Safety Sign Colours and Shapes: The Complete UK Guide

Every safety sign in a UK workplace is built from one of five colour and shape combinations. Learn those five and you can read any sign before you read a single word: a red circle with a bar tells you not to do something, a yellow triangle warns of a hazard, a blue circle tells you what you must do, a green sign shows the way to safety or help, and a red square marks firefighting equipment.

This guide explains each type in detail, the law and standards behind them, how big your signs need to be, where to put them, and the mistakes we see most often. It is written for business owners, facilities managers, site managers and anyone responsible for health and safety on a premises.

Free printable chart

Download the chart above as a high resolution image for staff training, induction packs or the noticeboard. It is free to use and share, including on your own website, as long as you link back to this page. Embed code is at the end of this guide.

In this guide

At a glance The law The standards Prohibition Warning Mandatory Safe condition Fire equipment Fire exit signs Sign size Placement Common mistakes Checklist FAQs

The five sign types at a glance

Type	Shape	Colours	Meaning	Safety colour	ISO 7010 prefix
Prohibition	Circle with diagonal bar	Red edge and bar, white background, black symbol	You must not do this	Red, at least 35% of the sign	P
Warning	Triangle	Yellow background, black edge and symbol	Hazard ahead, take care	Yellow, at least 50%	W
Mandatory	Circle	Blue background, white symbol	You must do this	Blue, at least 50%	M
Safe condition	Square or rectangle	Green background, white symbol	Escape route, first aid, safety equipment	Green, at least 50%	E
Fire equipment	Square or rectangle	Red background, white symbol	Where firefighting equipment is kept	Red, at least 50%	F

The percentages come from Schedule 1 of the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996. They are the minimum share of the sign that must be in the safety colour, which is why a prohibition sign is mostly white while a mandatory sign is mostly blue.

There is a simple logic to the shapes. Circles give instructions (do, or do not). Triangles warn. Squares and rectangles give information: where to go, or where something is. Colour then sets the tone: red for stop or fire, yellow for caution, blue for an instruction, green for safety.

What the law requires

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996

These are the main regulations for workplace safety signs in Great Britain. They do not ask you to put signs everywhere. Under regulation 4, an employer must provide and maintain suitable safety signs where their risk assessment shows a risk that cannot be avoided or adequately reduced by other means. Signs are the last line, not the first: if you can remove a hazard, guard it or change the way the work is done, do that first.

Three duties follow from the regulations:

Provide the right signs where a risk remains after other controls, using the shapes, colours and symbols set out in Schedule 1.
Maintain them so they stay clean, visible and legible. A faded or hidden sign does not meet the duty.
Explain them. Regulation 5 requires employers to give employees information, instruction and training on what the signs mean and what to do about them.

The HSE publishes free guidance on the regulations, Safety signs and signals: Guidance on Regulations (L64), now in its third edition. The Regulations themselves (Schedule 1) also say too many signs placed close together should be avoided, because a wall covered in notices is easy to ignore.

The 1996 Regulations cover Great Britain. Northern Ireland has its own equivalent safety signs regulations, made in the same year.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

In England and Wales, fire safety in non-domestic premises is covered by the Fire Safety Order. Article 14 says that, where necessary, emergency routes and exits must be indicated by signs, and routes and exits that need lighting must have emergency lighting that works if the normal lighting fails. Scotland has equivalent duties under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, and Northern Ireland under the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010. Your fire risk assessment is what tells you where escape signs, fire equipment signs and fire action notices are needed.

The short version

Use signs for the risks your assessment says are left over. Use the correct type, keep them in good condition, and make sure your people know what they mean.

