Safety Signage in your workplace should be especially designed to suit your work place and the hazards that go along with it. It is a necessity that organization provide safety signs to warn people of possible risks.
Safety signs are used to communicate information on hazards, to keep people away from dangerous places, the need for using protective gear/personal protective clothing, to locate emergency facilities, how to fight fire incase of emergency, availability of disable facilities and other many things.
Health and safety signs and their meanings
Red Signs (Prohibition)
When the red color is used in safety sign, it is usually prohibitory sign which aims to draw the attention of people to dangerous situation nearby or one that may arise through their actions. Prohibitory signs are usually round in shape and feature a thick red edge with diagonal line through a black and white picture, depicting a prohibited behavior.
Examples of prohibitive signs;
- No smoking
- No naked flames no pedestrians
- No unauthorized access
- Do not enter
- No children allowed
Blue signs (Mandatory actions)
Blue safety signs are known as mandatory signs, which demonstrate that a specific behavior must be undertaken before proceeding. Mandatory safety signs are circular in shape and are made out of 50% blue background with white pictogram displaying the instructions
Examples of mandatory signs
- Approved personal protective equipments must be worn
- Keep clear
- High visibility clothing must be worn in this area
- Wear face mask
- Protective foot wear must be worn
- Safety helmet must be worn on this site
- Fire action notice
- Fire escape keep clear
Green Signs ( Positive action)
Green safety signs provide information to the reader which highlights safety. These signs are rectangular or square in shape with white imagery on green background clearly showing the direction a person needs to move in or the safety facilities location.
Examples of safety sings
- Fire escape routes
- First aid areas
- Emergency doors
- First aid call point
- Emergency stop
- Assembly points
- Emergency shower
Yellow or Amber signs (Caution)
Yellow or amber safety sign depicts warning, which alerts the people to take precaution in the environment. Warning sign is triangular in shape, over 50% of the sign must be yellow/amber with thick black edge and a clear pictogram of the hazard, often referred to as hazard signs.
Examples of Hazard
- Slippery floor when wet
- Fragile roof
- Low head room
- Danger high voltage
- Flammable gas
- Flammable liquid
- Radiation hazard
- Poison
In the work place, it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that all members of staff understand the meaning of all safety signage displayed within their facilities even if the sign’s message appears to be self- explanatory.
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