Safety Signs

When should I display Safety Signs?

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 requires employers to ensure that safety signs are provided and maintained in circumstances where there is a significant risk to health and safety that has not been removed or controlled by other methods.

Employers must consider the results of their risk assessments before deciding when and where to use safety signs. This assessment should identify hazards, associated risks and viable control measures, with signs used when there is a significant residual risk that employees need to be warned of.

Safety signs must not be used as a substitute for other means of controlling risks to employees. If a more substantial change can be made to eliminate a risk, for example through safer working methods, then a safety sign should not be used instead of taking action.

Safety signs are not needed when no significant risks are present, except for certain fire safety signs that are required under all circumstances. These requirements are covered under separate fire safety regulations.

Employers must ensure their employees are aware of and understand the meaning of safety signs. Although most signs are self-explanatory, some employees - particularly newer or less experienced staff members - may be unfamiliar with some of the less commonly used signs. As such, training should be provided where necessary, with the meaning of each sign clearly explained, and text supplementing the sign when useful.

Danger signs should be used to protect employees from significant hazards such as electricity, high temperatures, and machinery. These signs are crucial in warning and safeguarding employees, visitors, and the general public from potential dangers.

What is BS EN ISO 7010?

The ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) 7010 prescribes the shape, colour and graphical symbol required on safety signs. Common symbols or pictograms were introduced and tested throughout all European countries to ensure that the symbols were easily understood and recognised. This standardised approach guides us as we develop new safety sign solutions and also when we create bespoke or customised signs for our customers to ensure all the signs we produce meet the requirements of ISO 7010. 

What are the different types of safety signs?

Safety signs have specific colour-coded meanings, that fall within broad categories, but more than one type of safety sign can be combined to create a ‘multi-message’ safety sign which is used to communicate more than one hazard or action required. For example, mandatory signs often include instructions on the use of personal protective equipment to ensure safety.

Prohibition Safety Signs - Red

Prohibition signs advise viewers of actions which should not be carried out within specific areas. They incorporate a red circle with a diagonal red line through it and a black pictogram. Supplementary text must be white on a red background and must tell viewers what they should not do to stay safe.

See some prohibition safety signs

Mandatory Safety Signs - Blue

Mandatory signs advise viewers of actions which must be carried out within specific areas. They incorporate a blue circle with a white pictogram inside. Supplementary text must be white on a blue background and must tell viewers what they need to do to stay safe.

See some mandatory safety signs

Hazard Warning Safety Signs – Yellow

Warning signs advise viewers of potential hazards within an area. They incorporate a yellow triangle (black border) with a black pictogram inside. Supplementary text must be black on a yellow background and must lead with “Danger, Warning or Caution”. Hazard warning signs are also used to warn about dangerous substances such as chemicals and harmful products.

Danger: should be used only for hazards which may cause serious injury or death. Warning: should be used for hazards which could cause mild to severe injury. Caution: should be used for mild hazards only.

See some hazard / warning safety signs

Safe Condition Safety Signs – Green

Safe condition signs guide the viewers to a point of safety or escape, such as first aid and fire exit signs.

First aid signs help in quickly locating first aid kits and other aid equipment in case of an emergency.

Emergency escape signs are designed to guide you from wherever you are in a building, via a place of relative safety (the escape route) to the place of ultimate safety (the assembly area). It must not be assumed that everyone will know all safe routes through a building. Emergency escape signs should comply with BS EN ISO 7010: 2020 to ensure maximum levels of understanding.

See some safe condition signs, first aid signs and fire exit signs

Multi-message Safety Signs – combined colours

Different safety signs categories can be placed together vertically or horizontally on the same sign; however, the sign should never combine two sign categories into one message.

All our multi-message signs follow the design principles of BS EN ISO 7010:2020 to ensure maximum levels of comprehension.

See some multi-message safety signs

Extended Ranges of Safety Signs for the Construction Sector

Failing to use the correct safety signage within a construction site could result in an accident, injury, or even a fatality. Signs come in many formats, from site safety boards, entrance points, way-finding guidance or site traffic signs. Many construction sites will often combine several key safety messages onto one site safety board to avoid excessive clutter. Site signs deliver important information to warn viewers of hazards, remind site staff what personal protection equipment is required and to highlight areas which are off-limits.

SafetyBuyer has developed an extended range of construction related safety signs and products to provide everything you need to keep your site and employees safe and compliant.

Site Safety Information Boards, First Aid Points and Site Set Up Bundle Deals are all designed to professionally convey your site policies, company branding and safety values to your employees and site visitors.

Safety Sign Materials – Self Adhesive Vinyl

We only manufacture signs using the most appropriate and durable materials for their intended application and have produced a list of the most frequently used materials. View our Safety Signs materials guide, or get in touch if you have any questions about which material would be suitable for your requirements.

We offer self-adhesive vinyl for its ease of application and flexibility, and rigid plastic signs for their durability and suitability for smooth surfaces.

Photoluminescent Fire Safety Signs

Photoluminescent safety signs, such as fire exit signs and fire safety signs, tapes and markers work by storing energy from either a natural or artificial light source.

If the light source is no longer available in the case of a blackout due to a fire or other emergency, then the ‘charge’ in the safety sign releases light in the form of protons to produce a greenish luminant glow, also known as phosphorescence. The strength and quality of this glow can vary greatly between manufacturers and for this reason we have introduced the Ultra Bright brand to give assurance that all our photoluminescent safety signage exceeds PSPA (The Photoluminescent Safety Products Association) Class C ratings, making it one of the best in the UK market and ensuring our signs stay brighter for longer to give the maximum chance for a successful evacuation.

Photoluminescent signage is charged by light which allows it to glow in the dark if there is a sudden loss of light due to a power outage or if thick smoke from a fire is obstructing vision. Using this type of signage in a building can assist employees or members of the public to a safe refuge area away from the danger.

Ensuring that safety signage is clearly visible in blackout conditions can prove the difference between life and death during an emergency evacuation, helping guide people to exits and to essential equipment. The real beauty of photoluminescent products, in the context of a Safety Way Guidance System, is that they do not need electricity to glow in the dark if properly sited and maintained. In an emergency where a mains failure has occurred, they will immediately light the way to safety even in smoky conditions.

Safety Signs – Site Survey

We have some easy-to-use safety sign audit documents to help you complete a workplace signage audit that will assist you to spot any shortfalls or opportunities for improvement. Particularly after changes or modifications in workplaces it is a good time to complete a review of your safety sign provision. 

Simple auditing can highlight some of the hazards most found in a variety of different working environments and provide solutions in the form of safety signs to help maximise workplace safety, productivity and housekeeping.

For larger projects we may be able to offer a site visit to help complete a safety sign audit – just let us know and we’ll do our best to assist.

Beyond Safety Signs – Custom Signs

Safety Buyer has developed some customer-led sign solutions which help embed the principles of safety signs into wider staff engagement and visual communication tools. Using 5S Boards, ‘you-said-we-did’, first aid, QSHE, KPI, Spill Information and Site Health & Safety Notice Boards, we’ve worked with 1000s of companies to raise awareness, maintain standards and keep people and premises safe and organised.

Be sure to browse our custom site board pages to see how our knowledge and understanding of the humble safety signs and the people who rely on them every day have helped us create some unique safety solutions which could really help your business.

For more information on any aspect of our safety sign solutions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch today. Call us on 0800 043 0161 or email sales@safetybuyer.com