Safety Signs and Colour at Work
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A Health and Safety Guideline for Your Workplace Safety Signs and Colour at Work Safety signs and colour are useful tools to help The choice of colour also draws attention to the protect the health and safety of employees and probability of a hazard causing harm. For example, workplace visitors. the colour red is used to indicate a definite hazard. A potential hazard is communicated by the colour Safety signs are used to: yellow. Ž draw attention to health and safety hazards; When employees are aware of the hazards around Ž point out hazards that may not be obvious; them and take the necessary precautions, the Ž provide general information and directions; possibility of an injury, illness or other loss is Ž remind employees where personal protective minimized. equipment must be worn; However while safety signs and colours are valuable Ž show where emergency equipment is located; in warning of hazards, they are not substitutes for Ž indicate where certain actions are prohibited. eliminating or reducing those hazards, whenever possible. Colour attracts attention and can be used extensively for safety purposes. For example, colour can be This guideline will help your workplace to effectively used as an additional safety measure to identify the use safety signs and colours for the protection of contents of pipes and the nature of the hazard. employees and visitors alike. Sign Categories As shown in the table below, there are three basic Each category is distinguished by its shape. sign categories used in the workplace: These categories are divided into sub-categories that Ž regulatory; can be recognized by their colour. Ž warning; and Ž information. Category Sub-category Colour 1.1 Prohibition - Red and black on white forbids an action 1.2 Mandatory - White on black requires an action 1. Regulatory A circle indicates that an order is in force 2.1 Caution - Black on yellow indicates a potential hazard 2.2 Danger - White on red indicates a definite hazard 2. Warning A triangle indicates caution or danger 3.1 Emergency - White on green indicates first aid, health fire protection, fire fighting and emergency equipment 3.2 General Information - White on blue indicates permission or 3. Information public information A square indicates information 2 š Safety Signs and Colour at Work Sign Types One of three sign types should be used to Use symbols that are simple and easy to learn and communicate a message: recognize. Include simple wording (text) to help explain the meaning of the symbol or to provide Ž symbol signs; more information. Text signs should only be used Ž symbol signs with text; or when no appropriate symbols exist. Check the CSA Ž text signs. International standard CAN/CSA Z321-96 to see if the topic or message you want to convey is listed. Examples of the three types of signs are shown below, based on the CSA standard. Symbol sign Symbol sign with text Text sign 1. Regulatory 1.1 Prohibition 1.2 Mandatory 2. Warning 2.1 Caution 2.2 Danger 3. Information 3.1 Emergency 3.2 General Information Safety Signs and Colour at Work š 3 Symbols for Hazardous Materials Piping systems By law, hazardous materials received in the There are many ways you can identify the contents workplace must be identified by special symbols on of pipes. The law, however, requires you to train container labels. You may know these special your workers on the identification system you use. symbols as WHMIS symbol. These symbols indicate the nature of the hazardous material such as A way of ensuring that your employees have a clear compressed gas, oxidizing material, or toxic material. understanding of what a pipe contains is by: For information on the symbols to use and their Ž labeling the pipe with a tag that clearly identifies colour restrictions, check the Controlled Products the material inside; Regulation under the federal Hazardous Products Act. Ž attaching the appropriate WHMIS symbol, if the material is a controlled product; Safety Colours Ž painting the pipe with a safety colour. While there is no legislation requiring the use of Use arrows on the pipe to show the direction of flow colour in the workplace, colour can be used to indicate hazards or point out safety equipment. For of the contents. example, colour can be applied on: Ž indicator lights or buttons; Ž pipes; Ž separate work areas; Ž machinery; Safety colours conventionally used for pipes in the Ž vehicles; workplace include: Ž aisles, floors and stairs. Indicator lights or buttons Colour Classification Examples With the extensive use of colour in our daily lives, Red Fire quenching Water, foam, carbon we have learned to associate certain colours with materials dioxide, halon, etc. specific meanings. For example, red on a traffic light * never paint means stop. These associations should be taken sprinkler heads advantage of in the workplace to help employees Green Liquids that are Liquids, liquid easily recognize the message associated with the not hazardous admixtures colour and respond quickly, as in the case of by nature indicator lights and control buttons: Blue Gasses that are Gas, gaseous not hazardous admixtures by nature Colour Indicator Light Button/Control Yellow Materials that Materials that Red Danger or alarm Stop/off are hazardous are flammable or by nature explosive; chemically Yellow Caution Caution/ active or toxic; intervention radioactive; or under needed extreme temperatures or Green Safe condition Start/on pressures For more information on how to identify piping systems, refer to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) standard A13.1-1996. 