Health and safety signs are there to give us information on what to do in emergency situations as well as warning us about potentially dangerous situations. Health and safety signs are a legal requirement in some premises whether it used by the public or for business. Areas that are considered to be danger zones require appropriate health and safety signs.

Hazard signs are usually used as a forewarning to avoid potentially dangerous situations. They range in relevance depending on what the use is. On very common sign is one warning of entry for ‘authorised personnel only’ and this sign can usually be found in most businesses. This could be a warning due to something as simple as a staff rest area or even a stock storage area, but it could also be a warning for an area that may contain hazardous equipment. So what could even be mistakenly considered an unimportant warning sign could be a very important indication of a serious danger. Some other examples of hazard signs may be chemical warning, electrical warning or construction safety signs and these may be more commonly accepted as hazards to the general public.

More recently the change in legislation regarding smoking in public places had created a new demand for health and safety signs. It is now a legal requirement for businesses to display non-smoking signs when operating in enclosed public areas. This has caused a lot of controversy and added to renovation costs for businesses as they were then forced to create areas for customers to smoke in order to retain their custom. This has been a major development in health and safety.

Fire safety signs are probably the most commonly recognised health and safety signs. They are generally universally known and a legal requirement in public places. They are predominantly red in colour however fire exit signs are generally green. Fire exit signs are there to guide people to the nearest exist in case of fire, whereas the red warning signs usually indicate fire alarm locations as well as locations of fire fighting equipment such as fire extinguishers. These signs are an indicator for people to always be aware of safety in their area and can be life saving in the event of an emergency.

Other common health and safety warning signs include hygiene and first aid notifications. First aid signage is usually found in businesses and is easily recognisable due to widespread use. So as you can clearly see, health and safety signs play a very important part of our daily lives and are probably located in a lot more places than we generally realise. It is important that the signs are placed in an area where they are likely to be noticed and are relevant to business. They are necessary to reduce the occurrence of accidents or injuries as well as advising what to do in the unfortunate event of an emergency occurring. They are a necessary item and contribute to making the environment around us a safer place to be in.