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The Office Safety Company

The Health & Safety Group

Safety Signs

Investing in signs around the workplace could save you lots of money in accident claims in the future. The Summary of the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 states:

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 requires employers to use a safety sign where there is a significant risk to health and safety that has not been avoided or controlled by the methods required under other relevant law, provided the use of a sign can help reduce the risk. Safety signs are not a substitute for those other methods of controlling risks such as engineering controls and safe systems of work.

This table summarizes the different kinds of signs you may require and gives explanation of their meaning:

Example	Category	Meaning	Shape/Colours	Usage
More info/purchase	Safe Procedure	SAFE emergency escape route or first aid	Square or oblong. White symbol or symbol and text on a green background.	To show the way to medical assistance To show the way to an area of safety To indicate that a course of action is safe to take
More info/purchase	Mandatory	YOU MUST	Circular. White symbol or symbol and text on a blue background.	To convey actions that must be carried out To confirm emergency procedures in the event of fire.
More info/purchase	Fire Equipment	FIRE Fire Fighting	Square or oblong. White symbol or symbol and text on a red background.	To indicate the location of fire equipment To comply with The Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations, which require any non- automatic fire fighting equipment to be indicated by signs
More info/purchase	Warning	BE CAREFUL Warning	Triangular. Black symbol or symbol and text on a yellow background surrounded by a black triangular band.	To warn your staff of the potential dangers they face in and around the workplace
More info/purchase	Prohibition	DO NOT Danger, alarm	Circular with cross band. Black symbol on a white background, inside a red circle with a red cross bar.	To convey prohibited actions To reduce the risk of fire To prevent personal injury
More info/purchase	Supplementary	Supplementary information	Square or oblong. Black text on white background or the safety colour of the the safety sign that is supplemented, with text in the relevant contrasting colour.	To provide further information

Safe Use of Signs

The Code of Practice for escape route signing states:

1. That a fire exit/exit sign with an arrow should be used where the escape route from a building is not conspicuous or confusion could occur.
2. All changes in direction in corridors, stairways and open spaces forming part of the escape route should be marked with additional signs.