The importance of safety and danger signs in the workplace

Proper use of safety signage is a mandatory requirement for all businesses, commercial organizations, and publicly accessible buildings. Legislation exists to enforce the proper use of these signs. Enforcement of this legislation falls under the purview of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The content of health and safety signs is divided into the following categories.

1. Prohibition.

A predominantly red and white safety sign denoting that a certain behavior or activity is prohibited. “No Smoking” and “No Access” are common examples.

2. Danger.

A yellow warning triangle with a black border indicates all potential hazards. Signs can be generic and simply state “Danger” or they can be more specific, such as “Caution Slippery Surface” or “Danger High Voltage.” The symbol inside the triangle varies depending on the hazard. An exclamation point denotes a general hazard, while a lightning bolt denotes an electrical hazard.

3. Mandatory.

A blue and white sign indicates that a certain action must be taken. By far the most common use is to indicate that certain types of protective equipment must be worn or worn. “Hard hats”, “safety shoes”, “high visibility clothing” and “eye protection” are essential in almost all areas of industry and construction.

4.Fire fighting equipment.

A red and white sign is used to indicate all fire fighting equipment such as fire extinguishers, alarm call points and fire hoses. Fire extinguisher signs are additionally coded to indicate type and proper use. For example, CO2 (black) means safe for use on electrical fires, but should not be used in a confined space.

5.Safe condition.

A green and white sign denoting safe conditions. These are efficiently used to inform people of escape routes and escape procedures. The normal style is wording such as “Fire Exit” or “Exit” along with a running man symbol and a directional arrow. Other common uses are for “assembly point” and “push-to-open bar”.

All of these signs are typically available in a selection of materials. Self-adhesive vinyl, rigid plastic, dibond and aluminum are the most common materials. Self-adhesive vinyl is for internal use and should only be applied to smooth, flat surfaces. Rigid plastic can be used externally but is efficient for internal use. These can be fixed with suitable double-sided tape or can be pre-drilled for fixing with screws. Dibond and aluminum are more suitable for external use and have the appropriate fire resistance ratings for signage in high-risk areas such as gas cylinder or chemical warehouses. For buildings without emergency lighting, the use of photoluminous signs is essential, particularly for marking fire exits and fire fighting equipment. This is also available in all of the above materials but is only suitable for indoor use, most commonly self-adhesive vinyl and rigid plastic.

The size of the sign required is determined by the viewing distance of the sign. For example, as a rough guide, signs visible up to 10 meters should be 300mm x 100mm, up to 20 meters 600mm x 200mm and up to 40m 1200mm x 400mm.

There are many British Standards governing the design of signs, but with particular reference to ‘Emergency Exit’ and ‘Fire Fighting Equipment’ signs, BS5499 or 92/58/EEC must be used.

Sign purchasers should also be aware of their responsibilities under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), where it may be appropriate to provide signs in “tactile” or “Braille” formats.

In short, signs are an essential part of any business and advice should be sought to determine what is required in terms of content, size and material.