4 š Safety Signs and Colour at Work Other Applications for Safety Colours Determining Your Requirements Safety colours are also useful in work areas, and on Whether you are evaluating your existing safety sign equipment and machinery. The safety colours and and colour system, or planning a new one, the their meanings are listed below, based on the system will be more effective and easier to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) implement by asking for feedback and suggestions standard Z535.1-1998.* from your staff. You can also tap the expertise of your health and safety representative or committee. Colour Meaning Examples Discuss such issues as: Ž What messages need to be conveyed to Red Danger or Containers of stop flammable liquids; employees and workplace visitors? emergency stop bars; Ž Which messages are most important to health stop buttons; fire and safety? protection equipment Ž Do current signs appropriately convey the importance of a message (for example, do more Warning Hazardous parts of Orange important messages stand out)? machines which may cut, crush, or otherwise Ž Are current signs and safety colours easy to injure a worker; inside of understand? Do they meet the needs of movable guards or the observers with visual limitations (for example, inside of transmission those who confuse red and green)? How about guards for gears, the needs of employees who do not speak pulleys, chains, etc.; English? exposed parts (edges Ž Are employees trained to understand workplace only) of pulleys, gears, rollers, cutting devices, signs and colours? power jaws, etc. Ž Do employees comply with signs? Ž Is there consistency in the use of safety signs Yellow Caution Physical hazards which and colours? might result in striking Ž Are signs visible, away from clutter or against, stumbling, obstructions, and well-lighted? falling, tripping or being caught in-between; Ž Are signs and colours effective in drawing storage cabinets for attention to hazards? flammable materials; Ž Are signs posted in the best possible location and containers for corrosive within an appropriate distance from hazards? or unstable materials Ž What is the general condition of existing signs? Ž Do signs meet legal requirements? Green First aid/ First aid kits, stations; safety stretchers; emergency Ž Do the signs, symbols and colours used reflect equipment/ showers; emergency current standards (e.g., CSA standards)? emergency exit routes egress Pointers for Effective Safety Sign Blue Safety Signs requiring use of and Colour Use information personal protective After determining your needs, work with your health equipment and safety representative or committee to set standards for signs and colours to use throughout *Note to Canadian workplaces: A few variations exist the workplace. between colour and their recommended meanings. When in doubt, go with the CSA standard. Safety Signs and Colour at Work š 5 Ensure the signs and colours are used consistently. In general, signs should be displayed alone. When Research shows that companies that have signs must be grouped together, place them in an implemented a uniform sign and colour system to appropriate order. make hazards more visible and easy to identify have successfully lowered their injury frequency rates. Use no more than three symbols in the same Workers know that signs and colours mean the same location. thing even when they work in different departments or plant locations. It also enables employees to Ensure that directional signs are visible from all quickly locate first aid, fire fighting and other directions. Include arrows on exit signs wherever emergency equipment. the direction is not obvious. Directional signs should be posted at a consistent height throughout the The signs and colours in your workplace should workplace. They should also be posted at provide enough information for persons to protect appropriate locations or decision points so that the their health and safety. route to take is always clear. Signs, especially those that indicate hazards, should: Using Easy to Read and Easy to Understand Signs Ž attract a person’s attention; Help employees and workplace visitors understand Ž clearly identify the nature of the hazard; signs quickly by using clear language and symbols Ž specify the immediate action required; than can be learned and recognized easily.