Safety Signs

All businesses should display safety signs, whether they are exit signs, caution signs or industrial safety signs. Obviously each industry will dictate what sign is suitable and some businesses will need more safety signs than others.

Most requirements are covered by the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996. This requires signs wherever a risk has not been controlled by other means; an example would be if a wet area of floor was cordoned off warning signs would not be needed because the barrier would prevent people from entering the area, basically signs would not be needed where the risk is insignificant.

Key areas where signs would be needed would include catering premises due to food hygiene law and any work areas which include the handling or storage of hazardous substances, chemicals, gases or any other products which can be hazardous to health. Other hazards would include physical obstructions, and old buildings with industrial areas like foundries etc. Even new offices need exit signs, hot water signs, electrical signs; the list is endless, but in most cases vital to our safety.

Using the correct signs in the right places will help ensure a safe evacuation of staff in the event of a fire. Luminescent escape route signs can allow people to escape quickly and safely in the dark.

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 bring into force the EC Safety Signs Directive (92/58/EEC) on the use and provision of safety signs in the work place.

The purpose of the Directive is to encourage the standardisation of safety signs throughout all of the member states of the European Union. This will help all countries easily identify and understand safety signs wherever they are seen.

The Regulations cover various means of communicating health and safety information. These include the use of illuminated signs, hand and acoustic signals for example fire alarms, spoken communication and the marking of pipe work containing dangerous substances. These are in addition to traditional signboards such as prohibition and warning signs. Also covered are fire safety signs, fire exits and fire-fighting equipment.

See also:

• first aid equipment
• health and safety signs
• industrial safety supplies
• health safety at work
• first aid kit contents

Disclaimer: Business Health & Safety UK have provided this advice on the basis that the content and advice contained within these documents is to the best of our knowledge accurate at the time of publication. The Business Safety Company does not accept any liability for the accuracy of the information provided in the above' and website pages.