# Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 specify the safety signs within Great Britain; Northern Ireland has a similar law, the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996. It was issued as a transposition of the European directive 92/58/EEC and replaced the Safety Signs Regulations 1980. They consist of "traditional safety signs", such as prohibitory and warning signs, hand signals, spoken and acoustic signals, and hazard marking.

## Application

The regulations apply to occupational health and safety within the territorial borders of Great Britain, also on offshore installations. It does not apply to the marking of dangerous goods and substances itself, only its storage or pipes, nor the regulation of road, rail, inland waterway, sea or air traffic, nor to signs used aboard of sea-going ships. For internal road traffic, traffic signs should be used.
The Regulations do not require the usage of safety signs and signals for third parties. However, it neither prohibits the usage for this purpose.
The Regulations require safety signage to be uniform and, as far as appropriate, without words, in order to be easily and fast understandable, without knowing the language.
Safety signs should only be used, if other measures of avoiding hazards failed. Also, if there is no risk, no safety signage should be used. Employees should regularly be instructed about the meaning of safety signs and signals. Employers are obligated to maintain the safety signage.

### Relationship between the Regulations and BS EN ISO 7010

Minor differences between the prescribed signs and the installed signs are allowed, as long as the convey the same message. The Health and Safety Executive specifically allows the usage of BS EN ISO 7010 safety signs.
| Category of the Regulation | Category of the Regulation | Category of BS EN ISO 7010 | Category of BS EN ISO 7010 |
| | Example | | Example |
| Prohibitory signs | | Prohibition | |
| Warning signs | | Warning | |
| Mandatory signs | | Mandatory action | |
| Emergency escape or first-aid signs | | Evacuation route, location of safety equipment or safety facility, safety action | |
| Fire-fighting signs | | Fire equipment | |

## Structure

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 consists of 8 articles and 3 schedules.

### Schedule 1
#### Part I

As required in Annex I of the European directive 92/58/EEC, Schedule 1, Part I of the Reguations lays down a basic safety colour concept:
| Colour | Meaning or purpose | Instructions and information |
| Red | Prohibition sign | Dangerous behaviour |
| Red | Danger alarm | Stop, shutdown, emergency cut out devices, Evacuate |
| Red | Fire-fighting equipment | Identification and location |
| Yellow or Amber | Warning sign | Be careful, take precautions |
| Yellow or Amber | Warning sign | Examine |
| Blue | Mandatory sign | Specific behaviour or action |
| Blue | Mandatory sign | Wear personal protective equipment |
| Green | Emergency escape, first aid sign | Doors, exits, routes, equipment, facilities |
| Green | No danger | Return to normal |

#### Part II

Schedule 1, Part II defines five types of signboards, as shown below. They are also covered by BS 5378, Part 1 and 3 from 1980 and 1982, which have been superseded by BS EN ISO 7010. Safety signs must contain only symbols, not text. However, supplementary text plates may be used. For fire exits, the running man symbol should be used. Fire safety signs in use before the Regulations were in place could be used until 24 December 1998.

##### Prohibitory signs

* No smoking
* Smoking and naked flames forbidden
* No access for pedestrians
* Do not extinguish with water
* Not drinkable
* No access for unauthorised persons
* No access for industrial vehicles
* Do not touch

##### Warning signs

* Flammable material or high temperature
* Explosive material
* Toxic material
* Corrosive material
* Radioactive material
* Overhead load
* Industrial vehicles
* Danger: electricity
* General danger
* Laser beam (Version 1996)
* Laser beam (Version 2009)
* Oxidant material
* Non-ionizing radiation
* Strong magnetic field
* Obstacles
* Drop
* Biological risk
* Low temperature
* Harmful or irritant material (withdrawn)

##### Mandatory signs

* Eye protection must be worn
* Safety helmet must be worn
* Ear protection must be worn
* Respiratory equipment must be worn
* Safety boots must be worn
* Safety gloves must be worn
* Safety overalls must be worn
* Face protection must be worn
* Safety harness must be worn
* Pedestrians must use this route
* General mandatory sign (to be accompanied where necessary by another sign)

