Safety signs are designed to communicate important information quickly, consistently and clearly.
But there is much more behind an effective safety sign than simply printing a symbol on a piece of plastic.
The colours, graphical symbols and general design of safety signs are supported by established technical principles and standards, while the use of safety signs in workplaces is also covered by UK legislation and official Health and Safety Executive guidance.
For businesses, this creates an important distinction between what the law requires, how the HSE explains those requirements, and how recognised standards help provide consistent safety-sign design and meaning.
Understanding that distinction is important when selecting safety signage for a workplace.
In this guide, we look at the main UK regulatory framework, the role of HSE guidance, the importance of ISO 7010 and the practical considerations businesses should take into account when selecting, installing and maintaining safety signs.
Effective safety signage is not simply about having signs in place. The signs need to communicate the right message, in the right way, where that information is needed.
Why Do Safety Signage Standards Matter?
Imagine moving from one workplace to another and finding that every business uses completely different symbols for the same hazards.
A blue sign might mean one thing in one factory and something completely different somewhere else.
A warning about electricity might be represented by one pictogram at one site and an entirely different symbol at another.
That inconsistency would create unnecessary confusion.
One of the fundamental purposes of standardisation is therefore to provide consistency in safety communication.
The HSE explains that the original European framework behind the Regulations sought to standardise safety signs so that the same sign would communicate the same message, including for workers who move between different workplaces.
Modern standards continue that principle through standardised graphical symbols and safety-sign designs.
BSI describes ISO 7010 as a standard that standardises the look and meaning of safety signs for international use, helping provide clarity and consistency regardless of language, culture or setting.
This has practical benefits for:
- Employees
- Contractors
- Visitors
- Temporary workers
- Multilingual workplaces
- People working across different sites
Standardisation does not mean that every workplace needs exactly the same collection of signs.
Instead, it means that when a particular safety message is required, there is a recognised and consistent way of communicating it.
That distinction is important.
What Legislation Governs Safety Signs in the UK?
The principal UK regulations governing workplace safety signs are the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996.
The Regulations came into force on 1 April 1996 and establish duties concerning safety signs and signals in relevant workplaces.
The Regulations cover more than conventional signboards. They also address other methods of communicating health and safety information, including:
- Signboards
- Safety colours
- Illuminated signs
- Acoustic signals
- Verbal communications
- Hand signals
For businesses, one of the most important principles is that safety signs are not intended to replace proper risk control.
The HSE states that employers must provide and maintain safety signs where there is a significant risk to health and safety that has not been removed or adequately controlled by other methods, and where using a sign can further reduce that risk.
That means the starting point should not simply be:
“Where can we put a safety sign?”
It should be:
“What hazard remains, what controls are already in place, and what information still needs to be communicated?”
The HSE specifically states that safety signs are not a substitute for other means of controlling risks, such as engineering controls or safe systems of work.
Safety signs and risk assessment
The HSE also explains that employers should take the results of their risk assessment into account when determining when and where safety signs are required.
A risk assessment should identify:
Hazards
→ Risks associated with those hazards
→ Control measures
→ Any significant residual risk
Where a significant residual risk remains and signage can further reduce that risk or communicate the necessary precautions, appropriate safety signage may be required.
This is one of the most important concepts to understand when discussing safety-sign requirements.
A sign is part of risk management. It is not the risk control itself.
What Is HSE Guidance L64?
The Health and Safety Executive’s L64: Safety Signs and Signals is the principal guidance document explaining how to comply with the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996.
The current HSE publication describes itself as providing practical advice on how to comply with the Regulations and is aimed at employers, dutyholders and others responsible for work sites, premises and equipment requiring safety communications.
One of the most important distinctions is that HSE guidance is not itself legislation.
The HSE states that following its guidance is not compulsory and that businesses are free to take other action, but that following the guidance will normally be sufficient to comply with the law. Inspectors may also refer to the guidance when seeking compliance.
