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Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations

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Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996
Statutory Instrument
CitationSI 1996/341
Territorial extent Great Britain
Dates
Made18 February 1996
Laid before Parliament23 February 1996
Commencement1 April 1996
Other legislation
Repeals/revokesSafety Signs Regulations 1980
TransposesDirective 92/58/EEC
Status: Current legislation
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
Safety sign designed in accordance with the Regulations

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 specify the safety signs within Great Britain,[1] Northern Ireland has a similar law.[2] It was issued as a transposition of the European directive 92/58/EEC and replaced The Safety Signs Regulations 1980.[1] They consist of "traditional safety signs", such as prohibitory and warning signs, hand signals, spoken and acoustic signals and hazard marking.[3]

Application

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The regulations applies to the occupational health and safety within the territorial borders of Great Britain, also on offshore installations.[4][5][6] It does not apply to the marking of dangerous goods and substances itself, only its storage or pipes, nor the regulation of road, rail, inland waterway, sea or air traffic, nor to signs used aboard of sea-going ships.[1] For internal road traffic, traffic signs should be used.[4][7]

The Regulations do not require the usage of safety signs and signals for third parties. However, it neither prohibits the usage for this purpose.[8]

The Regulations require safety signage to be uniform and, as far as appropriate, without words, in order to be easily and fast understandable, without knowing the language.[8]

Safety signs should only be used, if other measures of avoiding hazards failed.[3][5] Also, if there is no risk, no safety signage should be used.[7] Employees should regularly be instructed about the meaning of safety signs and signals.[9][10] Employers are obligated to maintain the safety signage.[10]

Relationship between the Regulations and BS EN ISO 7010

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Minor differences between the prescribed signs and the installed signs are allowed, as long as the convey the same message.[1][4] The Health and Safety Executive specifically allows the usage of BS EN ISO 7010 safety signs.[4]

Category of the Regulation Category of BS EN ISO 7010
Example Example
Prohibitory signs
HSR 1996 II 3.1a
Prohibition
ISO 7010 P002
Warning signs
HSR 1996 II 3.2d
Warning
ISO 7010 W023
Mandatory signs
HSR 1996 II 3.3j
Mandatory action
ISO 7010 M024
Emergency escape or first-aid signs
HSR 1996 II 3.4n
Evacuation route, location of safety equipment or safety facility, safety action
ISO 7010 E004
Fire-fighting signs
HSR 1996 II 3.5a
Fire equipment
ISO 7010 F002

Structure

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The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 consists of 8 articles and 3 schedules.[1]

Schedule 1

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Part I

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As required in Annex I of the European directive 92/58/EEC, Schedule 1, Part I of the Reguations lays down a basic safety colour concept:[1][6]

Colour Meaning or purpose Instructions and information
Red Prohibition sign Dangerous behaviour
Danger alarm Stop, shutdown, emergency cut out devices, Evacuate
Fire-fighting equipment Identification and location
Yellow or Amber Warning sign Be careful, take precautions
Examine
Blue Mandatory sign Specific behaviour or action
Wear personal protective equipment
Green Emergency escape, first aid sign Doors, exits, routes, equipment, facilities
No danger Return to normal

Part II

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Schedule 1, Part II defines five types of signboards, as shown below.[1] They are also covered by BS 5378, Part 1 and 3 from 1980 and 1982,[5][11][12] which have been superseded by BS EN ISO 7010.[13][14][15] Safety signs must contain only symbols, not text.[5][10] However, supplementary text plates may be used.[10] For fire exits, the running man symbol should be used.[16] Fire safety signs in use before the Regulations were in place could be used until 24 December 1998.[9]

Prohibitory signs
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Warning signs
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Mandatory signs
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Emergency escape or first-aid signs
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Fire-fighting signs
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Part III

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This part, Minimum requirements governing signs on containers and pipes, defines the marking for the transport or storage of dangerous material by pipes and in containers, originally within the scope of the European directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC, which are both replaced by Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, the CLP Regulation.[1] For marking, the warning signs of Part II should be used.[5]

Part IV

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The Minimum requirements for the identification and location of fire-fighting equipment specifies, that, additionally to the Fire-fighting signs of Part II, the equipment for fire-fighting and its location has to be marked red.[1]

Part V

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In this part, the Minimum requirements governing signs used for osbstacles and dangerous locations, and for marking traffic routes, requires hazardous places to be marked with either black and yellow or red and white markings. It also states that ways used for traffic have to be marked with either white or yellow stripes.[1]

