Safety Services Guidance

The use of safety signs

Key word(s) :

Safety signs, hand signals, acoustic signals, verbal

communication BS ISO 3864

Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................2
What signs are required?........................................................................................2
Using safety signs..................................................................................................3
Signage Suppliers..................................................................................................4
References............................................................................................................4
Document control box............................................................................................5
Appendix 1 Safety signs and their meanings...........................................................6
Appendix 2 Room signage template.......................................................................7

Management cycle
Plan
Do
Monitor
Review

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Useful paragraphs
1-16
8-16
14
14

Introduction
1. Safety signs should be used where there is a significant risk that can't be avoided
or controlled in any other way, such as through safe systems of work or
engineering controls.
2. They are displayed to remind people of the specific actions required to reduce the
risk of harm by providing informing about what you must, or must not do, giving
directions, or providing advice about safe conditions.
3. There is no need to provide safety signs if they do not help reduce the risk or if
the risk is insignificant. The need to display or use them should be determined
during the risk assessment process.
4. Regulations1 require that specific shapes, colours and pictorial symbols are used
on signs to convey the correct safety messages and avoid the risk of
misunderstanding. Examples are given in Appendix 1.
5. In addition to traditional safety signs the Regulations cover other means of
communicating health and safety information such as hand signals, acoustic
signals and verbal communication. These should be used as described in the
Guidance on the Regulations at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l64.pdf
Note: University staff are not required or sufficiently trained to provide hand
signals to aid delivery drivers on campus. Should this be needed the company
must be notified in advance so that they can provide the assistance required.
6. First aid and fire safety signs e.g. exit signs, also come within the scope of the
Regulations
7. Standard traffic signs will be used to regulate vehicles on roads within University
sites.
What signs are required?
8. Safety Signs meeting the requirements of the British Standards (BS) (see below)
must be used. If a sign is required for an application not illustrated in the BS it
must be designed to conform to the general principles of the standard
9. At dangerous locations (e.g. where people may slip, fall from heights, or where
there is low headroom) and traffic routes there may be a need to display signs to
meet the requirements of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations
1992,
1

The Health & Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 (as amended), 2 nd Edition 2009.

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10. Stores and areas containing significant quantities of dangerous substances must
be identified by an appropriate warning sign.
11. Health and safety information should be provided at the entrance to laboratories
and workshops which identifies the main hazards within. A template that can be
modified for use is provided in Appendix 2
12. This sign may be displayed in a Perspex holder, laminated or left plain as desired
and displayed near the area to which the information applies and not obscured by,
for example, an open door. Signs (of any type) must not obscure a vision panel in
a door.
13. The Regulations require pipework containing dangerous substances to be marked,
for example by identifying and marking pipework at sampling and discharge
points using triangular-shaped warning signs of the symbols or pictograms on the
containers of the same substance.
Using safety signs
14. Where signs are required, ensure:

they are sufficiently large and clear, durable, securely fastened so they remain
visible

they are at a suitable height and in the line of sight, either at the entry to an
area of general hazard, or in the immediate vicinity of a specific hazard

where hearing or sight is impaired (e.g. noisy environment, wearing personal

protective equipment), additional measures are provided to ensure a warning
sign is effective (e.g. increase volume or brilliance, provide audible and visible
warnings)

all signs are properly maintained (e.g. cleaned, tested for audibility or visibility)
so they perform as intended

signs (including information notices) are not placed too close together so as to
cause confusion or important information is overlooked

where circumstances change and signage is no longer necessary (i.e. if the

hazard no longer exists), ensure signs are removed so that misleading
information is not displayed.

where necessary, explanation of meaning and action needed is given to people

Signage Suppliers
15. Reputable suppliers of safety signs provide standard and bespoke signs in
accordance with the Regulations. Local suppliers include, but are not limited to:

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ARCO, Trafford Park Tel 0161 869 5807; http://www.arco.co.uk

Safetyshop, Stockport Tel 0800 132323; http://www.safetyshop.com
Green Brothers Signs Ltd, Tel 0161 741 7270; http://www.greensigns.co.uk/
16. In some circumstances, it may be useful for Schools to print their own signs e.g.
when using the template to produce local signage. School Safety Advisors have
access to a range of safety sign images via their University Safety Coordinator
and SafetyNET.
References
Safety signs and signals The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals)
Guidance on Regulations, L64, HSE Publications, ISBN 0 7176 6359 0
The British Standards are available from the OHSIS electronic resource in the Library
http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/searchresources/databases/o/
BS ISO 3864-1:2011 Graphical symbols Safety colours and safety signs Part 1: Design
principles for safety signs and safety markings
BS ISO 3864-3:2012 Graphical symbols Safety colours and safety signs Part 3: Design
principles for graphical symbols for use in safety signs
BS ISO 3864-4:2011 Graphical symbols Safety colours and safety signs Part 4:
Colorimetric and photometric properties of safety sign materials
BS EN ISO 7010:2012 Graphical symbols Safety colours and safety signs
Registered safety signs (ISO 7010:2011)

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Document control box

Title
Link to Policy or
Chapter
Date issued:
Issued by:
Implementation
date:
Version:
Next review date:
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document:
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The use of safety signs

University Health & Safety Arrangements
Chapter 9 Health & Safety Risk Management & Risk Assessments
key principles
March 2015
Safety Services
March 2015
2.0
v1.1 issued Jan 2009
upon significant change
Head of Safety Services, Dr Melanie Taylor
Catherine Davidge, University Safety Co-ordinator

Appendix 1 Safety signs and their meanings

Colour/Shape

Meaning
Prohibition
sign:

Red circle & diagonal

on white background

YOU MUST
NOT

Warning
sign:
Black symbol and
border on yellow
background

CAUTION

Instruction
Do not carry
out this
action - it is
likely to
increase or
cause
danger.

Examples

Gives
warning of a
specific
hazard or
danger.
Flammable materials

Mandatory
Sign
White symbol on blue
background

YOU MUST
DO

Information
White symbol on
green background

White symbol on red

background

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Firefighting
information

Specific
action or
behaviour
must be
undertaken
Shows the
way to safe
conditions
or service
provision

Identifies
and locates
firefighting
equipment

Appendix 2 Room signage template

To use: delete this text and insert name of Room/Facility in this box

To use:
Delete this text.

Insert pictograms in these boxes as required

ensuring they fill the box

Extra rows/columns can be added if required

but ensure pictograms remain legible

Print on colour printer

Display as per information in University

Guidance on the use of Safety Signs

Contacts
For advice or
entry
In emergency

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Name

Room No

Office Tel No

Other No