Safety signs are something most of us probably walk past every day without giving them a second thought. In a workplace, construction site, warehouse, hotel, school or public building, however, the right signage can play an important role in communicating hazards, identifying emergency equipment, controlling access and helping people understand what they should – or shouldn’t – do.
At Öin Interactive, we recently had the opportunity to work with Safety Signs Plus, a UK-based family-run supplier specialising in health and safety signage.
One of the interesting aspects of the project was the sheer scale and variety of safety signage required across different industries. The Safety Signs Plus catalogue covers everything from fire exits and first aid to construction sites, machinery, food hygiene, hotels and water safety.
If you’re responsible for a workplace, premises or site and aren’t quite sure what type of signage you should be looking for, we’ve put together this guide to some of the most common categories of safety signs used by UK organisations.
Understanding the Different Types of Safety Signs
Safety signage isn’t simply a collection of warning notices.
Different colours, shapes and symbols are used to communicate different types of information quickly. Someone approaching a restricted area, for example, should be able to recognise that an action is prohibited without having to read several paragraphs of instructions.
The type of signage required will naturally depend upon the environment, risks identified and activities taking place.
This has resulted in a surprisingly large range of specialist signage, which can broadly be divided into categories such as mandatory signs, prohibition signs, emergency escape signage, fire safety signs, first aid signs and general information signs.
Mandatory Safety Signs
Mandatory safety signs communicate an action that people are required to take.
They are frequently seen in factories, workshops, warehouses and construction environments where particular procedures or protective equipment may be required before entering or operating within an area.
Safety Signs Plus offers a dedicated range of Mandatory Safety Signs, including more specialised categories covering machinery and personal protection.
Machinery and General Mandatory Signs
Industrial environments often require instructions relating to the safe operation of machinery and equipment.
The Machinery & General Mandatory Signs range provides signage for situations where employees or visitors need to follow a specific instruction before entering an area or using equipment.
View the Machinery & General Mandatory Signs range:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/mandatory-signs/machinery-general/
Personal Protective Equipment Signs
PPE requirements need to be clearly communicated, particularly in workplaces where risk assessments identify requirements for eye, hearing, head or other forms of protection.
The Personal Protective Equipment Signs category includes signage designed to reinforce these requirements at relevant locations.
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/mandatory-signs/personal-protective-equipment/
There is also a dedicated range of Protective Clothing Signs for workplaces where particular protective clothing must be worn.
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/mandatory-signs/protective-clothing/
Prohibition Signs – Clearly Communicating What Isn’t Allowed
Where mandatory signage tells someone what they must do, Prohibition Signs communicate actions or behaviours that aren’t permitted.
These signs can be particularly important around machinery, hazardous areas, controlled locations and workplaces where an apparently harmless action could introduce unnecessary risk.
Safety Signs Plus has an extensive collection of general Prohibition Signs:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/prohibition-signs/
This range includes several useful specialist categories.
Access Restricted Signs can help businesses identify staff-only areas, controlled environments and locations where unauthorised access is prohibited:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/prohibition-signs/access-restricted/
Machinery Prohibition Signs communicate restrictions associated with machinery and equipment:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/prohibition-signs/machinery/
And one of the most familiar forms of prohibition signage is undoubtedly No Smoking and Smoking Signs:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/prohibition-signs/smoking/
The advantage of using recognised signage is how quickly a message can be communicated. In many circumstances, a prominent symbol can be understood before someone has even read the accompanying text.
Fire Safety Signs
Fire signage is one of the largest areas within the Safety Signs Plus catalogue.
The complete Fire Safety Signs collection brings together signage covering fire procedures, equipment and prevention:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/fire-safety-signs/
Importantly, there are several distinct types of fire signage rather than one universal “fire sign”.
Fire Action Signs
Fire Action Signs provide instructions about what people should do when a fire is discovered or a fire alarm sounds.
Depending on the building and its procedures, these can communicate information relating to raising the alarm, evacuation, assembly points and other actions.
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/fire-safety-signs/fire-action/
Fire Equipment Signs
Fire extinguishers, alarms and other firefighting equipment need to be identifiable quickly.
The Fire Equipment Signs range includes signage for different types of extinguishers, fire alarm points and other equipment.
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/fire-safety-signs/fire-equipment/
Fire Prevention Signs
Fire safety isn’t solely about what happens after a fire starts.
Good communication can also help prevent unsafe situations from developing in the first place. Fire Prevention Signs include notices designed to keep areas clear, communicate fire-door requirements and reinforce preventative procedures.
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/fire-safety-signs/fire-prevention/
Emergency Exit and Fire Escape Signs
During an emergency, people need to identify escape routes quickly.
Emergency Exit Signs identify emergency exits and help guide people to appropriate escape routes.
