subject: What The Design Of Safety Signs Actually Means [print this page] One of the most important considerations for using safety signs is to ensure that they are instantly recognisable and clear about their intended message.
To ensure that confusion is kept to a minimum where it could be vital in avoiding injury or loss of life, nearly all health and safety regulators in the world have established a standardised system where the shape, colour and symbols used in safety signs reveal the type of information conveyed by the sign and the type of hazard they warn about.
Whilst the standard can differ from country to country, the most common aspects of these signs are universally recognised around the world. Not only does this help deliver an instant warning, it also helps overcome language barriers so that even if foreign visitors are unaware of the precise hazard they still know to be alert for danger.
Symbols tend to be fairly specific to each case, warning of hazards such as corrosive or toxic substances, flammable materials or electrical current. They are an extremely important aspect of safety signs - a simple image of a flame is understandable to both English and Chinese native speakers after all. Mostly the symbols used in safety signs tend to be pictorials that portray required actions, potential consequences or active hazards.
However the shape or colour of a sign where a symbol or even a written warning is displayed can also be important:
Shapes
Triangles are normally used to highlight potential hazards, such as electrical shocks.
Circles are normally used to depict mandatory or recommended actions, such as wearing hard hats at a worksite.
Squares or rectangles are normally used to display information, such as equipment location or directions to exits.
Another shape commonly used is a circle with a 45 diagonal slash across the middle from the upper left to the lower right; this shape is exclusively used to indicate prohibited or forbidden actions.
Colours
Red signs are generally used to indicate emergency devices like cut out switches or firefighting equipment, or to highlight dangerous or forbidden behaviour.
Yellow/Amber signs are typically used to warn people to take caution and be careful of hazards, minimising necessary risks
Blue signs generally display a specific behaviour or action that should be taken as a matter of course- wearing personal protective equipment, or advocating good hygiene for example.
Green signs tend to be used to indicate the location of emergency measures, such as evacuation routes like fire exits or escape ladders, or the location of first aid kits.
