Safety signs are an important part of the health and safety standards in your block. It is important that the signage in your block meets these standards, as this will be monitored as part of general safety assessments your block will undergo.

Residents Management Companies (RMCs) often employ staff to work onsite, such as cleaners, contractors and gardeners.

It is the legal duty of the RMC to ensure that there is appropriate safety signage around your block so that all employees are working in a safe environment with clear instruction when needed. This also applies to all residents and visitors to the block; correct signage is crucial to the general welfare of anybody in the block.

Safety signs are used to give clear instruction, make people aware and warn people of danger. They are especially crucial to inform of hazards; without clear signage, accidents can (and do) happen.

 

What safety signs should I have in my block?

There are a vast number of safety signs for almost every type of hazard. Here are a few you probably already know about:

 

Green Signs:

This sign is used to inform people of the location of safety equipment or safety features, for example first aid kits and fire exits.

Red Signs:

Red signs are used to show people the location of fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment.

Blue Circles:

Signs with a blue circle are used to give orders. You need to do whatever is written on the sign. In flats, a useful example of this would be a fire action notice.

Red circles with a diagonal line:

These show that you cannot do whatever is shown on the sign. For example, ‘No smoking’ signs.

Yellow Triangles:

These types of signs are used to inform people of the presence of potential danger, for example, an asbestos sign or an electric shock sign.

Blue mandatory signs:

These are required for doors that need to be kept shut for fire safety reasons, so will normally be seen on fire doors.

 

One of the main advantages of health and safety signs are that they are multilingual. Signs are a reliable and easy way of communicating something no matter what language anybody in your block speaks.

With such a useful way of communicating such important messages, it’s important that you get the signage in your block right.