ChurchSafety Home >> Information Contents Safety signs There are a number of styles of safety sign. The use of a certain type depends on the message that the sign carries. See the below table:

Green signs are called "safe condition" signs. These signs can either tell people the location of certain safety equipment, such as first aid equipment and fire exits, or tell people that it is safe to do something in case of an emergency. The example shown is a First Aid sign, which is a white cross on a green background. Red signs are called "fire safety" signs. They are used only for showing the location of fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment. The example shown is for a fire extinguisher which shows a white fire extinguisher logo next to white flames and both are on a red background. Blue circles are called "mandatory" signs. These signs give orders: you need to do whatever is written on the sign. The example shown is a Fire Door sign with white words "fire door keep shut" printed on a blue circle. Red circles with a line through them are called "prohibition" signs. You must not do whatever is shown on the sign. The example is a No Smoking sign which shows a red circle with a diagonal line crossing out a black cigarette on a white background. Yellow triangles are called "caution"  signs. These should be used if something dangerous needs to be brought to people's attention. The sign shown is a general warning symbol that is used with text to show a hazard. This sign shows a yellow triangle with a black border on which an exclamation mark is drawn.

Other signs may be used to indicate toilets and so on. These can be any format you wish, but you must not be able to confuse them with safety signs. You do not need to use symbols on these signs but it is useful to include them. Note that many signs do not need text. Symbols are used instead to give a multi-lingual sign. It is recommended that you include text to help make sure that you get over your message. In some cases, tactile signs are useful to help those who are visually impaired. Requirements Apart from exit signs (see the Exit Signs page for more information), you need to have signs that show where your fire extinguishers are. These signs can also include information about the contents of the fire extinguisher and what fires it is safe to be used on. You fire extinguisher service company should be able to advise you. Some doors in your Place of Worship might need to be kept shut for fire safety reasons because they are designed to hold back fire and smoke. Use a blue mandatory sign to tell people either "fire door keep shut" when the door has a device that closes the door automatically or "fire door keep locked" if the door must be locked to secure the door shut. Old red triangle or diamond shaped signs are no longer allowed. You can add any other signs that you think you need depending on your circumstances. We suggest that you have a free standing "wet floor" or "cleaning in progress" sign, especially when floors can be slippery when wet and a sign should be fitted to tell people where your first aid box is. Material and fixing methods By far the best option for Places of Worship is to use rigid plastic signs fixed with self-adhesive pads or screws. Self-adhesive backed signs are also available and can reduce the time taken to fix the signs in place. Metal and poly-carbonate signs are ideal for outside areas where vandalism might be a problem and can be fixed with security screws for additional protection. Some signs are available in glow-in-the-dark finishes, known as "photo-luminescent". The material glows for several hours after the light goes off. These are not a substitute for normal emergency lights, but are recommended where there is no emergency lighting installed and in places where the sign must be seen. These signs are more costly than normal signs, but the additional cost is worthwhile. Posters To comply with the current Health and Safety regulations, you need to display the current "Health and Safety Law" poster that is published by the HSE. It is available in all good bookshops and includes blank sections that you need to fill in. You might also need to display some posters that tell people information about safety. These might drawer somebody's attention to a hazard or tell someone how to do something. This includes a fire action poster, which tells people what they need to do in a fire. We have produced an example fire action poster on this Website. If you plan to produce your own posters, you might find the best results would be from black laser print as ink-jet print can fade over time. Some colour can help attract people's attention to the sign. Laminating the poster will also protect it from becoming damaged. Additional Information Safety Sign Supplies ChurchSafety recommends Viking Signs as a supplier of quality safety signs.  The extensive rage of  quality signs is available to purchase online - visit the Safety Sign Supplies Website. [Home Page] [About Us] [Site Map & Search] [FAQ]