Health and Safety Signage

Health and Safety Signage

Safety signage in the workplace is compulsory and essential. Safety signs give clear indications and decrease accidents at the workplace. Good signage warns workers and visitors about hazards and regulates safety behaviour throughout the workplace. Health and safety signage also provides emergency information while complying with specific regulations regarding design and usage.

There are seven main categories of safety signs;

1. Danger Signs
2. Warning Signs
3. Prohibition Signs
4. Mandatory Signs
5. Restriction Signs
6. Emergency Signs
7. Information Signs
8. Fire Signs

Emergency exit signs, fire safety signs, Road traffic regulations within the workplace, Prohibition signage are compulsory in the UK workplace. Each category has different design and symbol requirements according to the British Standards. You need to install health and safety signs in the warehouse to comply with the Health & Safety Regulations 1996.

Compulsory health and safety  signs in the UK workplace:

• Fire safety signs
• Emergency exit signs
• Road traffic regulations within the workplace
• Prohibition signage

We can categorise these vital safety signs as follows;

Prohibition, Warning, Mandatory and Emergency;

Prohibition Signs

This type of signage prohibits a behaviour to prevent any possible danger. Prohibition sign A sign prohibiting conduct likely to increase or cause danger (e.g. “No pedestrians”). Prohibition signs usually have “Do Not” commands. “No smoking sign” should be used to indicate that smoking is not allowed in a particular area. In the workplace, these signs used to reinforce instructions prohibiting dangerous behaviour.

Safety signs which are prohibiting an activity have a red circular band with a 45-degree diagonal line from left to right. The background of the sign should be solid white and the text indicating the nature of the command should be in black.

Safety signs which are warning of a danger or a hazard should be used to make employers or visitors aware of the dangers of the surrounding area. “Danger: Asbestos removal in progress.”
Caution signs should be used to make people aware of nearby dangers.
Health and safety signs in warning category are required by the Health & Safety (Safety Signs & Signals) Regulations 1996 and in some specific cases by the Dangerous Substances (Notification & Marking of Sites) Regulations 1990.
Warning signs has a black band in the shape of an equilateral triangle on a bright yellow background.