The standards behind the signs

BS EN ISO 7010: the symbols

ISO 7010 is the international catalogue of safety sign symbols. It was first published in 2003 and has been updated several times since, adding new symbols as they are agreed. Each symbol has a reference code made of a letter for the sign type and a number:

Prefix	Type	Examples
E	Safe condition (emergency)	E001 and E002 emergency exit (left and right), E003 first aid, E004 emergency telephone, E007 evacuation assembly point, E011 eyewash station
F	Fire equipment	F001 fire extinguisher, F002 fire hose reel, F005 fire alarm call point
M	Mandatory	M001 general mandatory action, M002 refer to instructions, M004 wear eye protection, M008 wear safety footwear, M009 wear protective gloves, M014 wear head protection
P	Prohibition	P001 general prohibition, P002 no smoking, P003 no open flame, P004 no thoroughfare
W	Warning	W001 general warning, W011 slippery surface, W012 electricity, W014 fork lift trucks and other industrial vehicles

The point of a standard symbol is that it is understood without words. That matters in workplaces where not everyone reads English, and in an emergency, when people react to shapes and pictures faster than text. Where an ISO 7010 symbol exists for your message, use it.

ISO 3864-1: the design rules

ISO 3864-1 sets the design principles that every safety sign follows: the shapes, the safety colours, the contrast colours and how they combine. It is the reason the same five combinations appear on signs in the UK, Europe and many other countries. It also defines how sign size relates to viewing distance, which we cover below.

BS 5499-4: escape route signing

BS 5499-4 is the British code of practice for escape route signs. It covers how to plan signs along an escape route, where to place them and how to use direction arrows. If you are signing a building from scratch, this is the standard your fire risk assessor will expect you to follow.

Prohibition signs: red circle with a bar

Meaning: stop, you must not do this.

Design: a round sign with a red edge and a red diagonal bar running from top left to bottom right, on a white background. The symbol is black and sits behind the bar. Red must cover at least 35% of the sign.

When to use one: to forbid behaviour that could cause harm or damage. Typical uses are smoking or naked flames near flammable materials, unauthorised entry to plant rooms or sites, pedestrians in vehicle areas, mobile phones near fuel, and food or drink in laboratories or chemical stores.

Good practice: say what is forbidden, not just that something is. "No entry" on its own is weaker than "No entry, authorised personnel only" on a supplementary text panel. Place the sign at the point where the behaviour would start, such as the door into the area, not deep inside it.

Warning signs: yellow triangle

Meaning: caution, there is a hazard here.

Design: an equilateral triangle with rounded corners, a black edge and a black symbol on a yellow background. Yellow must cover at least 50% of the sign.

When to use one: to tell people about a hazard they might not otherwise notice or understand. A warning sign does not tell people what to do. If there is a specific precaution, pair the warning with a mandatory sign. A noise hazard warning next to "Ear protection must be worn" is clearer than either sign alone.

Good practice: warn about the specific hazard. A general warning symbol with "Danger" is far less useful than a sign showing the actual hazard, such as electricity, asbestos or moving vehicles. Remove temporary warning signs, such as wet floor signs, when the hazard has gone, or people learn to ignore them.

Mandatory signs: blue circle

Meaning: you must do this.

Design: a solid blue circle with a white symbol. Blue must cover at least 50% of the sign.

When to use one: to require a specific action. The most common use is personal protective equipment (hard hats, hi-vis, safety boots, eye and ear protection, gloves), but mandatory signs also cover instructions such as keeping a fire door shut, washing hands, or using a handrail.

Good practice: put PPE signs at the entrance to the area where the PPE is needed, so people can put it on before they go in. On construction sites, a single board combining all the site's mandatory requirements at the gate is easier to follow than a dozen separate signs.

Safe condition signs: green square or rectangle

Meaning: this way to safety or help.

Design: a green square or rectangle with a white symbol. Green must cover at least 50% of the sign.

When to use one: to show emergency exits and escape routes, first aid points, eyewash stations and emergency showers, emergency telephones, refuge areas and evacuation assembly points.

Good practice: first aid signs should be visible from the main working areas, not hidden in a corridor. Assembly point signs should be large enough to read from the building exits, and placed somewhere people can gather safely away from the building and from vehicle routes.

Fire equipment signs: red square or rectangle

Meaning: firefighting equipment is here.

Design: a red square or rectangle with a white symbol. Red must cover at least 50% of the sign.

When to use one: to show the location of fire extinguishers, fire alarm call points, fire hose reels, fire blankets and other firefighting equipment.

