Safety Services Guidance

The use of safety signs

Key word(s) : Safety signs, hand signals, acoustic signals, verbal communication BS ISO 3864

Contents

Introduction.......................................................................................................................2

What signs are required?...................................................................................................2

Using safety signs..............................................................................................................3

Signage Suppliers..............................................................................................................4

References.........................................................................................................................4

Document control box........................................................................................................5

Appendix 1 – Safety signs and their meanings...................................................................6

Appendix 2 – Room signage template................................................................................7

Management cycle Useful paragraphsPlan 1-16Do 8-16Monitor 14Review 14

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Introduction

1. Safety signs should be used where there is a significant risk that can't be avoided or controlled in any other way, such as through safe systems of work or engineering controls.

2. They are displayed to remind people of the specific actions required to reduce the risk of harm by providing informing about what you must, or must not do, giving directions, or providing advice about safe conditions.

3. There is no need to provide safety signs if they do not help reduce the risk or if the risk is insignificant. The need to display or use them should be determined during the risk assessment process.

4. Regulations1 require that specific shapes, colours and pictorial symbols are used on signs to convey the correct safety messages and avoid the risk of misunderstanding. Examples are given in Appendix 1.

5. In addition to traditional safety signs the Regulations cover other means of communicating health and safety information such as hand signals, acoustic signals and verbal communication. These should be used as described in the Guidance on the Regulations at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l64.pdf

Note: University staff are not required or sufficiently trained to provide hand signals to aid delivery drivers on campus. Should this be needed the company must be notified in advance so that they can provide the assistance required.

6. First aid and fire safety signs e.g. exit signs, also come within the scope of the Regulations

7. Standard traffic signs will be used to regulate vehicles on roads within University sites.

What signs are required?

8. Safety Signs meeting the requirements of the British Standards (BS) (see below) must be used. If a sign is required for an application not illustrated in the BS it must be designed to conform to the general principles of the standard

9. At dangerous locations (e.g. where people may slip, fall from heights, or where there is low headroom) and traffic routes there may be a need to display signs to meet the requirements of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992,

1 The Health & Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 (as amended), 2nd Edition 2009.

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10. Stores and areas containing significant quantities of dangerous substances must be identified by an appropriate warning sign.

11. Health and safety information should be provided at the entrance to laboratories and workshops which identifies the main hazards within. A template that can be modified for use is provided in Appendix 2

12. This sign may be displayed in a Perspex holder, laminated or left plain as desired and displayed near the area to which the information applies and not obscured by, for example, an open door. Signs (of any type) must not obscure a vision panel in a door.

13. The Regulations require pipework containing dangerous substances to be marked, for example by identifying and marking pipework at sampling and discharge points using triangular-shaped warning signs of the symbols or pictograms on the containers of the same substance.

Using safety signs

14. Where signs are required, ensure:

they are sufficiently large and clear, durable, securely fastened so they remain visible

they are at a suitable height and in the line of sight, either at the entry to an area of general hazard, or in the immediate vicinity of a specific hazard

where hearing or sight is impaired (e.g. noisy environment, wearing personal protective equipment), additional measures are provided to ensure a warning sign is effective (e.g. increase volume or brilliance, provide audible and visible warnings)

all signs are properly maintained (e.g. cleaned, tested for audibility or visibility) so they perform as intended

signs (including information notices) are not placed too close together so as to cause confusion or important information is overlooked

where circumstances change and signage is no longer necessary (i.e. if the hazard no longer exists), ensure signs are removed so that misleading information is not displayed.

where necessary, explanation of meaning and action needed is given to people

Signage Suppliers

15. Reputable suppliers of safety signs provide standard and bespoke signs in accordance with the Regulations. Local suppliers include, but are not limited to:

ARCO, Trafford Park Tel 0161 869 5807; http://www.arco.co.uk

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Safetyshop, Stockport Tel 0800 132323; http://www.safetyshop.com

Green Brothers Signs Ltd, Tel 0161 741 7270; http://www.greensigns.co.uk/

16. In some circumstances, it may be useful for Schools to print their own signs e.g. when using the template to produce local signage. School Safety Advisors have access to a range of safety sign images via their University Safety Coordinator and SafetyNET.

References

Safety signs and signals The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals)Guidance on Regulations , L64, HSE Publications, ISBN 0 7176 6359 0

The British Standards are available from the OHSIS electronic resource in the Library http://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/searchresources/databases/o/

BS ISO 3864-1:2011 Graphical symbols — Safety colours and safety signs Part 1: Design principles for safety signs and safety markings

BS ISO 3864-3:2012 Graphical symbols — Safety colours and safety signs Part 3: Design principles for graphical symbols for use in safety signs

BS ISO 3864-4:2011 Graphical symbols — Safety colours and safety signs Part 4: Colorimetric and photometric properties of safety sign materials

BS EN ISO 7010:2012 Graphical symbols — Safety colours and safety signs — Registered safety signs (ISO 7010:2011)

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Document control box

Title The use of safety signs

Link to Policy or Chapter

University Health & Safety ArrangementsChapter 9 Health & Safety Risk Management & Risk Assessments – key principles

Date issued: March 2015

Issued by: Safety Services

Implementation date:

March 2015

Version: 2.0 v1.1 issued Jan 2009

Next review date: upon significant change

Owner of this document:

Head of Safety Services, Dr Melanie Taylor

Lead contact: Catherine Davidge, University Safety Co-ordinator

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Flammable materials

Appendix 1 – Safety signs and their meanings

Colour/Shape Meaning Instruction Examples

Red circle & diagonal on white background

Prohibition sign:

YOU MUST NOT

Do not carry out this

action - it is likely to

increase or cause

danger.

Black symbol and border on yellow

background

Warning sign:

CAUTION

Gives warning of a

specific hazard or danger.

White symbol on blue background

MandatorySign

YOU MUST DO

Specific action or behaviour must be

undertaken

White symbol on green background

Information

Shows the way to ‘safe conditions’ or service provision

White symbol on red background

Firefighting information

Identifies and locates firefighting equipment

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Appendix 2 – Room signage template

To use: delete this text and insert name of Room/Facility in this box

To use: Delete this text. Insert pictograms in these boxes as

required ensuring they fill the box Extra rows/columns can be added if

required but ensure pictograms remain legible

Print on colour printer Display as per information in

University Guidance on the use of Safety Signs

Contacts Name Room No Office Tel No Other No

For advice or entry

In emergency

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