Safety Signs are a legal requirement in workplaces across the UK, ensuring employees and visitors are aware of potential hazards, required actions, and emergency procedures. Under The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, employers must provide and maintain appropriate signage where there is a significant residual risk that cannot be eliminated through other means.

These regulations align with The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which places a duty on employers to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their employees and anyone affected by their operations. Safety signs play a critical role in risk communication, particularly in high-hazard environments such as construction sites, industrial settings, and public spaces.

Each type of safety sign follows a standardised colour system, ensuring consistency and immediate recognition across all workplaces. The main categories are:

• Red – Prohibition and fire safety signs
• Yellow/Amber – Warning signs
• Blue – Mandatory signs
• Green – Emergency escape and first aid signs

Beyond legal compliance, the psychology of colour also plays an essential role in workplace safety, reinforcing messages of caution, instruction, and safe practice.

Purpose:
Blue safety signs are used to indicate mandatory actions that must be followed to comply with health and safety requirements. They feature white pictograms on a blue background and are often seen in workplaces where protective measures must be observed.

Common Uses:

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Hard hats, eye protection, ear protection, and high-visibility clothing.
• Operational Instructions: ‘Keep this door closed,’ ‘Report to site office,’ or ‘Wash hands before returning to work.’

Regulatory Context:
The requirement for PPE signage is further reinforced by The Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations which mandates the use of protective equipment where risks cannot be eliminated by other means.

Why Blue?
Blue is a neutral, non-threatening colour that stands out while conveying instruction without alarm. Its association with workplace compliance makes it instantly recognisable.

Purpose:
Red safety signs indicate a prohibition (a restriction on an activity) or fire safety equipment location. They contain a black pictogram on a white background, often enclosed within a red circle with a diagonal line (for prohibition signs).

Common Uses:

• Prohibition: ‘No Smoking,’ ‘No Entry,’ ‘Do Not Use Mobile Phones.’
• Fire Safety: Fire extinguishers, fire alarm call points, fire hose reels.

Regulatory Context:

• The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 mandates that fire safety equipment and emergency exits are clearly identified.
• The Smoke-free (Premises and Enforcement) Regulations 2006 require ‘No Smoking’ signage in enclosed public places.

Why Red?
Red is a universally recognised warning colour that commands immediate attention and is associated with urgency and danger.

Purpose:
Yellow or amber safety signs warn of hazards that could pose a risk to health and safety. These triangular signs feature black pictograms and borders on a yellow background.

Common Uses:

• ‘Caution: Slippery Floor,’ ‘Danger: High Voltage,’ ‘Warning: Forklift Trucks Operating.’
• Hazardous substances signage under The Dangerous Substances (Notification and Marking of Sites) Regulations 1990.

Regulatory Context:
Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002, employers must assess and control exposure to hazardous substances, with appropriate signage forming part of risk control measures.

Why Yellow?
Yellow is highly visible and psychologically linked to caution, ensuring rapid hazard recognition.

Purpose:
Green safety signs indicate safety-related information, such as emergency exits, first aid stations, and safe routes. They feature white pictograms and text on a green background.

Common Uses:

• Emergency exits and escape routes.
• First aid stations and defibrillators.
• Safety assembly points.

Regulatory Context:
Under The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers must ensure safe access and egress from buildings, with clear emergency signage forming part of a broader fire safety strategy.

Why Green?
Green is associated with safety, reassurance, and go-ahead signals, making it the ideal colour for emergency and first aid related signage.