true representations. For the purposes of colour matching

see ISO 3864-4, which provides colorimetric and photometric properties together with, as a

This document gives guidance for the selection and use of water safety signs as specified in ISO 7010

and beach safety flags as specified in ISO 20712-2 in aquatic environments. It provides guidance on

their location, mounting positions, lighting and maintenance. It also provides guidance on the design

This document does not apply to traffic signs for use on the public highway or maritime signalling. It

is not applicable to flags for use on firing ranges or to flags used to indicate water quality. It does not

NOTE 1 The illustrations in this document are as accurate as possible within the limitations of the printing

NOTE 2 This document refers to water safety signs which were originally specified in ISO 20712-1 . These

water safety signs have been integrated in ISO 7010, but are not specifically identified as water safety signs.

ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:

area forming a shoreline or sloping bank at the edge of the sea or a river estuary or lake

material that gives a particular safety message by means of a combination of one or more colours and a

Note 1 to entry: A flag can also have additional support, e.g. a horizontal support.

relationship between the height (h) of a sign and the observation distance (l), used to determine

[SOURCE: ISO 3864-1:2011, 3.2, modified — 'distance factor' added as an admitted term.]

two or more safety signs and/or associated supplementary information on the same carrier

area around a pool basin for entry and exit to the pool basin and general circulation space

sign which gives a general safety message, obtained by a combination of a colour and geometric shape

and which, by the addition of a graphical symbol, gives a particular safety message

diameter of a circular geometric shape or height of a rectangular or triangular geometric shape of the

Note 1 to entry: Any outer border to the safety sign is excluded. See ISO 3864-1.

Selection and use are determined following the results of a risk assessment. The risk assessment should

In specific situations, other issues may have to be considered in a risk assessment.

NOTE The users can be in unfamiliar environments, not wearing their normal sight-correction lenses or in

As the result of the risk assessment, a comprehensive statement of requirements should be prepared and

used as the basis for the detailed design and specification for the selection and use of signs and flags.

The siting of water safety signs and multiple signs should allow users to recognize hazards and take

d) location of architectural features, décor, structures, vegetation or people that could conceal or

e) lighting level and characteristics under both normal and mains-failure conditions;

The siting of beach safety flags should allow users to recognize hazards and take appropriate action to

c) location of structures, beach furniture or vegetation that could conceal or divert attention from flags;

e) appropriate information on multiple signs, such as an explanation of the meaning of flags and the

Safety signs should conform to ISO 7010. Safety signs should conform with the colorimetric and

The required sign height of the safety sign should be determined from the maximum viewing distance

under different external illumination conditions and the relevant distance factor z according to Annex

The following principles should be taken into account when planning water safety signage; signs should:

NOTE The contrast and conspicuousness may be increased by the provision of an outer border or by

d) be sited at the same height throughout the aquatic facility, as far as is reasonable;

e) take precedence over all other signs with the exception of escape route signing, if applicable;

Care should be taken to avoid over-provision of safety signs at one location as this can confuse viewers

The following principles should be applied to assist users of the facilities to predict the location of

a) Signs should be mounted as close as practicable to the observer’s line of sight in the vertical plane.

For a standing adult, this will be approximately 5° up or down from a point 1500 mm above ground

b) Signs that are freestanding or mounted overhead should be placed so that they are not a hazard.

c) Where practical, the space in front of the sign should be clear so that people without sight-

correction lenses or with visual impairments are able to approach the sign to reduce their viewing

If artificial lighting is provided, effective illumination is required both in normal and in mains-failure

Some types of lighting, for example low-pressure sodium, do not enable effective colour recognition

and are therefore unlikely to be suitable for the illumination of water safety signs.

Where a sign is illuminated by an external artificial light source, the vertical illumination should be a

NOTE 1 The sign height necessary to achieve these criteria will depend upon the viewing distance and the

NOTE 2 In external environments, a sign could be made more visible by provision of a larger colour contrasting

The required maximum viewing distance of a sign should be determined by its position within the

area and take into account the needs of people with normal sight and people with visual impairments.

Distance factors z for different illumination conditions and visual acuity are given in Annex A, Table A.1.

The recommended maximum viewing distance for a particular sign height h, in millimetres (mm), can

Recommended maximum viewing distances for different minimum sign heights under normal/natural

Table 2 — Recommended maximum viewing distance for different minimum sign heights under

For intermediate viewing distances, the next largest available sign height should be used.

The maximum viewing distances in Table 2 relate to viewing normal to the sign. When a sign is viewed at

an angle of α to the normal, the maximum viewing distances are reduced by the multiplying factor cos α.

The relevant viewing distance should be such that the observer is informed of potential hazards and of

the safety precautions and/or actions required to avoid the hazard(s) before the observer makes any

Any variation of the sizes of signs within a facility should be kept to a minimum.

A supplementary text sign will help to ensure that the meaning of the water safety sign is fully

understood and may convey additional information. For guidance on supplementary text, see Annex D.