Guidance

Annex 1: text to the annexes to council Directive 92/58/EC

Published 12 September 2024

General minimum requirements concerning safety and or health signs at work

1. Preliminary remarks

1.1 Where health and or safety signs are required by the general rule in Article 3 of the Directive, they must conform to the specific requirements in annexes 2 to 9.

1.2 This annex introduces those requirements, describes the different uses of safety and or health signs, and gives general rules on the interchanging and combining of signs.

1.3 Health and or safety signs must be used only to convey the message or information specified in the Directive.

2. Types of signs

2.1 Permanent signs

2.1.1 Permanent signboards must be used for signs relating to prohibitions, warnings, mandatory requirements, the location and identification of emergency escape routes and first aid facilities.

2.1.2 Signboards and or a safety colour must be used to mark permanently the location and identification of firefighting equipment.

2.1.3 Signboards on containers and pipes must be as laid down in annex 3.

2.1.4 Places where there is a risk of colliding with obstacles or of falling must be permanently marked with a safety colour and or with signboards.

2.1.5 Traffic routes must be permanently marked with a safety colour.

2.2 Occasional signs

2.2.1 Illuminated signs, acoustic signals and or verbal communication must be used where the occasion requires, taking into the account the possibilities for interchanging and combining signs set out in Schedule 3 to the signal danger, to call persons to take specific course of action and for all emergency evacuation of persons.

2.2.2 Hand signals and or verbal communications must be used where the occasion requires and to guide persons carrying out hazardous or dangerous manoeuvres.

3. Interchanging and combining signs

3.1 Any one of the following may be used if equally effective:

• a safety colour or signboard to mark places where there is an obstacle or drop
• illuminated signs, acoustic signals or verbal communication
• hand signals or verbal communication

3.2 Some types of signs may be used together:

• illuminated signs and acoustic signals
• illuminated signs and verbal communication
• hand signals and verbal communication.

4. Incorporating a safety colour

The instructions in the following table apply to all signs incorporating a safety colour.

Colour	Meaning or purpose	Instructions and information
Red	Prohibition sign	Dangerous behaviour
Danger Alarm	Stop, shutdown, emergency cut out devices, Evacuate
Firefighting 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

5. Effectiveness of a sign

The effectiveness of a sign must not be adversely affected by:

5.1 the presence of another emission source of the same type which interferes with visibility or audibility; therefore in particular:

5.1.1 the placing of too many signs too close together should be avoided.

5.1.2 two illuminated signs which are likely to be confused are not be used at the same time;

5.1.3 an illuminated sign which is not to be used in the proximity of another similar illuminated source;

5.1.4 two acoustic signals are not be used at the same time;

5.1.5 an acoustic signal is not to be used if there is too much ambient noise.

5.2 poor design, insufficient number, incorrect positioning, poor state of repair or incorrect functioning of the signs or signalling devices.

6. Cleaning and maintenance

Depending on requirements, signs and signalling devices must be cleaned, maintained, checked, repaired and if necessary replaced on a regular basis to ensure that they retain their intrinsic and or functional qualities.

7. Number and positioning of signs

The number and positioning of signs or signalling devices to be installed will depend on the extent of the hazards or dangers or on the zone to be covered.

8. Sign power emergency supply

Signs requiring some form of power must be provided with a guaranteed emergency supply in the event of a power cut, unless the hazard a thereby been eliminated.

9. Triggering an illuminated sign or acoustic signal

The triggering of an illuminated sign and or acoustic signal indicates when the required action should start, the sign or signal must be activated for as long as the action requires. Illuminated signs and signals must be reactivated immediately after use.

10. Checking illuminated signs and acoustic signals

Illuminated signs and acoustic signals must be checked to ensure that they function correctly and that they are effective before they are put into service and subsequently at sufficiently frequent intervals. If the hearing or the sight of seafarers or workers concerned is impaired, including impairment caused by the wearing of personal protective equipment, measures must be taken to supplement or replace the signs concerned.

11. Hearing or sight impaired seafarers

If the hearing or the sight of seafarers or workers concerned is impaired, including impairment caused by the wearing of personal protective equipment, measures must be taken to supplement or replace the signs concerned. 2. Areas, rooms or enclosures used for the storage of significant quantities of hazardous substances or mixtures must be indicated by a suitable warning sign taken from Section 3.2 of annex 2, or marked as provided in Section 1 of annex 3, unless the labelling of the individual packages or containers is adequate for this purpose. If there is no equivalent warning sign in Section 3.2 of annex 2 to warn about hazardous chemical substances or mixtures, the relevant hazard pictogram, as laid down in annex 5 to Reg No. 1272/2008 must be used.