L64 provides practical guidance on areas including:
- Selecting safety signs
- Using signboards
- Safety colours
- Symbols and pictograms
- Positioning
- Visibility
- Illumination
- Maintenance
- Dangerous locations
- Traffic routes
- Fire safety signs
- Acoustic and illuminated signals
- Hand and verbal signals
This makes L64 an important practical reference for businesses responsible for workplace safety signage.
What Is ISO 7010?
ISO 7010 is an international standard covering graphical symbols, safety colours and registered safety signs.
Its purpose is to standardise the look and meaning of safety signs so that they provide consistent graphical communication.
BSI currently lists BS EN ISO 7010:2020+A8:2024 as a current standard, under review. BSI describes it as applying to locations where safety issues relating to people need to be addressed and says it standardises safety-sign appearance and meaning for purposes including accident prevention, fire protection, health-hazard information and emergency evacuation.
The standard is relevant to organisations including:
- Sign manufacturers
- Health and safety professionals
- Risk assessors
- Fire safety professionals
- Workplace managers
- Public-space managers
- Organisations responsible for safety communication
What does “registered safety sign” mean?
ISO 7010 contains a library of registered safety signs and graphical symbols rather than simply leaving the design of every safety symbol entirely to individual businesses or manufacturers.
This gives organisations access to recognised graphical signs for a broad range of safety messages.
For example, standardised symbols are used for categories including:
Warning
Prohibition
Mandatory action
Fire equipment
Emergency escape
First aid
This consistency is particularly valuable where workers, contractors or visitors may move between different workplaces.
What Does ISO 7010 Actually Standardise?
ISO 7010 is more than a catalogue of pictures.
BSI explains that the standard specifies safety-sign originals that can be scaled for reproduction and application. BSI also states that the shape and colour of each safety sign follow ISO 3864-1, while graphical-symbol design follows ISO 3864-3.
In practical terms, the standard provides a consistent technical framework for safety signs.
Standardised graphical symbols
The graphical symbol conveys the specific safety message.
This reduces reliance on written language and helps make signage more universally recognisable.
Consistent safety-sign appearance
The established combination of colour, form and graphical symbol allows people to recognise the general type of message and then understand the specific instruction or hazard.
Reproducible sign originals
The registered sign designs can be reproduced and scaled for practical applications.
Continuing development
An important point for businesses is that ISO 7010 is not a completely static library.
BSI states that the standard is continually updated to incorporate new safety signs used around the world.
The development of new amendments is still continuing. For example, BSI is currently listing new ISO 7010 amendment work relating to additional registered signs in 2026.
That is a useful reminder that safety signage standards can evolve over time.
UK Regulations vs HSE Guidance vs ISO 7010
One of the easiest ways to become confused about safety signage is to treat legislation, guidance and standards as though they are interchangeable.
They are not.
| Source | Purpose | Practical role |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 | Establish the legal framework | Sets relevant legal duties |
| HSE L64 | Explains practical compliance | Provides guidance on selecting, using and maintaining signs |
| ISO 7010 | Standardises registered safety signs and their meanings | Provides consistent graphical communication |
| ISO 3864 series | Provides principles for safety colours, shapes and graphical-symbol design | Supports consistent sign design |
Legislation
Legislation establishes the legal duties that apply.
HSE guidance
HSE guidance explains practical ways of approaching those legal requirements.
Technical standards
Standards provide recognised technical frameworks for design, symbols, colours and other characteristics.
This leads to a particularly important point:
ISO 7010 should not simply be described as “UK safety-sign law”.
It is a recognised technical standard, not a replacement for the underlying legislation.
A business therefore needs to understand both the legal requirement to communicate relevant safety information and the recognised standards that help ensure the signage communicates that information consistently.
Do Safety Signs Have to Be ISO 7010 Compliant?
This is one of the most commonly misunderstood areas of workplace safety signage.
The phrase “ISO 7010 compliant” is widely used when discussing safety signs, but it should not be treated as though ISO 7010 itself is a blanket legal requirement for every safety sign in every circumstance.