Safety Signs Plus has a particularly extensive collection covering directional exits, fire exits, emergency-use-only doors and other escape-route requirements.
Browse Emergency Exit Signs:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/emergency-escape/
Good emergency signage becomes particularly important in buildings used by members of the public or visitors who may be completely unfamiliar with the layout of the premises.
An employee might know exactly where the nearest exit is. A first-time customer doesn’t.
Construction Site Safety Signs
Few working environments demonstrate the importance of clear visual communication better than a construction site.
Construction sites can combine moving vehicles, heavy machinery, excavations, electrical equipment, working at height, restricted areas and numerous contractors and visitors – sometimes all within the same site.
The Construction Safety Signs range provides signage designed for many of these situations:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/construction-signs/
Site managers can use appropriate signage to reinforce PPE requirements, identify hazards, restrict unauthorised access and communicate site rules.
Importantly, signage should form part of a wider approach to site safety rather than being treated as a substitute for appropriate procedures, training and risk management.
First Aid Signs
When someone needs first aid, finding the appropriate equipment or assistance shouldn’t involve searching around a building.
First Aid Signs can identify first aid points, equipment, emergency facilities and Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).
Safety Signs Plus stocks a dedicated collection of First Aid signage:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/first-aid-sign/
Clear identification can be particularly valuable in larger workplaces, factories, schools, hospitality environments, leisure facilities and public buildings where the person responding to an incident may not be familiar with the location of emergency equipment.
CCTV and Security Signs
Safety and security often overlap.
Businesses use CCTV signage for a variety of purposes, while other security notices can warn against unauthorised entry, highlight security measures or provide instructions to people entering a site.
Safety Signs Plus has a dedicated CCTV Signs collection:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-tag/cctv/
alongside a broader range of Security Signs:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/security/
The wording selected for security and CCTV signage should always match the actual systems and processes operating on the premises, rather than choosing a notice simply because it looks suitable.
Parking Signs
Car parks are another environment where a small sign can prevent a surprisingly large amount of confusion.
Businesses may need to identify visitor spaces, customer parking, employee parking, permit-holder areas, reserved spaces, disabled parking areas, loading areas or electric vehicle charging points.
There may also be areas where parking is prohibited entirely.
The Safety Signs Plus Parking Signs range covers a wide variety of these situations:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/parking/
Clear parking signage can make a site easier for visitors to navigate while also helping businesses manage how their available parking space is used.
Parks and Play Areas
Public parks and play facilities introduce their own signage requirements.
These can include rules relating to dogs, ball games, children’s play areas, litter, cycling and the appropriate use of facilities.
The Parks & Play Signs collection is aimed specifically at these environments:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/parks-play/
This is a good example of why safety and information signage shouldn’t be viewed purely as something used in factories or industrial environments.
Floor Graphics and Safety Markings
Not every safety message needs to be displayed on a wall.
Sometimes the floor is precisely where people are looking – and exactly where a message needs to appear.
Floor Graphics and Safety Signs can reinforce PPE requirements, identify particular areas or communicate instructions at the point where someone needs to make a decision.
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/floor-graphics/
Floor-based signage can be particularly useful in warehouses, manufacturing facilities, retail environments and other busy premises where wall-mounted signage might be less noticeable.
Information Signs
Not every sign warns about danger or prohibits an activity.
Businesses also need signs simply to tell people where something is or what they need to do.
The Information Signs range covers many of the everyday messages required throughout commercial and public buildings:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/information-signs/
This type of signage can help visitors navigate unfamiliar premises and can reduce the need for staff to repeatedly provide basic directions or instructions.
Lockout and Maintenance Signs
Industrial machinery presents particular risks during servicing and maintenance.
A machine that appears inactive may still present a serious hazard if it is energised or operated while someone is working on it.
The Lockout Signs collection includes signage relating to lockout procedures, maintenance, equipment that shouldn’t be operated and machinery that is out of service:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/lockout-signs/
These signs can support established lockout and maintenance procedures by providing a highly visible reminder at the equipment itself.
Safety Posters
Sometimes a workplace needs to communicate more information than can reasonably fit onto a small safety sign.
That’s where Safety Posters can be useful.
Posters can reinforce procedures, provide guidance and keep important safety information visible to employees:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/safety-posters/
They can be particularly useful in staff areas, workshops, factories, warehouses and other locations where employees regularly pass the same point.
Lift Safety Signs
Lifts require their own range of instructions and warnings.
The Safety Signs Plus Lift Safety Signs collection includes signage relating to lift operation, maintenance, fire procedures, reduced headroom and lifts that are temporarily out of service:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/lift-safety/
Again, the key consideration is placing the right message where someone is most likely to need it.
Safety Signage for Different Industries
One thing that became particularly apparent while working on the Safety Signs Plus website was how different signage requirements can be from one industry to another.
