5-Star Safety and Health

Management System
Notices and Signs: Electrical, Mechanical, Protective Equipment, Symbolic
Safety Signs
Date: 16/10/2014 Revision: Pages: 8
Element: 2.24 Safety Manual: - OHSAS: 4.13.1 (d)

Purpose

The purpose of safety signs is to inform people about certain safety conditions. They also give
information, warnings and indicate what action must be taken

Recommend By:

5-Star Team
Ronald McKinnon
Approved by:

Abdullah Fahad Aljabjob

cting General Services Senior VP

Adoption By:

Ziyad Mohammed Al-Shiha

CEO of Saudi Electricity Company

1. Introduction

1.1. Safety signs form an important part of any safety system. The purpose of
safety signs is to inform people about certain safety conditions. They also
give information, warnings and indicate what action must be taken in certain
cases.

1.2. Correct signs can warn people and help prevent accidents caused because
the person was unaware or was not warned of the danger, or precautions,
to take.

2. Purpose

Safety signs convey numerous messages and their purpose can be summarized
by the following safety signs

2.1. Warn people of dangers

2.2. Inform about conditions

2.3. Enlighten as to where items are to be found

2.4. State certain safety facts

2.5. Indicate what to do

2.6. Reinforce existing safety rules

2.7. Prohibit certain actions

2.8. Impart certain safety messages.

Safety signs communicate with people in a work area. The communication can
be in the form of a warning, a message prohibiting behavior, a message
emphasizing a mandatory action or they could merely give information and
indicate locations and positioning of services.
3. Responsibility

3.1. Managers, Supervisors and Contractors (Responsible Persons) are

responsible for the maintenance of this Standard and ensure signs are
erected where needed, that employees understand the meaning of the
signs.

3.2. Purchasing and facilities are responsible to purchase signs according to this
Standard.

4. Categories of Safety Signs

There are three categories of safety signs:

4.1. A sign that contains a printed message

4.2. A pictorial safety sign that depicts the message by means of a diagram or
sketch

4.3. A combination safety sign, which uses both written message and a pictorial
message

5. Types

There are numerous types of safety signs found in industry and the following are
the major types.

5.1. Road signs and traffic signs are categorized as safety signs.

5.2. Signs are used in many instances to indicate what item of personal
protective equipment must be worn in certain areas and during certain
processes.

5.3. Signs are also used to warn workers of the hazards in work places and the
hazards of the materials they are handling.
 5.4. Signs also give information as to what and where. For instance, signs will
indicate what type of fire equipment is situated and where.

5.5. Signs also inform as to the direction of emergency exits, the position of first
aid equipment and also where telephones are located, etc. In an
emergency, signs play an important role in indicating; the positioning of
emergency equipment, fire exits, escapes routes, etc.

Safety signs are used to promote safety messages in a work place. To ensure
there is an ongoing awareness of safety, safety signs constantly promote safety
with their messages. These could be in the form of electronic notice boards,
moving message light boards or similar.

When erected on the road leading out of the plant they can leave departing
workers with a final safety message. This message could be to fasten their
safety belts or to take safety onto the road and also into the home.

6. Characteristics

6.1. An advantage of a pictorial (symbolic) sign is that it gives the message at a

glance while keeping the message simple and straight forward.

6.2. Symbolic signs consist of four characteristics, they are:

6.2.1. A standard size sign.

6.2.2. Different shapes for different messages.

6.2.3. Different background colors for messages.

6.2.4. A pictorial message.

6.3. The symbolic sign is of a particular color, shape and has a clearly
understood pictorial message. The symbolic signs are also in standardized
shapes to eliminate confusion.

6.3.1. The four shapes are:

6.3.1.1. Triangular - for warning.

6.3.1.2. Circular "annular" or ring - for prohibited.

 6.3.1.3. Circle (disk) - for mandatory messages.

6.3.1.4. Square - for information of direction.

6.3.1.5. Square - for fire information.

6.3.2. There are only four colors used for symbolic signs and these are as
follows:

6.3.2.1. Yellow for warning.

6.3.2.2. Red with a diagonal slash for prohibited and for information
of fire equipment.

6.3.2.3. Blue for mandatory.

6.3.2.4. Green for information of direction.

Examples of the shapes and colors of symbolic signs.

7. Safety sign program

7.1. Signs should be erected at the same height, where possible, and in similar
positions. For example, on entry into a workshop the symbolic signs could
be mounted 2 meters above the ground on the right hand side of the door.
A standard should be set for the erection of symbolic signs before they are
erected.

7.2. All signs should be erected in such a way that they do not pose a threat to
pedestrian traffic or hinder the flow of employees and traffic.

7.3. Homemade, non-standard signs will not be used.

7.4. Building name signs can be blue and white.

8. Training

8.1. It would be ideal to have a reference board erected in each department

giving the signs and their meaning. Should a worker be unsure of the
message he could always refer to the board in his department.

8.2. The explanation of the meaning of the symbolic sign as well as the key
chart to the color coding are normally combined and displayed prominently
in most work areas. These boards should be standardized for the entire
SEC.

8.3. Interpretation of the safety signs should form part of the induction training
as well.
9. Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of

Chemicals (GHS)

These international signs are to be used in future as part of the globalized

system of classification and labelling of hazardous chemicals.

10. Summary

10.1. The approved signage for safety signs at SEC is the OSHA standard

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=standards&p_id=9794
10.2. Where symbolic signs are not available or not practical, SEC signs shall
have the Arabic translation of the message on the sign as well as the
English message.

11. Document Retention

This document needs to be kept in the Safety and Health Management System
(5-Star) files and made available for auditing purposed.