The more useful question is:
What is the appropriate safety sign for the hazard or situation, and what recognised requirements or standards apply to it?
Where an appropriate registered ISO 7010 symbol exists, using the recognised symbol can provide a clear and consistent way of communicating the relevant message.
However, the precise signage required still depends on the workplace, the risk, the message being communicated and the applicable legal and technical framework.
There are also circumstances where other specialist signage systems or sector-specific requirements apply.
BSI specifically states that ISO 7010 does not apply to signalling used for guiding rail, road, river, maritime and air traffic where sector-specific regulations may differ.
The HSE guidance also explains that particular sectors can be subject to additional or separate requirements. For example, offshore emergency-warning arrangements and certain fire-safety provisions are subject to other legislation and requirements.
So the correct approach is not simply:
“Is this sign ISO 7010?”
It is:
“Is this the correct sign for this hazard, in this environment, under the requirements that apply to this workplace?”
What Makes a Safety Sign Technically Suitable?
Selecting the correct symbol is important, but it is only part of the process.
A safety sign also has to work effectively in the real environment where it is being used.
Correct message
The sign should communicate the actual hazard, instruction, prohibition or facility that needs to be identified.
Correct graphical content
The pictogram needs to communicate the intended message clearly.
The HSE says pictograms should be as simple as possible and contain only necessary detail.
Sufficient visibility
A sign that technically contains the correct symbol is of little use if people cannot see or understand it.
The HSE guidance discusses sign dimensions, lighting and visual characteristics so that signs can be easily seen and understood.
Suitable material
The environment matters.
A sign used inside a clean office may face very different conditions from one installed outside, in a production area or in a harsh industrial environment.
Businesses should therefore consider factors such as:
Weather
UV exposure
Moisture
Chemical exposure
Cleaning
Physical impact
Temperature
Expected lifespan
The HSE guidance also addresses the use of suitable materials and the need for safety signs to retain their required characteristics.
Appropriate positioning
The sign must be positioned where people can see and understand it.
Positioning should take account of:
- The hazard
- Direction of travel
- Line of sight
- Viewing distance
- Potential obstructions
- Lighting
- Other signage
A perfectly designed sign placed behind machinery or at an unsuitable height cannot perform its intended function effectively.
Proper maintenance
Safety signage should remain visible, legible and effective throughout its service life.
The HSE guidance places importance on maintaining signs and replacing them when necessary.
Safety Sign Standards & Accessibility
A good safety-sign system should communicate effectively to as many people as reasonably practicable.
This makes accessibility another important consideration.
Colour should not be the only method used to communicate the meaning of a safety sign.
Pictograms and other graphical elements are particularly valuable for people with colour vision deficiency and for people who may not speak the language used in supplementary text.
The Regulations also recognise situations where a worker’s hearing or sight may be impaired and require appropriate measures where necessary, including where personal protective equipment itself causes an impairment.
This reinforces an important principle:
A strong safety-sign system uses multiple complementary visual and communication cues rather than relying on one feature alone.
For example, a blue mandatory sign communicates the broad category through its colour, while the pictogram identifies exactly what action is required.
Likewise, a warning sign uses its standard visual characteristics to indicate a warning, while the symbol communicates the particular hazard.
This is one of the reasons standardised graphical symbols are so important.
How Should Businesses Approach Safety Signage Standards?
For most businesses, the process can be approached systematically.
1. Identify the hazard or information
What needs to be communicated?
2. Assess the risk
Consider the underlying hazard and the controls already in place.
3. Identify any residual risk
Determine whether signage is needed to warn, instruct, prohibit or identify a facility or route.
4. Select an appropriate recognised sign
Where an established standardised sign exists, consider using it.
5. Check the applicable requirements
Consider relevant legislation, HSE guidance, standards and any sector-specific requirements.
6. Choose suitable physical characteristics
Consider the sign’s:
Size
Material
Visibility
Durability
Lighting
Installation environment
7. Position it effectively
Place the sign where the intended audience can see and understand it.
