Task A8: Health & Safety Sign Categories
Safety Sign Categories
The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations give the colours and shapes for all safety signs.
Safety Signs is to prevent injury and ensure staff and visitors are well aware of the possible dangers and hazards ahead in certain situations and/or environments.
Employers must ensure that employees understand what the signs and signal mean.
You will need a basic understanding of:
How to recognise and be aware of the importance of:
Prohibition signs.
Warning signs.
Mandatory signs.
Safe condition signs.
The meaning of the common safety signs found on site.
What you must do to comply with these signs and signals.
How is the Safety Sign made up
The symbols have been agreed globally to ensure all safety signs are consistent and clarity that is understandable across different languages, cultures or settings.
You will notice that all of the safety signs have no words and the symbol takes no more than 50% of the area of design.
Safety Signs are Made Up
Prohibition Sign
Do Not Run
A Red Circular band with a diagonal crossbar on a white background, the symbol within the circle to be black.
Tells you that you must not do something.
A Yellow Triangle with a black border and symbol within the yellow area.
Warns you of something dangerous.
Warning Sign
Warning Flammable
Mandatory Sign
Head Protection
A Blue Circle
Tells you that you must do something.
A Green Rectangle
Gives you information about safe conditions.
Safe Condition Sign
Emergency Exit
How far away should safety signs be from the hazard?
Signs should be placed safely and close to the hazard as possible, the words “Danger,” “Caution,” should be readable from at least five feet away.
The illustration below provides guidance on minimum sizes, to ensure readability for your employees or visitors with visual impairments the size may have to be increased.
Size & Position of Safety Signs
Additional learning resources for this unit can be found on the following links
Task A1: Health & Safety In Construction.
Task A2: The role of the Health & Safety Executive.
Task A3: Health & Safety Regulations.
Task A4: Responsibility for Health & Safety.
Task A6: Health & Safety Risks In Construction.
Task A10: Global Harmonized System Level 1.
