And if you personally own products which have decorative biohazard or radiation symbols on them, make sure you NEVER, EVER bring them into a context where they might be taken literally. (Ideally, don't bring them out into public spaces at all.) In the wrong situation, leaving (say) your "biohazard" lunchbox sitting on a desk could lead to a panicked security lockdown.

I work at a medical device company, and a coworker of mine uses this lunchbox - http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/e72e/

The first time I saw it in the company fridge I completely freaked.

It could totally be BSL2+ if they bled on it accidentally

When my father was in highschool he drew a radiation symbol on the envelope to a letter he sent to a friend, and a regional postmaster came to his parent's house and chewed him out in person for it.

Honestly I think the biohazard tie mentioned in the article isn't so bad, since presumably it's warn by someone in the field who will be surrounded by others of the same field, so I don't think anyone will be tricked into thinking the necktie itself is a biohazard. I actually think the biohazard necktie is kind of funny, in certain circumstances (maybe not if worn by my doctor, but instead by someone giving a keynote speech about biohazardous material)

The lunchboxes, water bottles, and helmets on the other hand... that's just absurd.

A pity Apple didn't do this, with pushing their 'thunderbolt' icon, which is basically the same as 'high voltage'. Bad mojo.