Know Your Health & Safety Signs
It is important that you and your staff are knowledgeable of the various safety signs that can be found around the workplace. By being able to act safely and follow safety precautions in a building, the risk of harm can be significantly reduced.
These are prohibition safety signs, either circular with a cross through the middle, or a black symbol behind a red circle with a red band through it. Used to state what actions are prohibited. |
If the symbol is of a cigarette, it means smoking is banned on the premises |
If the image is of an outstretched hand, it means only authorised personnel are allowed to access this particular area |
If the sign has a mobile phone symbol in it, the use of mobile phones is prohibited |
A blue circle with a white symbol in the middle, these signs state rules that must be obeyed, such as “safety harness must be worn”. |
A blue sign with a white outline of a head wearing ear protection means ear protection is mandatory |
If the symbol depicts someone wearing a safety harness, then a safety harness must be worn |
An image of a work vest means that high visibility clothing is a necessity |
A yellow triangle with a black symbol and text or a standalone black symbol in the middle, these signs are used to warn of potential danger. |
An image of a cylinder emitting waves means that non-ionising radiation is present |
A symbol of a person tripping over means that trip hazards are present on site |
If the yellow triangle contains a snowflake symbol, then low temperatures are present |
A green square with a white symbol or white symbol and text in the middle is a safety sign, used to verify that certain actions are safe or to point people in the direction of a safe area. |
A small rectangular with a symbol of a tap on, usually situated above a sink, means the water is safe to drink. Sometimes the phrase ‘drinking water’ will be on the sign itself |
A white cross in the middle of the sign means it is a first aid station |
An image of a person running towards a white rectangle is the sign that the door above which the sign is located is a fire exit. |
A red square with a white symbol or white symbol and text in the middle is a fire sign. These indicate where fire fighting equipment is located and what type of equipment it is. |
A fire extinguisher and some flames signifies where you can find a fire extinguisher. These signs should also state what type of extinguisher it is (foam, water, CO2, etc) |
A small white rectangle within a red rectangle, depicting a row of several red cylinders indicates a fixed CO2 installation |
An image of a coiled hose and wheel signifies the location of the building’s fire hose |
