Safety Signs

Safety signs can be found in many areas of the workplace. They are put up in order to:

• Warn of any hazards
• Prevent accidents
• Inform where things are
• Tell you what to do in certain areas

Types of safety sign

There are many different safety signs, but each. Will usually fit into one of the four categories.

• Prohibition signs - these tell you that something must not be done. They always have a white background and a red circle with a red line through it.
• Mandatory signs - these tell you that something must be done. They are also circular but have a white symbol on a blue background.
• Warning signs - these signs are there to alert you to a specific hazard. They are triangular and have a yellow background and a black border.
• Information signs - these give you useful information such as the location of things (e.g. a first aid point). They can be square or rectangular and are green with a white symbol.

Most signs only have symbols that let you know what they are saying. Others have some words as well: for example, a no smoking sign might have a cigarette in a red circle, with a red line crossing through the cigarette and the words 'No smoking' underneath.