Health and safetywarning signs

The Safety Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007 (Chapter 1 of Part 7: Safety Signs at Places of Work) apply to safety signs.

Safety signboards put in place after 1 November 2007 should not contain text. Text may be included on a supplementary signboard provided that it does not adversely affect the effectiveness of the safety signboard.

10safetysignsandtheir meanings

Employers must provide information to employees on the meaning and requirements of any signs used in the workplace, especially where text on supplementary signboards is used.

A signboard is a sign that provides information or instruction using a combination of shape, colour and symbols but excludes information in writing.

Health and safetysigns in the workplace

Safety signboards should not contain text. This is because the symbols or pictograms on a signboard are intended to be understood, independently of the language ability of the worker viewing it.

SiteSafetysigns

Where a signboard is already in place before 1 November 2007 and it meets all the requirements of Part 7 and Schedule 9 to the General Application Regulations 2007, except that it contains text, an employer may leave that signboard in place until 1 January 2011.

Constructionsafetysigns

Safety signs must be used whenever a hazard or danger can not be avoided adequately or reduced in another way.  Before installing safety signs an employer should examine whether the hazard can be avoided or reduced by collective precautions (precautions that protect everybody) or safer ways of doing the work.

A supplementary signboard (often with text) is used to give clarity to a signboard. A signboard and supplementary signboard can be located on one "carrier". A carrier could be a single sheet of metal, plywood, laminated plastic or other material as might be appropriate to a location.

Employers must provide information to employees on the meaning and requirements of any signs used in the workplace, especially where text on supplementary signboards is used.

A safety sign provides information about safety or health and can be a signboard, colour, acoustic signal, verbal communication, or hand signal.

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