Good practice: here, red does not mean stop. It means "here is the equipment". Mount the sign above the equipment so it can be seen even when the extinguisher itself is hidden behind people, stock or furniture. Fire extinguisher identification signs that show which type of extinguisher to use on which fire are a useful addition next to each extinguisher point.

Fire exit and escape route signs

Fire exit signs are green safe condition signs, not red fire signs. They are the signs most likely to be checked by a fire risk assessor or an enforcing authority, so they are worth getting right.

Fire exit signs with arrows: up means straight on, down means go down, right and left mean change direction

Show the direction. An escape sign should show which way to go, with a direction arrow alongside the running figure and door symbol.
Up means straight on. An arrow pointing up means keep going forward. Above a doorway on a corridor, the up arrow tells people to go through the door and carry on.
Down means down. BS 5499-4 recommends a down arrow only where the route goes down, such as at the top of a staircase. It should not be used to mean "this door here".
Sign every decision point. Place a sign at every change of direction, every change of level and anywhere people might be unsure which way to go. Someone who has never been in the building should be able to follow the signs to a final exit.
Use one style. Older "BS 5499" style signs and newer ISO 7010 signs look different. Mixing them is not illegal, but guidance advises against it, because inconsistent signs cause hesitation in an evacuation. When you replace signs, update the whole route.
Think about lighting. Escape signs need to be visible when the power fails. That means emergency lighting, or internally illuminated signs. Photoluminescent (glow in the dark) signs can help people find their way, but they do not replace emergency lighting where your fire risk assessment requires it.

Shop fire exit signs or see our fire safety wayfinding signs.

Supplementary text signs

A safety sign can be paired with a rectangular text panel, such as "Fire exit" under a running man, or "Hard hats must be worn" under a mandatory symbol. The panel is either white with black text, or the same safety colour as the sign with white or black text for contrast. Keep the wording short and specific. Where a standard symbol exists, the symbol carries the message and the text supports it, not the other way round.

Combined signs that put several messages on one board, such as a site entrance board with warning, mandatory and prohibition symbols together, are allowed and often clearer than lots of separate signs. Group the symbols by type so the colours do the work.

How big should a safety sign be?

A sign is only useful if it can be read from where people first need to see it. The standards relate the height of a sign to the maximum distance it can be read from, using a distance factor:

Maximum viewing distance = sign height x distance factor

Diagram and table of safety sign viewing distances: a 200 mm sign can be read from 20 metres when lit externally and 40 metres when lit internally

For escape route signs, the emergency lighting standard BS EN 1838 uses a factor of 100 for signs lit by a light outside the sign and 200 for signs lit from inside. So a 200 mm high externally lit sign can be read from up to 20 metres, and the same sign internally lit from up to 40 metres. The factors assume good lighting and normal eyesight, so err on the large side in long corridors, warehouses, car parks and anywhere with poor light.

As a rough rule for everyday signs:

Doors, cupboards and equipment: 100 x 150 mm to 150 x 200 mm, read from a few metres away.
Corridors, offices and general walls: 200 x 300 mm or A4.
Warehouses, large open areas, site entrances and car parks: 300 x 400 mm up to 400 x 600 mm and larger.

If in doubt, stand where people will first see the sign and check you can read it comfortably.

Where to put safety signs

Diagram of safety sign mounting heights: 2.0 metres above doors, 1.7 metres on walls

Fire Industry Association guidance suggests mounting signs at about 2.0 m from the floor above doors and about 1.7 m on walls, which puts wall signs close to eye level. Beyond height, a few principles apply to every sign:

Put it where the decision is made. A PPE sign belongs at the entrance to the area, not inside it. A hazard warning belongs before the hazard, not beside it.
Keep it clear. Signs should not be blocked by open doors, racking, stock, vehicles or seasonal decorations.
Avoid clutter. Too many signs in one place compete for attention. Prioritise, and combine messages where you can.
Light it. A sign in a dark corner is a sign nobody reads. Escape route signs must remain visible if the power fails.
Choose the right material. Self adhesive vinyl suits smooth, clean indoor surfaces such as painted walls, doors and glass. Rough, dusty or outdoor surfaces may need a different fixing.

