1. Signage
Health and Safety Advice

2. The use of signage in the Construction Industry is governed by the Health and Safety
(Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996.
The regulations state that employers
must provide safety signs whenever
there is a risk that has not been
avoided or controlled by other
means.
The regulations also specify
requirements for the shape colour and
patterns of safety signs.
Legislation

3. Safety signs can be readily identified by their colour. The colour will indicate the
meaning and purpose of the sign as well as the instruction or information it is
conveying:
Prohibition
Warning or
Hazard
Mandatory
Fire
Fighting
Safe
Environment
Identifying Signs

4. Prohibition
Purpose: Prohibition or Danger Alarm
Description: Round shape, black pictogram on white
background; red edging and diagonal line; red part to be at least
35% of the area of the sign.
Prohibition

5. Warning or
Hazard
Purpose: Warning or Hazard
Description: Triangular shape, black pictogram on yellow
background with black edging; yellow part to be at least 50% of
the area of the sign.
Warning or Hazard

6. Mandatory
Purpose: Mandatory (Must Do)
Description: Round shape, white pictogram on blue
background; blue part to be at least 50% of the area of the sign.
Mandatory

7. Fire
Fighting
Purpose: Fire Fighting Equipment
Description: Rectangular or square shape, white pictogram on
red background; red part to be at least 50% of the area of the
sign.
Fire Fighting

8. Safe
Environment
Purpose: Emergency escape, first aid, no danger
Description: Rectangular or square shape, white pictogram on
green background; green part to be at least 50% of the area of
the sign.
Safe Environment

9. 1. Can you think of one sign from each classification that you have seen in your
workplace?
2. Visit the following website and sketch two signs from each classification in your
notebook
http://www.warningsignsdirect.co.uk/index.php
3. Visit the workshop and take note of all the signs you see and identify what they
mean
Activities

10. Developed by The Stonemasonry Department
City of Glasgow College
2011