Safety Signs and Posters communicate important safety information in workplaces or public spaces. They serve to alert, warn, instruct, or guide individuals regarding potential hazards, safety procedures, and regulations. These signs and posters are designed using specific symbols, colors, and text to convey messages clearly and quickly.

Why are safety signs and posters important?

Safety Signs and posters are very important for different reasons, from awareness to guidance. Together, safety signs and posters contribute to a safer environment by providing vital information about a specific location. Whether you are just a visitor at certain location, an employee at work or an emergency responder.

What are the types of safety signs?

There are different types of Safety Signage that clearly communicate potential hazards, guidelines, and necessary actions. The 6 types of safety signs are:

Prohibitions Signs

Prohibition signs are safety signs that indicate actions, behaviour, or activities that are strictly forbidden or not allowed in a particular area. Prohibition signs use recognizable symbols in a red circle with a diagonal line across a black pictogram, indicating the prohibited action or item.

Prohibition signs are crucial for safety in workplaces, public spaces, and other areas to clearly communicate restrictions and regulations. They effectively convey what actions are not permitted, helping to prevent accidents, maintain order, and ensure compliance with safety protocols and regulations.

Mandatory Signs

Mandatory signs are safety signs that communicate actions, behaviour, or requirements that must be followed to in a specific area. These signs use a white pictogram or symbol on a blue circular background to show the mandatory action or behaviour.

Mandatory Signs are used to instruct individuals to carry out a specific action or follow a particular procedure to ensure safety and compliance with regulations.

Escape Route Signs

Escape route signs are safety signs that visualize escape routes in case of an emergency. These signs use standardized symbols, often a running figure or an arrow pointing towards an exit, displayed on a green background.

Escape route signs are strategically placed throughout buildings, corridors, stairwells, and other areas to guide individuals toward emergency exits, assembly points, or safe evacuation routes in case of fire, natural disasters, or other emergencies.

Warning Signs

Warning signs are safety signs that communicate potential dangers, hazards, or risks present in a particular area or associated with specific substances, equipment, or activities. These signs typically use recognizable symbols, often displayed on a yellow background with black text or pictograms, to convey the nature of the hazard.

Hazard signs are crucial for workplaces, industrial sites, construction areas, laboratories, or any place where potential dangers exist. They serve to alert individuals to potential risks and encourage caution, preventive measures, or the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to mitigate potential harm or injury.

Fire Signs

Fire signs are safety signs specifically designed to indicate the location of fire-fighting equipment, emergency exits, fire alarm call points, assembly points, or other fire safety-related facilities within a building or premises. These signs play a crucial role in fire safety procedures and emergency evacuation plans.

Fire signs use standardized symbols or pictograms displayed on a red background to convey information related to fire safety.

Information Signs

Information signs are signs that provide general information. These signs are designed to convey various types of information, often relevant to certain facilities, such as toilets.

What do you put on a safety poster?

Our IMO Safety Posters contain visual and textual information related to safety practices, guidelines, procedures, or reminders aimed at promoting a safe working environment or safe behaviour in a specific setting. The content of a safety poster varies depending on the targeted audience, the context, and the specific safety concerns or hazards present in that environment. At T-ISS, you can also order custom-made Safety Posters, tailored to your needs.

IMO stands for International Maritime Organization. This organization is responsible for regulating and setting standards for the safety, security, and environmental performance of international shipping.

What do the 4 colours on safety signs mean?

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) uses four primary colours in safety signs to convey specific types of information:

• Red: Red is used to indicate prohibition or commands. It signifies actions or behaviours that are not allowed or are prohibited for safety reasons.
• Yellow: Yellow signifies warnings or hazards. These signs are used to alert individuals to potential hazards, risks, or dangerous situations that could cause harm if not avoided.
• Green: Green is used to indicate safe conditions or to provide guidance. These signs convey positive information such as emergency escape routes, first aid facilities, safety equipment locations, or safe conditions.
• Blue: Blue is used to indicate mandatory actions or information. It is used to convey messages that highlight specific behaviour, actions, or requirements that individuals must follow for safety purposes.

These standardized colours help convey crucial safety-related information quickly and effectively, contributing to a safer environment and ensuring consistent understanding across various workplaces or settings.

IMO Safety Signs and Posters

IMO stands for International Maritime Organization. This organization is responsible for regulating and setting standards for the safety, security, and environmental performance of international shipping.

At T-ISS, all our signs are according to ISO standards and in line with the signs and symbols as developed by the IMO.

Photoluminescent Safety Signs and Posters

Photoluminescent safety signs (or glow-in-the-dark safety signs) are designed to be visible in dark conditions without needing a power source. These signs are made of materials that can absorb and store ambient light, such as natural or artificial light, and then emit that light in the form of a visible glow. This allows the signs to continue to glow brightly in the dark and provide essential messages and wayfinding for all personnel.

Unlike traditional safety signage, like LED Escape Signs, photoluminescent safety signs cannot be turned on or off. The signs are automatically activated when there is sudden darkness. When an external light is re-introduced, the signs will recharge again.