We break down the meanings of 6 health and safety signs
When was the last time you reviewed the health and safety signage in your workplace? As an employer or business owner, you have a legal responsibility for the health and safety of your staff and customers under Australian law.
We’re here to help if you need to update, refresh, or improve your work health and safety signage.
Shop safety signs in the workplace online with Signsmart
There is a large range of standardised safety signs in Australia.
Whether you need to protect your staff from chemicals, high traffic areas, manufacturing equipment, logistic routes, construction sites, or electrical hazards, Signsmart is here to help make your workplace safer! Shop online now.
What are six types of health and safety signs?
Safety is the top priority in all workplaces, no matter what industry you’re in. Clear signage is an important part of your work health and safety plan to protect your staff, guests and customers. There are six main types of safety signs in the workplace you need to know about.
What are the safety signs and their meanings?
1) Work health and safety signs
Keep your people safe from accidental injuries with work health and safety signs. Good signage covers all the bases, whether you need to alert people to the dangers of chemicals, harmful substances, moving vehicles, or dangerous environments, safety signs highlight the risks, where they are, and how to avoid them.
2) Mandatory signs
Mandatory signs are slightly different to work health and safety signs (which are instructional).
As the name suggests, you must follow the instructions found on mandatory signs, for example, personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements or road traffic rules.
These instructions must be followed, and if safety signs are missing or outdated, this may lead to serious injury.
3) Prohibition signs
While every workplace has its risks, some environments require extra caution.
Prohibition signs let your staff know what to do – or rather, what not to do. For example, No Smoking or No Entry signs prohibit a certain behaviour or action.
4) Warning and caution signs
Warning signs bring attention to a specific hazard.
For example, extreme substances, environments with extreme temperatures, or workplaces that are dangerous like warehouses and laboratories, the warning and caution signs are there to remind everyone to be safe. They indicate the risks and give clear instructions everyone needs to follow to stay safe.
Warning and caution signs need to be clearly visible at all times.
5) Danger signs
Danger signage may be the most important in your workplace. While other signage gives instructions or highlights certain protocols, a danger to life sign can literally save someone’s life. Danger signs are there to prevent loss of life.
6) Covid safety signs
Since the pandemic, most workplaces, public spaces and social spaces require Covid safety signage.
By now, you’ll be familiar with these and the associated QR codes too. The instructional messaging on Covid safety signs reminds everyone of the rules regarding mask wearing in public spaces, social distancing, and hand washing techniques.
What do the four colours on safety signs mean?
Safety signs are required by law to convey threats to life, dangers, hazards and also give workers instructions on how to stay safe at work.
Safety signs are coded by different colours which are standardised according to health and safety sign regulations.
It can be helpful to think about the way we already associate colours to mean different things.
For example, even as children, we know red means stop, yellow means caution, and green means go. Similarly to traffic signals, work health and safety signage uses existing psychological colour association to help our brains quickly recognise the meaning.
Mandatory signs are blue
Mandatory signs are usually blue. The blue mandatory signs give instructions that must be followed.
Mandatory signs give your workers clear instructions, in the form of a white image with a blue background. For example on construction sites, mandatory signs remind workers what PPE is necessary in certain areas.
Danger signs are red
Danger signs are almost always red and circular. The red signage catches your attention to help everyone know to stop, take a moment and assess the situation, understand the risk, and take proper precautions.
Caution signs are yellow
Caution signs are there to highlight the danger clearly so your workers are extra vigilant and proceed with caution.
For example, chemical symbols or toxic symbols – they indicate trip hazards, or danger of injury or death. Yellow is a very eye-catching colour and we associate this with a hazard; these signs remind us to take care.
Emergency signs are green
Generally, we understand that green is associated with go.
Emergency signs are green, and they can quickly convert information or instructions designed to keep us safe.
They help create clear paths towards exits, emergency escape, or first aid points. For example, green fire exit signs help people quickly recognise a safe route to follow in the event of an emergency.
For a full guide on safety sign colours and their meanings, view our infographic here.
If you need help updating your workplace safety signs and symbols, shop online with Signsmart today to ensure you’re keeping your staff, visitors and customers safe at all times.
Got something bespoke in mind? We can also create custom safety signs to meet your workplace or site’s unique needs.