8. Maintain and review it
Replace damaged, faded or obsolete signage and review signage when workplace conditions change.
This approach treats safety signage as part of the wider safety-management process rather than as a standalone purchasing exercise.
Why Standardised Safety Signs Are So Important
The value of standards ultimately comes down to consistent communication.
A worker should not have to relearn the meaning of a safety symbol every time they enter a different workplace.
A contractor moving between factories should be able to recognise a familiar warning.
A visitor should be able to identify an emergency route without having to understand an unfamiliar internal sign system.
A worker who speaks a different first language should still be able to understand the intended message through recognised graphical communication.
That consistency is one of the fundamental reasons recognised safety-sign standards matter.
The HSE’s guidance and the ISO 7010 framework approach the issue from different perspectives, but both support the broader principle that safety information should be communicated clearly and consistently.
Frequently Asked Questions About Safety Sign Standards
1. What are safety sign standards?
Safety sign standards provide recognised technical principles and designs for communicating health and safety information. They help ensure that colours, symbols, graphical elements and other features are used consistently.
2. What is ISO 7010?
ISO 7010 is an international standard covering graphical symbols, safety colours and registered safety signs. It standardises the look and meaning of safety signs for a wide range of situations where safety information needs to be communicated.
3. Is ISO 7010 a legal requirement in the UK?
ISO 7010 is a technical standard rather than a piece of UK legislation. UK legal duties concerning workplace safety signs arise from applicable legislation, including the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, alongside other requirements that may apply to particular situations.
4. What are the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996?
These Regulations establish legal requirements relating to safety signs and signals in relevant workplaces. They cover signboards as well as other forms of safety communication, including illuminated signs, acoustic signals, verbal communications and hand signals.
5. What is HSE L64?
L64 is the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996. It provides practical information on selecting, using and maintaining safety signs and signals.
6. What is the difference between ISO 7010 and UK legislation?
UK legislation establishes applicable legal duties, while ISO 7010 is a technical standard that standardises registered safety signs and their meanings. HSE L64 provides practical guidance on how the Regulations can be applied.
7. Do all safety signs need to be ISO 7010 compliant?
Not necessarily. The appropriate requirements depend on the sign, hazard, workplace and applicable legislation or sector-specific requirements. Where a suitable registered ISO 7010 sign exists, using the standardised symbol can help provide consistent communication.
8. How often should safety signs be replaced?
There is not one universal replacement interval for every safety sign. Signs should be inspected and maintained and replaced when they become damaged, faded, obscured or otherwise no longer effective. They should also be reviewed when workplace hazards, layouts or requirements change.
9. What makes a safety sign suitable for a workplace?
The sign should communicate the correct message and be suitable for its environment. Businesses should consider its graphical content, visibility, size, material, positioning, lighting, durability and maintenance requirements.
10. Why are standardised safety signs important?
Standardised safety signs help provide consistent communication across different workplaces and environments. Familiar colours, symbols and graphical designs can make important safety information easier to recognise and understand.
Sources & Further Reading
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE) — Safety Signs and Signals: Guidance on Regulations (L64)
https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l64.pdf - UK Legislation — Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/341 - British Standards Institution (BSI) — BS EN ISO 7010:2020+A8:2024
https://knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/graphical-symbols-safety-colours-and-safety-signs-registered-safety-signs-6
Gary Homan is the Founder and Managing Director of HSE Store, a specialist UK supplier of high-quality British-made workplace safety equipment. With over 15 years of frontline experience in senior warehousing, logistics, and health & safety operations, Gary has worked at the sharp end of major safety projects across industrial and manufacturing environments.
Frustrated by the widespread use of substandard or ill-fitting safety solutions that put workers at risk, he established HSE Store to deliver practical, reliable equipment and expert guidance that genuinely protects people and raises safety standards. His deep operational expertise continues to shape every product, guide, and recommendation on the site.
