Signage

Health and Safety Advice for Stonemasons

Stonemasonry Department 2011

Legislation

The use of signage in the Construction Industry is governed by the Health and Safety
(Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996.

The regulations state that employers

must provide safety signs whenever
there is a risk that has not been
avoided or controlled by other
means.
The regulations also specify
requirements for the shape colour and
patterns of safety signs.
Identifying Signs

Prohibition

Safe Warning or
Environment Hazard

Fire
Mandatory
Fighting

Safety signs can be readily identified by their colour. The colour will indicate the
meaning and purpose of the sign as well as the instruction or information it is
conveying:
Prohibition

Purpose: Prohibition or Danger Alarm

Prohibition Description: Round shape, black pictogram on white
background; red edging and diagonal line; red part to be at least
35% of the area of the sign.
Warning or Hazard

Purpose: Warning or Hazard

Warning or
Hazard Description: Triangular shape, black pictogram on yellow
background with black edging; yellow part to be at least 50% of
the area of the sign.
Mandatory

Purpose: Mandatory (Must Do)

Mandatory
Description: Round shape, white pictogram on blue
background; blue part to be at least 50% of the area of the sign.
Fire Fighting

Purpose: Fire Fighting Equipment

Fire
Fighting Description: Rectangular or square shape, white pictogram on
red background; red part to be at least 50% of the area of the
sign.
Safe Environment

Purpose: Emergency escape, first aid, no danger

Safe
Environment Description: Rectangular or square shape, white pictogram on
green background; green part to be at least 50% of the area of
the sign.
Activities

1. Can you think of one sign from each classification that you have seen in your
workplace?
2. Visit the following website and sketch two signs from each classification in your
notebook

http://www.warningsignsdirect.co.uk/index.php

3. Visit the workshop and take note of all the signs you see and identify what they
mean
Developed by The Stonemasonry Department
City of Glasgow College
2011