Health and Safety Signs and Meanings: A Comprehensive Guide

Health and Safety Signs and Meanings: A Comprehensive Guide

If you’re a business owner, under UK legislation, you have a number of duties that you must comply with so you can provide a safe workplace for employees, as well as protect passersby and other members of the public.

One of these legal requirements includes providing appropriate health and safety signage in your workplace. This is so you can highlight risks of harm to others and establish safe routes of escape in case of an emergency.

But just what health and safety signs do you need to display in your workplace, and where?

Read on to find out the health and safety signs and their meanings, how you should display them in your workplace, and the answers to other questions you have about this type of signage…

What is the purpose of safety signs and symbols?

Simply put, the purpose of health and safety signs and symbols are a way to communicate danger or ways to maintain safety in a certain location.

They’re easy to understand; using different colours and symbols to indicate different types of danger, so everyone can comprehend where and what the risk of harm is. This is especially useful in scenarios where a quick response is needed and urgent action needs to be taken.

What happens if you don’t display appropriate health and safety signage in your workplace?

If you don’t display the appropriate and required health and safety signs in your workplace, you and your business could face serious consequences, including:

• Increase in accidents: Without proper safety signage in your business, you won’t be able to highlight the risks of harm to others in your workplace, and accidents will likely increase. As a result, your staff and other members of the public could face injuries.
• Financial damage: Enforcement agencies such as the Health and Safety Executive might take action against any companies not meeting their legal compliance. This can lead to fines and even prosecution.
• Insurance issues: If you don’t provide a safe workplace and accidents occur, your insurance policy might not offer the coverage, as you’ve not met the terms and conditions of your agreement.

Are safety signs required by law in the UK?

Under the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, employers are required to remove, control, or mitigate the risk of harm (otherwise known as a hazard) in their workplace.

There is no need to provide safety signs if they don’t help reduce this risk, or if the risk isn’t that high. The main objective of displaying these signals is to ensure that safety is always upheld and people in the area are protected from harm.

What are the different types of health and safety signs?

Health and safety signage comes in all shapes, sizes, and colours – so it’s important you understand the meaning of each different type. Let’s explore the four you’ll likely encounter below:

Prohibition signs

Prohibition signs are a type of safety signage that advises individuals to not participate in a certain behaviour as it might increase the likelihood of harm occurring to them. They typically are shaped as a circle with a red outline and a cross through the middle, as below:

Where do you see this type of signage?

This type of signage is found in any workplace where a certain location or action could pose a risk of harm. For example, on a construction site, there may be a sign that indicates smoking is prohibited, as exposure to harsh chemicals could increase the chances of a fire.

Warning signs

As the name suggests, warning signs are indicators that provide individuals with a warning of a hazard or other related danger. They are typically triangular in their shape, with a black outline and yellow background, such as:

Where do you see this type of signage?

The purpose of these signs is to highlight potential danger, so they are usually placed within areas where hazards happen and can be difficult to remove (and can only be controlled). For example, you might see them on roads, public areas, and workplaces – e.g. when there’s a wet floor that has just been mopped and needs to dry.

Mandatory signs

Mandatory signs are a type of signage that are used to clearly instruct people what they can and cannot do in a specific location, or with a specific piece of equipment. In their appearance, they are mostly blue with white symbols, such as the below:

Where do you see this type of signage?

This type of signage can be seen anywhere from construction sites advising workers and onsite individuals to wear eye protection and PPE, or in public spaces to ensure people are aware of where there are designated smoking areas, or even hand sanitisation stations.

Safe conditions signs

Safe condition signs highlight information about emergency exits, escape routes, or other safety-related locations that are necessary for individuals to be aware of. Usually, these signs are green with white pictograms or text that offer clear guidance about safe routes of escape.

Where do you see this type of signage?

You’ll encounter safe conditions signs anywhere and everywhere, as safe escape routes in a building must always be highlighted. For example, the next time you’re in a shopping store, you will probably find a fire exit sign nearby. 

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What are the six hazard symbols?

There are six hazard symbols you might encounter when researching health and safety signage. These include:

Explosive

Any products or chemicals that have the potential to explode can cause a higher risk of harm to employees or passersby. For example, in severe circumstances, they can create explosions as indicated by the sign design.

Flammable

Flammable signage highlights when there are substances you could be exposed to, or are being used, that can ignite or catch on fire, creating a risk of danger.

Oxidising

Oxidising signage indicates that there are products or chemicals being used – or people can be exposed to – in a specific area that can react with others, releasing oxidising substances in the atmosphere. This can be dangerous as such chemicals can create fires and even explosions.

Corrosive

Chemicals that are corrosive and therefore can be harmful to skin and other objects are labelled as such by health and safety signage. Typically, when there’s use of these products are used in the workplace, PPE must be worn for increased levels of protection.

Acute toxicity

The acute toxicity symbol indicates that there’s a risk of exposure to toxicity. This could be through ingestion, inhalation, or absorption, so it’s important they are used correctly to avoid potential danger. These symbols typically have a skull and crossbones displayed with a red outline, such as:

Health hazard

Hazards that can create harm to your health will also be highlighted by a safety symbol. For example, this includes anything that can cause skin, respiratory, or eye irritation. This type of sign typically features an exclamation point and a red outline.

What do the colours on health and safety signs indicate?

Health and safety signs feature certain colours to signify different actions you might need to take. Let’s explore what the colours used on these signs refer to:

Red

Red signs are used to highlight any potential danger – and typically instruct users what they are prohibited from doing. For example, ‘stop’ and ‘no entry’ signs are usually red to emphasise the behaviour that should be taken.

Yellow/amber

Yellow/amber signs convey potential hazards that people need to be aware of as they could encounter them through the route they are taking. For example, ‘caution’ and ‘beware’ signs are typically in yellow.

Green

Green signs give those viewing them permission to take a certain action. For example, they might highlight a certain escape route for people to take in the instance of a fire occurring.

Blue

Blue signs are mandatory signs, highlighting that individuals who see them must partake in a certain behaviour before proceeding. For example, they are used on construction sites to advise workers to wear PPE.

What other types of health and safety signage can I encounter?

Health and safety signs aren’t the only warnings you can display in your workplace. You can also use the below:

Floor markers

Floor markers are visual signs that are located on the floor as a way of guiding footfall to a specific location. Typically, they highlight routes to safety and can include arrows, hazardous symbols, or colour-coded areas. They’re frequently used in warehouses, factories, hospitals – and any large-scale location where there are plenty of objects/equipment/people. Or they might simply be used as a means of communicating danger when a wall sign isn’t appropriate.

Illuminated signs

Illuminated signs are LED displays that provide important health and safety information, but thanks to their illumination, they’re even more visible. They are most commonly used in fire exits, fire equipment, or to highlight restricted areas.

Acoustic warning signals

Acoustic warning signals are alerts people can hear to warn them of danger or potential hazards. The most common acoustic warning signals are alarms, sirens, or beeping sounds. For example, if you are inside a building and the fire alarm goes off, it indicates that there is a risk of fire and you need to escape immediately.

Create a safer workplace, buy safety signage from Elite Sign Solutions today

Navigating health and safety compliance can be a minefield, but you can make it easy with signage from Elite Sign Solutions. Our experts take time to understand your needs, advising you on the best options to ensure we provide a solution you’re happy with.

A safer workplace isn’t just a legal requirement, it’s necessary to promote wellbeing amongst your staff, as well as protect them from potential harm. Meet your legal compliance and ensure your workplace upholds the highest safety standards by getting in touch with Elite Sign Solutions today.

Health and Safety Signs: FAQs