Safety Signs at Places of Work

The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) have issued revised guidance on the requirements for safety signs in the workplace. While the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, Chapter 1 of Part 7 have not been updated, the revised guidance provides updated information in relation to existing signs.

This is important for you, if you are responsible for safety in the workplace or advise employers on compliance issues.

The main aspect of the revised guidelines is that supplementary text can now be located in the same carrier as the graphical symbol or pictogram.

The general advice is that text should not be incorporated into a signboard, however:

“Where doubt could exist as to the meaning of a graphical symbol used on a safety signboard, a supplementary signboard containing appropriate text should supplement the safety signboard. However if the meaning is clear by use of a pictogram or symbol alone, then a supplementary signboard should not be used.”

While it is permissible to combined supplementary text with a safety sign, they must convey the same message. For example a ‘hard hat‘ safety sign cannot be combined with a supplementary text for ‘Wear respirator‘.

The guidelines also clarify that where there are multiple safety signs (with supplementary text if necessary), then these can be combined on one carrier. This means that it is permissible to have a large signboard combining the appropriate safety signs.

If you have existing signs that contain text as part of the safety sign (eg text that is not set out as a supplementary signboard), then you can keep this in place until the 1 January 2011. However after than date all safety signs in the workplace must either consist of:

• a safety signboard (graphic/pictogram); OR
• a safety signboard and a supplementary signboard (eg supplementary text).

We would recommend that you download and read the revised guidelines. The amendments are clearly marked in the document.

You can download the revised guidelines here.

If you have any queries in relation to the revised guidelines, please contact us using the comments form below or click here. We are here to help you.