Key points
- AS 1319 groups workplace signs into regulatory signs (prohibition, mandatory, restriction), hazard signs (danger, warning), emergency information signs and fire signs.
- A red circle with a slash means do not. A blue circle means you must. Yellow with a black triangle warns of a hazard. Green points to emergency facilities. Red with white marks fire equipment.
- Symbols should be at least 15 mm high for every metre of viewing distance, and uppercase text at least 5 mm per metre.
- A sign supports other safety controls. It does not replace them.
Safety signs work because they are consistent. The same colour and shape carries the same meaning in a workshop in Carrum Downs and on a construction site in Perth. That consistency comes from AS 1319-1994, Safety signs for the occupational environment, which sets out how signs are designed and used to control behaviour, warn of hazards and give emergency information.
The sign types at a glance
| Sign type | What it looks like | What it tells people | Typical examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prohibition | Red circle with a diagonal red slash over a black symbol, white background, black text | An action is not permitted | No smoking, no entry, no mobile phones |
| Mandatory | White symbol on a blue circle, white background, black text | An instruction must be carried out | Eye protection must be worn, hearing protection must be worn |
| Restriction | Red circle without a slash around a black symbol or number | A limit applies to an activity | Speed limits |
| Warning | Black triangle and black symbol on a yellow background, black text | A hazard that is not likely to be life threatening | Forklifts in use, slippery surface |
| Danger | The word DANGER in white on a red oval inside a black rectangle, above a white panel | A hazard that is likely to be life threatening | High voltage, confined space |
| Emergency information | White symbol or text on a green background | Where emergency facilities are | First aid kit, emergency eyewash, assembly point |
| Fire | White symbol or text on a red background | Where fire alarms and fire fighting equipment are | Fire extinguisher, fire hose reel |
Regulatory signs: prohibition, mandatory and restriction
Regulatory signs control behaviour. A prohibition sign stops an action, and the red slash makes that clear even before the symbol is recognised. A mandatory sign does the opposite: the blue circle tells people what they have to do before going further, which is why these signs sit at the entry to an area where protective equipment is required.
Restriction signs put a number or another defined limit on an activity. The red circle has no slash, and the best known example is a speed limit sign.
Danger or warning: which one?
Both are hazard signs, and the difference is the likely outcome. A danger sign is for a hazard that is likely to be life threatening. A warning sign is for a hazard that is not likely to be life threatening.
Keep danger signs for the hazards that deserve them. If every doorway carries one, people stop reading them, including the one that matters.
Emergency information and fire signs
Green signs show people where to find help: first aid kits, eyewash, emergency showers and assembly points. WorkSafe Victoria's first aid compliance code asks employers to sign first aid facilities in line with AS 1319, for example with a white cross on a green background.
Red signs with white symbols mark fire alarms and fire fighting equipment. They need to be visible from a distance and from the direction people will approach, because they are read in a hurry. Both kinds are in our emergency, fire and first aid signs range.
How big should a sign be?
Size depends on how far away the sign has to be read. Regulator guidance based on AS 1319 gives a simple rule for good lighting: symbols at least 15 mm high per metre of viewing distance, and uppercase text at least 5 mm high per metre. In poor lighting, increase both by at least 50 per cent.
| Viewing distance | Minimum symbol height | Minimum uppercase text height | Symbol height in poor light |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 m | 75 mm | 25 mm | 113 mm |
| 10 m | 150 mm | 50 mm | 225 mm |
| 20 m | 300 mm | 100 mm | 450 mm |
| 30 m | 450 mm | 150 mm | 675 mm |
The figures in the table are worked from that rule. Measure the distance from where a person first needs to see the sign, not from where they end up standing.
Where to put signs
- Mount signs close to the observer's line of sight where practical.
- Place them against a contrasting background so they stand out.
- Choose a spot that will not be blocked by stacked materials, open doors or parked vehicles.
- Keep signs clean, in good condition and well lit.
- Put the sign where the decision is made: before the hazard, not beside it.
Choosing a material
AS 1319 does not require a particular material. It asks that the sign suits where and how it is used. As a rule of thumb:
- Metal for permanent outdoor signs on fences, gates and posts.
- Poly for walls and doors indoors and for sheltered outdoor positions.
- Corflute for temporary signs on short jobs and site fencing.
- Reflective finishes where signs are read at night or by vehicle headlights.
When a standard sign does not cover the message, a custom sign can keep the same colours and layout, and the right stands, frames and fixings keep it where it was put.
A five minute sign audit
- Walk the route a visitor would take, from the gate to the work area.
- At each hazard, check that a sign of the right type is there.
- Check that it can be read from the place where a person needs to act.
- Replace signs that are faded, damaged or out of date.
- Remove signs for hazards that no longer exist.
- Ask a new starter what each sign means. If they cannot say, cover it in the next toolbox talk.
Shop safety signs by type
- Prohibition signsRed circle and slash
- Mandatory signsBlue circle instructions
- Warning and caution signsYellow and black hazard signs
- Danger signsLife threatening hazards
- Emergency, fire and first aid signsGreen and red location signs
- Hazchem and dangerous goods signsChemical storage and transport
This guide is part of our workplace safety checklist. The next step on the checklist is first aid kit requirements.
Sources
- Standards Australia, AS 1319-1994 Safety signs for the occupational environment (reconfirmed 2018).
- WorkSafe ACT, Signage.
- WorkSafe Victoria, Compliance code: First aid in the workplace (2021), signage section.
