Do you know your safety signs?

You as an employer must provide safety signs if there is a significant risk that can’t be avoided or controlled in any other way, such as through safe systems of work.

There is no need to provide safety signs if they don’t help reduce the risk or if the risk isn’t significant. You should put the appropriate sign in place to warn of danger and make sure that staff are aware of their meaning. To meet your duties, damaged or missing signs should be replaced immediately. 

What are the different types of signs and what do you need to know about them?

Why are signs needed?

Signs and labels help you to meet health and safety requirements, and educate, protect, or inform individuals. In a diverse workplace, a sign breaks down language and understanding barriers so that everyone gets the same safety message. Safety signs are not a substitute for other means of controlling risk.

There’s no need to provide safety signs if they don’t help reduce the risk or if it isn’t significant, although certain fire safety signs may have to be displayed under a separate legal provision.

When and where to use signs?

Your risk assessments should pinpoint where you need to place signage. The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 make it clear that safety signs are not a substitute for other means of controlling risks. They are to warn of any remaining significant risks or to instruct employees on the measures they should take in relation to these risks. 

Don’t overuse signage as it starts to lose its effectiveness. Be clear and concise in the visual messages you are portraying. 

These 4 important safety signs can be broken into categories: Prohibition, Warning, Mandatory and Emergency.

The four basic signs

1. The prohibition symbols give information about dangerous behaviour such as “No Smoking”. It is round-shaped with a black pictogram on a white background or red edging with a red diagonal line.
2. A warning sign tells you to be careful, to take precautions and warns about hazards. It’s triangular in shape, with a black pictogram on a yellow background and with black edging, e.g. wet floor.
3. A mandatory sign tells you about a specific behaviour or action. It’s always round in shape with a white pictogram on a blue background, e.g. PPE.
4. Emergency signs depict areas of safety such as fire exits. They are rectangular or square in shape with a white pictogram on a green background.

Are there others?

The two other types of signage to understand are:

• fire – a red square with a white symbol or white symbol and text in the middle, e.g. call points
• globally harmonised system – a red diamond with black symbols and a white background to identify the classification of a particular chemical, e.g. toxic, corrosive, etc.

If you have visually impaired staff, you may need to provide alternative ways to communicate, such as audible instructions during a fire evacuation. 

What is the colour of safety?

Red is a Safety Colour and must be used for any:

• prohibition sign concerning dangerous behaviour (eg. the safety colour on a ‘No Smoking’ sign).
• Prohibition signs must be round, with a black pictogram on a white background with red edging and a red diagonal line (top left, bottom right). 
• The red part must take up at least 35% of the area of the sign.

Yellow (or amber) signs are warning signs, meaning to be careful, take precautions or examine:

• Warning signs must be triangular, with a black pictogram on a yellow (or amber) background with black edging. 
• The yellow (or amber) part must take up at least 50% of the area of the sign.

Blue safety signs mean that a sign is mandatory, and that specific behaviour or action should be carried out:

• Mandatory signs must be round, with a white pictogram on a blue background. The blue part must take up at least 50% of the area of the sign.

Green is a safety colour and must be used for:

• emergency escape signs (e.g. showing emergency doors, exits and routes) and first aid signs (e.g. showing the location of first aid equipment and facilities). 
• Escape and first aid signs must be rectangular or square, with a white pictogram on a green background. 
• The green part must take up at least 50% of the area of the sign. 

White is NOT a safety colour but is used:

• for pictograms or other symbols on blue and green signs.
• in alternating red and white stripes to show obstacles or dangerous locations.
• in continuous lines showing traffic routes.

Black is NOT a safety colour but is used:

• for pictograms or other symbols on yellow (or amber) signs and, except for fire signs, red signs.
• in alternating yellow and black stripes to show obstacles or dangerous locations.

Need some new or replacement signs and not sure where to start? We provide a wide range of safety signage, from bespoke branded plaques too easy to fit self-adhesive signs and labels for all your needs. We can help you assess your signage and provide you with a quote for updating it.
To find out more information call our Compliance Team on 01427 420 404 or email compliance@skaltd.co.uk#OneOfTheTeam

Good practice

Make sure signs are visible and not faded and replace damaged signage immediately. Although most safety signs are self-explanatory, employees (particularly new, young, or inexperienced ones) may be unfamiliar with them. It’s important that the meaning of any sign is clearly explained, and that employees are aware of the consequences of not following the warning or instruction given by the sign. 

If you need help on any health and safety matter, contact your designated Stallard Kane Health & Safety Advisor or, if you don’t currently use our Health & Safety services, call 01427 420 402 or email healthandsafety@skaltd.co.uk and one of the team will be happy to help.