A Guide to School Safety Signs

Why do I Need School Safety Signs?

School safety signs are vitally important to ensuring students, parents, teachers and other members of staff are not at risk of injuring themselves. This is done by combining various different shapes, colours, symbols and pictograms, each of which carry their own meaning and instruct and inform readers to do or avoid certain behaviours. To comply with the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, all school safety signs need to adhere to a set of requirements:

	Prohibition Signs Meaning:  Signs prohibiting behaviour likely to increase or cause danger are known as prohibition signs. Colour:  White text on red background. Symbol:  Round shape - Black pictogram on a white background with red edging and diagonal line. Red part to take up at least 35% of the area of the sign. Example:  An example of a prohibition sign is a no running sign.
	Mandatory Signs Meaning:  Mandatory signs prescribe specific behaviour. Colour:  White text on blue background. Symbol:  Round shape - White pictogram on a blue background. Blue part to take up at least 50% of the area of the sign. Example:  Eye protection must be worn.
	Hazard Warning Signs Meaning:  A sign giving warning of a hazard or danger. Colour:  Hazard warning signs can be identified by their black text on yellow background. Symbol:  Triangular shape - Black pictogram on a yellow background with black edging. Yellow part to take up at least 50% of the area of the sign. Example:  DANGER Electricity.
	Fire Safety Signs Meaning:  A sign giving information on fire equipment. Colour:  White text on red background. Symbol:  Rectangular or square shape - White pictogram on a red background. White part to take up at least 50% of the area of the fire safety sign. Example:  Fire extinguisher.
	Fire Exit Signs Meaning:  Also known as emergency exit/escape route signs, fire exit signs direct readers to the nearest emergency exit. Colour:  White text on green background. Symbol:  Rectangular or square shape - White pictogram on a green background. Example:  Fire exit with arrow.
	First Aid Signs Meaning:  First aid signs give information on first aid facilities. Colour:  White text on green background. Symbol:  Rectangular or square shape - White pictogram on a green background. White part to take up at least 50% of the area of the sign. Example:  First aid room.

Discover Our Range of School Safety Signs

UK School Signs have decades of experience manufacturing and delivering high quality signage for the education sector. Whether you run a nursery, primary/secondary school or sixth form college, the need for school safety signs should not be underestimated. Discover our range or get in touch to speak to one of our team about your requirements.