Common mistakes we see

Red fire exit signs. Fire exits are green. Red squares are for fire equipment.
Escape signs without arrows, or with a down arrow over a door to mean "exit here".
Mixed sign styles along the same escape route.
Warnings with no instruction. Telling people about a hazard without telling them the precaution.
Signs that are too small for the distance they are read from.
Signs that have faded, peeled or been painted over, or that refer to hazards that are no longer there.
Signs instead of controls. A "Mind your head" sign is not a substitute for padding a low beam if the beam can be padded.
Home-made signs in the wrong colours or shapes. A red triangle or a green circle does not mean anything under the regulations and can confuse people.

Safety sign checklist

Step 1

Review your risk assessment and fire risk assessment. List the risks that remain after other controls.

Step 2

Choose the right type of sign for each: prohibition, warning, mandatory, safe condition or fire equipment.

Step 3

Walk every escape route from start to final exit. Check there is a sign at every change of direction, level and decision point.

Step 4

Check sizes against viewing distance, and mounting heights against sight lines.

Step 5

Replace faded, damaged, outdated or mixed style signs, and remove signs for hazards that have gone.

Step 6

Brief staff on what the signs mean, and add the chart above to induction and training packs.

Frequently asked questions

Are safety signs a legal requirement?

Yes, where a risk remains that cannot be avoided or adequately reduced in other ways. The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 require employers to provide and maintain suitable signs in those cases, and fire safety law requires emergency routes and exits to be indicated by signs where necessary.

What colour is a fire exit sign?

Green, with a white running figure, a door and a direction arrow. Fire exits are safe condition signs, which is why they are green rather than red.

What do red safety signs mean?

Red is used for two things. A red circle with a diagonal bar is a prohibition sign, meaning do not do something. A red square or rectangle with a white symbol is a fire equipment sign, showing where firefighting equipment is.

What is the difference between a warning and a mandatory sign?

A warning sign (yellow triangle) tells people about a hazard. A mandatory sign (blue circle) tells people what they must do. They are often used together, for example a noise warning with an ear protection sign.

What does ISO 7010 mean on a sign?

It means the symbol comes from BS EN ISO 7010, the international standard catalogue of safety symbols. Each symbol has a code, such as E001 for an emergency exit or P002 for no smoking.

Can I still use old style fire exit signs?

Older signs are not automatically illegal, but guidance advises against mixing old and new styles in the same building. When you replace signs, it is best to update the whole escape route to ISO 7010 style signs.

Do signs need to glow in the dark?

Not always. Escape route signs must be visible if the normal lighting fails, which usually means emergency lighting or internally illuminated signs. Photoluminescent signs can add extra guidance but do not replace emergency lighting where it is required.

How often should safety signs be checked?

There is no fixed interval in the regulations, but signs must be maintained. Check them as part of your regular workplace inspections and fire risk assessment reviews, and after any building changes.

What if I need a sign that is not in the standard range?

Use the correct colour and shape for the type of message and a standard symbol where one exists. Our custom safety signs service sets your wording out on the right template and emails a proof the same working day before anything is printed.

You are welcome to use our safety sign colours chart on your website, intranet or training materials, as long as you credit Cheap Safety Signs with a link to this page. Copy and paste this code:

<a href="https://cheapsafetysigns.co.uk/blogs/guides/safety-sign-colours-and-shapes"><img src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1072/8049/9029/files/safety-sign-colours-chart.png?v=1791561222" alt="Safety sign colours and shapes chart" width="600"></a>
<p>Chart: <a href="https://cheapsafetysigns.co.uk/blogs/guides/safety-sign-colours-and-shapes">Safety sign colours and shapes explained</a> by Cheap Safety Signs</p>

Sources

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, regulations 4 and 5 and Schedule 1
HSE L64, Safety signs and signals: Guidance on Regulations
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 14
BS EN ISO 7010, ISO 3864-1, BS 5499-4 and BS EN 1838
Fire Industry Association, Guidance Document on Fire Safety Signs and Notices

This guide is general information, not legal advice. For decisions about your premises, follow your risk assessment and fire risk assessment, and take advice from a competent health and safety or fire safety adviser.