INTRODUCTION
The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 require employers to provide and maintain safety signs where there is significant risk to health and safety that has not been avoided or controlled by other means (e.g. safe systems of work) provided that the use of a sign can help reduce the risk. All workplaces and activities where people are employed are covered (with exceptions relating to the transport and supply & marketing of dangerous substances, products and equipment). They also require, where necessary, the use of road traffic signs in workplaces to regulate road traffic. A new requirement of the regulations is to mark pipe work containing dangerous substances. Employers must also ensure that all employees receive appropriate information, instruction and training regarding safety signs. Although most signs are self-explanatory, some employees (particularly young or new workers) may be unfamiliar with the signs used.
SO WHAT IS A SAFETY SIGN?
A safety and/or health sign is 'information or instruction about health and safety at work on a signboard, a colour, an illuminated sign or acoustic signal, a verbal communication or hand signal.' These terms are all detailed in guidance to the regulations. A signboard is a combination of shape, colour and symbol or pictogram made visible by adequate lighting and which may have supplementary text. Signboards, including fire safety signs, are designed as follows:
| Colour | Meaning or Purpose | Instruction & Information | Intrinsic Features |
| RED | Prohibition/Danger alarm | Dangerous behaviour; stop; shutdown; emergency cut-out devices; evacuate | Round shape; black pictogram on white background; red edging and diagonal line; red part to be at least 35% of the area of the sign |
| YELLOW or AMBER | Warning | Be careful; take precautions; examine | Triangular shape; black pictogram on yellow background with black edging; yellow part to be at least 50% of the area of the sign |
| BLUE | Mandatory | Specific behaviour or action e.g. wear personal protective equipment | Round shape; white pictogram on blue background; blue part to be at least 50% of the area of the sign |
| GREEN | Emergency escape; first aid. No danger |
Doors; exits; escape routes equipment and facilities Return to normal | Rectangular or square shape; white pictogram on green background; green part to be at least 50% of the area of the sign |
| RED (fire fighting signs) | Fire fighting equipment | Identification & location | Rectangular or square shape; white pictogram on red background; red part to be at least 50% of the area of the sign |
Where the marking of dangerous locations is deemed necessary (e.g. highlighting the edge of a raised platform or area or restricted heights) yellow & black or red & white stripes may be used.
Traffic routes should take the form of continuous lines, preferably yellow or white.
Guidance on other forms of safety signs (illuminated signs, accoustic signals, hand signals and verbal signals) is given in the guidance booklet L64 'Safety signs and signals' (see References/Further Details section)
Advice on fire safety signs can be obtained from your local fire authority. In general, where signs comply with the appropriate current standard (BS 5499) they will not require changes for the
Regulations.
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