3. SAFETY SIGNS AND SYMBOLS ARE IMPORTANT SAFETY COMMUNICATING
TOOLS, THEY HELP TO INDICATE VARIOUS HAZARDS THAT PRESENT IN
PLANT SITE OR WORKPLACE. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY WARN WORKERS
TO ALWAYS KEEP WATCHING OUT FOR THOSE HAZARDS BY GIVING
REQUIRED INFORMATION AND SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS.
SAFETY SIGNS AND SYMBOLS DO NOT ONLY INFORM THE PRESENCE OF
HAZARDS, BUT ALSO HELP CREATE WORKERS’ SAFETY AWARENESS. IT IS
VERY IMPORTANT IN REDUCING ACCIDENTS IN THE WORKPLACE MORE
OBVIOUSLY IN MANUFACTURING, HEAVY INDUSTRY AND ON
CONSTRUCTION SITES BUT ALSO IMPORTANT IN OFFICE BASED
ENVIRONMENTS TOO.
4. TO GET THE MOST OUT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY SIGNS AND
SYMBOLS, YOU SHOULD CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONES FOR EACH
WORK LOCATION ON YOUR PREMISES. EACH WORK AREA NEEDS
DIFFERENT WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY SIGNS AND
SYMBOLS. THIS IS BECAUSE EACH WORK AREA HAS DIFFERENT
TYPES OF HAZARDS. A RISK ASSESSMENT OF EACH ACTIVITY OR
DESIGNATED AREA WILL HELP IDENTIFY HAZARDS. APPROPRIATE
ACTIONS FOR ENSURING SAFETY CAN THEN BE DRAWN UP AND
SELECTING THE APPROPRIATE SAFETY SIGNS CAN THEN BE
SELECTED. WHERE POSSIBLE SAFETY SIGNS SHOWN BE CHANGED
(AT LEAST THEIR LOCATION) TO KEEP THE SAFETY MESSAGE FRESH
AND TO AVOID “SIGN BLINDNESS”.
5. SAFETY SIGNS AND SYMBOLS STANDARDS
• SAFETY SIGNS AND SYMBOLS CONSIST OF MESSAGES, WORDS AND
PICTORIAL SYMBOL WITH VARIETY OF SIZES, SHAPES AND COLORS.
ALL THE SHAPES AND COLORS ARE STANDARDIZED. EACH SHAPE
HAS DIFFERENT MEANING AND EACH COLOR REFLECTS SPECIFIC
MEANING.
• USING STANDARDIZED HEALTH AND SAFETY SIGNS AND SYMBOLS
WILL MAKE THEM UNDERSTANDABLE AND OVERCOME LANGUAGE
BARRIERS AND THE NEW ISO 7010 STANDARD IS THE FIRST STEP
TOWARDS A GLOBAL HARMONIZATION OF SAFETY SYMBOLS. MORE IN
DEPTH INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT SAFETY SIGNS, SYMBOLS
AND COLOR CODES – A SIMPLE GUIDE
6. SAFETY SIGNS – SHAPES
THE SHAPES OF WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY SIGNS ARE TRIANGLES,
CIRCLES AND SQUARES OR RECTANGLES.
I. TRIANGLES: INDICATES CAUTION (POTENTIAL HAZARDS) OR
WARNING (DEFINITE HAZARDS), FOR EXAMPLE TOXIC GAS AND ELECTRIC
SHOCK.
II. CIRCLES: MANDATORY OR RECOMMENDED ACTIONS AND
ARE NORMALLY USED TO DEPICT AN ACTION YOU MUST DO, FOR EXAMPLE
WEARING EYE GOGGLES AND SAFETY HARD HATS.
III. SQUARES OR RECTANGLES: SHOWS INFORMATION, I.E.
GENERAL INFORMATION AND EMERGENCY INFORMATION (FIRST AID, FIRE
FIGHTING).
IV. A CIRCLE WITH A 45° DIAGONAL SLASH ACROSS THE
MIDDLE FROM THE UPPER LEFT TO THE LOWER RIGHT:
7. SAFETY SIGNS – COLORS
THE COLOURS USED IN WORKPLACE SAFETY SIGNS AND SYMBOLS ARE
RED, YELLOW, BLUE AND GREEN.
I. RED SIGNS: DESIGNATES AREAS FOR EMERGENCY DEVICES LIKE FIRE
FIGHTING EQUIPMENT, OR TO EMPHASIZE UNSAFE OR FORBIDDEN
ACTIONS.
II. YELLOW: NOTIFIES WORKERS TO TAKE CAUTION AND BE ALERTED OF
HAZARDS, REDUCING NECESSARY RISKS.
III. BLUE: SHOWS A PARTICULAR ACTION OR BEHAVIOR, FOR EXAMPLE
INSTRUCTION TO WEAR PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
IV. GREEN: DESIGNATES THE LOCATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES OR
EQUIPMENT LIKE FIRST AID KITS, EVACUATION ROUTES, FIRE EXITS,
ESCAPE LADDERS, OR FIRE ASSEMBLY POINTS.
8. TYPES OF SIGNAGES
GENERAL SIGNAGE
HEALTH AND SAFETY SIGNS
SAFETY SIGNS
CONSTRUCTION SAFETY SIGNS
CONSTRUCTION SITE SAFETY
FIRE SIGNS
HAZARD SIGNS
OFFICE SAFETY
PROHIBITION SIGNS
SAFETY SIGNS
WORKPLACE SAFETY SIGNS
9.
10.
11. GROUP 1
GROUP 2
GROUP 3
GROUP 4
Draw signs and symbols
from the color assigned to
your group and present it
and its meaning in front of
the class.
(Draw as many as you can in
5 minutes.)