Part VI

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Part VI, Minimum requirements for illuminated signs, requires illuminated signs to be single-coloured or to contain a symbol. If the latter is the case, it should comply with Part II. If a flashing light and a sound are used together, they have to be synchronized.[1]

Part VII

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This part, the Minimum requirements for acoustic signals, requires acoustic signals to be understandable and not harmful. If the acoustic signal is an fire alarm, it has to be continuing.[1]

Part VIII

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The Minimum requirements for verbal communication defines the use of language for safety purposes. It also defines coded words:[1]

Meaning
start to indicate the start of a command
stop to interrupt or end a movement
end to stop the operation
raise to have a load raised
lower to have a load lowered
forwards to be co-ordinated with the corresponding hand signals
backwards
right
left
danger for an emergency stop
quickly to speed up a movement for safety reasons

Part IX

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Hand signals should only be given by one instructor.[6] Other hand signals are also allowed, as specified in Schedule 2.[1]

Meaning Description    Illustration
A. General signals
START

Attention Start of Command

both arms are extended horizontally with the palms facing forwards
HSR 1996 IX 3a
STOP

Interruption End of movement   

the right arm points upwards with the palm facing forwards
HSR 1996 IX 3b
END of the operation both hands are clasped at chest height
HSR 1996 IX 3c
B. Vertical movements
RAISE the right arm points upwards with the palm facing forward and slowly makes a circle
HSR 1996 IX 3d
LOWER the right arm points downwards with the palm facing inwards and slowly makes a circle
HSR 1996 IX 3e
VERTICAL DISTANCE the hands indicate the relevant distance
HSR 1996 IX 3f
C. Horizontal Movements
MOVE FORWARDS both arms are bent with the palms facing upwards, and the forearms make slow movements towards the body
HSR 1996 IX 3g
MOVE BACKWARDS both arms are bent with the palms facing downwards, and the forearms make slow movements away from the body
HSR 1996 IX 3h
RIGHT to the signalman's the right arm is extended more or less horizontally with palm facing downwards and slowly makes small movements to the right
HSR 1996 IX 3i
LEFT to the signalman's the left arm is extended more or less horizontally with palm facing downwards and slowly makes small movements to the left
HSR 1996 IX 3j
HORIZONTAL DISTANCE the hands indicate the relevant distance.
HSR 1996 IX 3k
D. Danger
DANGER

Emergency stop

both arms points upwards with the palms facing forwards
HSR 1996 IX 3l
QUICK all movements faster
SLOW all movements slower

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Safety Signs L6" (PDF). Northumberland County Council. February 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d Safety signs and signals. The Health and Safety Regulations 1996. Guidance on Regulations (3rd ed.). Health and Safety Executive. 2015. ISBN 9780717665983.
  5. ^ a b c d e Stranks, Jeremy W. (2005). Health and Safety Law (5th ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education. p. 221. ISBN 9780131976467.
  6. ^ a b c Ridley, John (2013). Health and Safety In Brief (2nd ed.). Routledge. pp. 82–85. ISBN 9781136399619.
  7. ^ a b "Safety Signage". Queen Mary University of London. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  8. ^ a b St John Holt, Allan; Allen, Jim (2015). Principles of Health and Safety at Work (8th ed.). Routledge. ISBN 9781317341260.
  9. ^ a b Rowland, Edward; Day, Bob (2007). Health, Safety and Environment Legislation: A Pocket Guide. Royal Society of Chemistry. pp. 125–126. ISBN 9781847551047.
  10. ^ a b c d Hughes MBE, Phil; Ferrett, Ed (2020). Introduction to Health and Safety at Work: for the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety (7th ed.). Routledge. pp. 505–507. ISBN 9781000214215.
  11. ^ BS 5378-1:1980 Safety signs and colours - Specification for colour and design. London: British Standards Institution. 1980.
  12. ^ BS 5378-3:1982 Safety signs and colours - Specification for additional signs to those given in BS 5378:Part 1. London: British Standards Institution. 1982.
  13. ^ BS EN ISO 7010:2020+A6:2023 Graphical symbols. Safety colours and safety signs. Registered safety signs. London: British Standards Institution. 2023.
  14. ^ "BS 5378-1:1980 Safety signs and colours - Specification for colour and design". British Standards Institution. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  15. ^ "BS 5378-3:1982 Safety signs and colours - Specification for additional signs to those given in BS 5378:Part 1". British Standards Institution. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  16. ^ Hunt, Garry (2018). Health and Safety Pocket Book (2nd ed.). Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. p. 112. ISBN 9781138091450.
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