Construction signs

Under the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals Regulations) 1996

It is compulsory that employers provide specific construction safety signs where there may be an area of risk that is not being controlled, e.g. engineering controls and safe systems of work. In the case where a safety would not help to reduce the potential risk or where the risk is not substantial it is not necessary to provide a sign.

It is an employer’s duty to maintain the construction safety signs which are supplied by them, as well as it being their job to explain any unfamiliar signs to their employees and tell them what they need to do when they come across a safety sign.

The Regulations apply to all places and activities where people are employed.

Categories of construction safety signs

Construction Safety signs are separated into different groups in accordance to the message they are intended to give. Every category is given a different format and colour code.

Prohibition Construction Signs



Prohibition signs are to be used to give a message using ‘Do Not’ type commands. As shown in the picture it indicates you cannot use scaffolding. In a working environment these signs are designed to prohibit dangerous activities. Signs do not teach you all the dangers of the prohibited activities which is why it is part of an employer’s role to educate their employees about this. Construction safety signs prohibiting an activity consist of a circular red band and single diagonal cross bar descending from left to right at an angle of 45 degrees. The background should be white with a picture showing the nature of the activity in black.

Warning Construction Signs



Warning construction signs are made to alert people of a nearby danger. In this case it is to warn people about deep excavations. These signs are required by the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 and in specific cases by the Dangerous Substances (Notification and Marking of Sites) Regulations 1990. Warning signs of a hazard appear as an equilateral triangle with a black outline to it. The background is to be yellow with the picture displaying the type of hazard in black.

Mandatory Construction Signs



Mandatory construction signs are to be used to tell people action that’s must be carried out in order to follow rules and regulations. As shown in the image stating hard hats must be worn, so these signs would be place on entry of any area where they must be worn. The minimum regulatory requirement is for the sign to include an appropriate pictogram. The sign requirements for a mandatory sign are a blue circle with an image or text in white.

Exit Signs Constructions Signs



To follow and comply with the Building Regulations, every doorway or other exit providing access to a means of escape, other than exits in ordinary use, should be provided with an exit sign. Installation of signs conforming to British Standard 5499: Part 4: 2000 will satisfy both the Building Regulations and the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals Regulations) 1996. In general these Regulations will not require any changes where existing fire safety signs containing symbols comply with BS 5499: Part 4 : 2000 Fire safety signs, notices and graphic symbols. This is because the signs in BS 5499, although different in detail to those specified in the Regulations, follow the same basic pattern and are therefore considered to comply with the Regulations.

Fire Fighting Equipment Signs for construction sites



Fire equipments signs are used to notify the location of fire fighting equipment and fire alarm points. Where possible fire equipment should be positioned where it is clearly visible to people. Red is the colour code followed for fire fighting equipment. If the equipment is red then it does comply with the requirements. However if the equipment is not red, then simply colouring the background behind the equipment to red should be enough to comply. Fire equipment signs consist of a red rectangle or square with white text and images.

Provision of fire fighting equipment signs on construction sites

The same general process outlined above is applicable to this section. A fire risk assessment will identify whether the fire equipment will require a sign dependant upon the setting in which the assessment takes place. In other words the features of the workplace, the activities carried on there and any other circumstances deemed to be pertinent must be taken into account. If a building has an internal layout where the extinguishers provided are clearly visible then there is no need to use a sign or to colour the background red.

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