What are custom caution signs?
Custom caution signs are laser-cut acrylic lamacoid plates that carry the CAUTION signal word in the standard yellow-and-black pair, plus the message you need for that spot: hot surface, hearing protection, low clearance, pinch point, wet floor, construction area, or site-specific wording.
The laser removes the yellow cap so the black core shows as the letter. The text is part of the plate, so heat, cleaning chemicals, and years of handling do not wipe it off the way ink or vinyl often do. That is why plants put engraved caution labels on motor housings, compressor rooms, cable trays, and yard posts where stickers peel.
We stock yellow with black letters as the shop standard for CAUTION. Ready-made legends sit in the Caution signs section on the catalogue page. Open any SKU in the Sign Maker to change the wording, size, thickness, symbol, and mounting before you order. Wording that is not in the catalogue goes straight into the maker or the quote form.
When should a sign say CAUTION?
Use CAUTION when the hazard could cause minor or moderate injury if it is not avoided: hot pipes, pinch points, noise, slip and trip, low beams, and light traffic in a yard.
DANGER is for hazards that will kill or seriously injure. WARNING is for hazards that could kill or seriously injure. NOTICE covers rules and information with no hazard to people. Each signal word has its color pair on this site: red / white, orange / black, yellow / black, and blue / white.
Your authority having jurisdiction, your provincial or territorial OH&S rules, and your written safety program have the final say on which word and which layout the job needs. Confirm the drawings or spec before you order a full room set. US OSHA rules are not Canadian law, and these plates are not OSHA certified.
Engraved caution labels vs vinyl stickers
Caution labels on this site are the same engraved acrylic product as the wall signs, cut to tag and plate sizes that fit guards, covers, and control stations. Caution stickers and printable sheets are useful for a short remodel or a temporary barricade. Finished equipment that will be wiped down, heated, or read for years usually needs a legend that stays legible.
Browse stock yellow caution labels in the catalogue, or type a machine legend in the Sign Maker. Common plant legends include hot surface, hearing protection required, low clearance, hard hat area, multiple sources, sharp edges, and keep hands clear of dampers and guards. Machine-safety cousins (nip points, rotating shafts, conveyors) live in the Machine safety category on the catalogue page.
Sizes, colors, and mounting
Wall caution signs commonly run 7 × 5 in, 10 × 7 in, and long strips such as 12 × 4 in for thresholds and door heads. Smaller caution labels for housings and covers are often 3 × 1 in or 4 × 2 in. The Sign Maker also cuts custom sizes when the gear needs a fit the stock list does not cover.
| Size | Common use | Mounting |
|---|---|---|
| 3 × 1 in | Small tags on covers and guards | Adhesive, or adhesive plus holes |
| 4 × 2 in / 5 × 3½ in | Equipment plates, local warnings | Adhesive or screw holes |
| 7 × 5 in | Shop-standard wall caution sign | Four corner holes typical |
| 10 × 7 in | Room and area signs readable from farther off | Four corner holes |
| 12 × 4 in | Long strips over doors, beams, thresholds | Two or four holes, or rivets |
Material is laser-engraved acrylic lamacoid (two-color engraving laminate) in 1/16 in standard or 1/8 in rigid stock. Yellow / black is the CAUTION default. Other stocked pairs cover DANGER, WARNING, NOTICE, and equipment ID when the same order mixes signal words.
Adhesive backs suit clean, flat doors and dead fronts. Screw or rivet holes hold better on textured covers, outdoor posts, and plates that get washed down. Pick both when you want the option in the field. Hole sizes in the maker include 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4 in.
How to order custom caution signs
Design a single plate online, Customize a stock Caution SKU, or send a whole list for a matched engraved set.
- Open the Sign Maker, or open a catalogue Caution sign and choose Customize.
- Keep or change the CAUTION header. Type your message on the text lines. Add a safety symbol if the layout needs one.
- Choose size, color pair, thickness, edge, and mounting (adhesive, screw holes, or both).
- Check the on-screen preview. It is drawn from the same laser file we cut.
- Add to cart, check out, and approve the to-scale artwork proof by email. Nothing is engraved until you sign.
For a multi-room job, a bilingual set, or a logo the maker does not list, paste the list into the quote form on the catalogue page or email sales@llamacoids.ca. We engrave one size and letter height across the set when you ask. There is no minimum order: one sign or a few hundred.
For Quebec sites and federal workplaces that post in both official languages, order matched English/French CAUTION plates as one engraved set from the bilingual category on /labels/, or send the legend list for a single letter-height proof.
Most orders are cut the same day you approve the proof. Free pickup in Burlington, or ship by Canada Post across Canada or PostNL Tracked to the US. Standard shipping is free on Canadian orders of $200 CAD or more before tax.
Max-load caution marking (CEC / OESC Rule 2-100 Subrule 6)
Under the 2024 Canadian Electrical Code / OESC Rule 2-100 Subrule 6, when the ampacity of service or feeder conductors based on loads calculated per Rules 8-200 or 8-202 is less than the fuse or circuit-breaker rating, a permanent, legible caution marking must be field-applied adjacent to the fused switch or breaker nameplate stating the maximum load permitted. Confirm your adopted edition and AHJ. This caution plate is separate from the panel directory required by Subrules 3–4.
Order a yellow/black CAUTION plate in the Sign Maker with your max-load wording, or paste the ampere limit into the quote form for a matched set. Example legend: CAUTION — MAX CONTINUOUS LOAD ___ A.
CSA, OH&S, and signal-word framing
Canadian workplaces often follow CSA Z321-style shapes and colours for workplace signs, alongside ANSI Z535-style signal-word headers (CAUTION yellow/black, WARNING orange/black, DANGER red/white, NOTICE blue/white) that many Canadian plants already use. CAN/CSA-Z321-96 (R2006) is withdrawn; provincial and territorial OH&S rules, and your written safety program, still set what must be posted. Your AHJ has the final say on which edition and clauses apply. Do not treat this page as a compliance checklist. These plates are not OSHA certified, and US OSHA rules are not Canadian law.
We engrave the wording and layout you send. Yellow / black CAUTION plates, pictograms, and bilingual headers are available in the Sign Maker. If your spec calls for a particular header height, symbol, or legend length, put that in the quote notes and we will match the proof to it.
Buy custom caution signs
Ready to order? Use the Sign Maker for one plate, or open the full engraved safety catalogue to Customize a stock Caution legend. For a long list, use the quote form on the catalogue page or email sales@llamacoids.ca. More answers sit in the common questions on /labels/.