##### Emergency escape or first-aid signs

* Emergency exit/escape route
* Emergency exit/escape route
* Emergency exit/escape route
* Emergency exit/escape route
* Emergency exit/escape route
* This way (supplementary information sign)
* This way (supplementary information sign)
* This way (supplementary information sign)
* This way (supplementary information sign)
* First-aid post
* Stretcher
* Safety shower
* Eyewash
* Emergency telephone for first-aid or escape

##### Fire-fighting signs

* Fire hose
* Ladder
* Fire extinguisher (Version 1996)
* Fire extinguisher (Version 2009)
* Emergency fire telephone
* This way (supplementary information sign)
* This way (supplementary information sign)
* This way (supplementary information sign)
* This way (supplementary information sign)

#### Part III

This part, Minimum requirements governing signs on containers and pipes, defines the marking for the transport or storage of dangerous material by pipes and in containers, originally within the scope of the European directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC, which are both replaced by Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, the CLP Regulation. For marking, the warning signs of Part II should be used.

#### Part IV

The Minimum requirements for the identification and location of fire-fighting equipment specifies, that, additionally to the Fire-fighting signs of Part II, the equipment for fire-fighting and its location has to be marked red.

#### Part V

In this part, the Minimum requirements governing signs used for osbstacles and dangerous locations, and for marking traffic routes, requires hazardous places to be marked with either black and yellow or red and white markings. It also states that ways used for traffic have to be marked with either white or yellow stripes.

#### Part VI

Part VI, Minimum requirements for illuminated signs, requires illuminated signs to be single-coloured or to contain a symbol. If the latter is the case, it should comply with Part II. If a flashing light and a sound are used together, they have to be synchronized.

#### Part VII

This part, the Minimum requirements for acoustic signals, requires acoustic signals to be understandable and not harmful. If the acoustic signal is an fire alarm, it has to be continuing.

#### Part VIII

The Minimum requirements for verbal communication defines the use of language for safety purposes. It also defines coded words:
| | Meaning |
| start | to indicate the start of a command |
| stop | to interrupt or end a movement |
| end | to stop the operation |
| raise | to have a load raised |
| lower | to have a load lowered |
| forwards | to be co-ordinated with the corresponding hand signals |
| backwards | to be co-ordinated with the corresponding hand signals |
| right | to be co-ordinated with the corresponding hand signals |
| left | to be co-ordinated with the corresponding hand signals |
| danger | for an emergency stop |
| quickly | to speed up a movement for safety reasons |

#### Part IX

Hand signals should only be given by one instructor. Other hand signals are also allowed, as specified in Schedule 2.
| Meaning | Description |
| A. General signals |||
| START Attention Start of Command | both arms are extended horizontally with the palms facing forwards |
| STOP Interruption End of movement | the right arm points upwards with the palm facing forwards |
| END of the operation | both hands are clasped at chest height |
| B. Vertical movements |||
| RAISE | the right arm points upwards with the palm facing forward and slowly makes a circle |
| LOWER | the right arm points downwards with the palm facing inwards and slowly makes a circle |
| VERTICAL DISTANCE | the hands indicate the relevant distance |
| C. Horizontal Movements |||
| MOVE FORWARDS | both arms are bent with the palms facing upwards, and the forearms make slow movements towards the body |
| MOVE BACKWARDS | both arms are bent with the palms facing downwards, and the forearms make slow movements away from the body |
| RIGHT to the signalman's | the right arm is extended more or less horizontally with palm facing downwards and slowly makes small movements to the right |
| LEFT to the signalman's | the left arm is extended more or less horizontally with palm facing downwards and slowly makes small movements to the left |
| HORIZONTAL DISTANCE | the hands indicate the relevant distance. |
| D. Danger |||
| DANGER Emergency stop | both arms points upwards with the palms facing forwards |
| QUICK | all movements faster |
| SLOW | all movements slower |