A restaurant kitchen doesn’t have the same working environment as a construction site. A hotel has different requirements from a garage. A school presents different considerations from a manufacturing facility.
Safety Signs Plus therefore organises much of its catalogue around specific environments and industries.
Food Processing & Hygiene Safety Signs
Food preparation and processing environments depend heavily upon clearly understood procedures.
Employees may need reminders about hand washing, food storage, cross-contamination, temperature, cleaning, and designated equipment or areas.
The Food Processing & Hygiene Safety Signs range contains signage specifically intended for kitchens, food production facilities and other food-related workplaces:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/food-processing-hygeine/
For restaurants, cafés, commercial kitchens and food manufacturers, this allows signage to be selected around the processes actually taking place within the premises.
Garage and Workshop Safety Signs
Vehicle workshops and garages combine several different workplace risks.
Moving vehicles, lifting equipment, machinery, chemicals, oils, batteries, compressed air and pedestrian movement can all exist within a relatively small area.
The Garage Safety Signs collection provides signage specifically suited to garages, vehicle workshops and related businesses:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/garage-signs/
This includes messages relating to vehicle movement, work in progress, pedestrian areas and workshop procedures.
Hotel Signs
Hotels have an interesting signage challenge because their premises are used predominantly by people who don’t know the building.
Guests need to find rooms, facilities and exits while also understanding any important safety information.
The Hotel Signs range combines guest information with practical safety signage:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/hotel-signs/
Clear signage can improve the guest experience and help communicate important instructions throughout the property.
Hospital and Healthcare Signage
Healthcare environments can require clear directions, restrictions, and safety messages that staff, patients, and visitors need to understand.
Safety Signs Plus maintains a dedicated collection of Hospital Signs:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-tag/hospitals/
The ability to communicate quickly and clearly is particularly valuable in busy environments where visitors may already be unfamiliar with the building.
School Safety Signs
Schools also present a distinctive environment because signage needs to communicate with staff, visitors, parents and pupils.
The dedicated School Signs collection brings together signage relevant to educational environments:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-tag/schools/
Schools may require everything from access and parking information to fire, first aid, security and general safety signage.
Water Safety Signs
Swimming pools, waterways, beaches, reservoirs and other locations close to water introduce another completely different set of risks.
Water Safety Signs can communicate hazards, restrictions and safety information around these environments.
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/product-category/water-safety/
The Safety Signs Plus range includes dozens of water-related safety messages, again showing why selecting signage appropriate to the actual environment is so important.
Choosing the Right Safety Signs for Your Business
With hundreds of possible signs available, it can be tempting to approach workplace signage by simply ordering the signs that seem relevant.
A better starting point is the environment itself.
Consider the hazards, procedures, equipment and people using the premises.
Ask questions such as:
- Are there areas visitors shouldn’t enter?
- Is PPE required in particular locations?
- Are emergency exits clearly identifiable?
- Can people quickly locate first aid and fire equipment?
- Are important machinery procedures clearly communicated?
- Do visitors know where they should report?
- Are parking restrictions obvious?
- Are site-specific hazards clearly identified?
From there, businesses can identify the signage that supports their wider health and safety arrangements.
Signs should complement good workplace procedures rather than replace them.
Buying Safety Signs Online in the UK
The scale of the Safety Signs Plus catalogue was a major consideration when developing its e-commerce website.
Rather than presenting customers with one enormous collection, products are organised into logical categories so businesses can navigate directly to the type of signage relevant to their premises.
Safety Signs Plus is a family-run UK supplier offering health and safety signage across construction, manufacturing, hospitality, food production, education, healthcare, commercial premises and many other sectors.
You can explore the complete range here:
https://safetysignsplus.co.uk/
The company supplies signage in different sizes and material options, with products dispatched from its UK facility.
The Safety Signs Plus Website Project
For us at Öin Interactive, Safety Signs Plus was an interesting e-commerce project because of the size and structure of the product catalogue.
When a website contains hundreds – and eventually thousands – of closely related products, good website design isn’t simply about making the homepage look attractive.
The structure behind the website becomes equally important.
Products need to be organised into meaningful categories. Customers need to move from a broad requirement such as “fire safety” to something more specific, such as fire equipment or fire prevention signage, without getting lost in the catalogue.
Search engines also need to understand that structure.
That meant developing a website architecture capable of accommodating broad product categories such as construction, fire safety, emergency exits and prohibition signs alongside much more specialist collections for garages, hotels, food processing, lifts, schools and water safety.
It’s a good example of how e-commerce website design, user experience and search engine optimisation are increasingly interconnected.
A well-designed online shop shouldn’t simply look good.
It should help the right customer find the right product with as little friction as possible.
And for Safety Signs Plus, that could mean helping someone find one very specific sign among thousands of options.
Visit Safety Signs Plus and browse their complete range of UK safety signage: