What do the colours of safety signs mean in Australia?

What is a safety sign? Safety signs are an essential part of keeping people safe when working or near areas that could be hazardous. Their primary purpose is to prevent injury by simply and clearly highlighting a hazard, safety equipment or a way to exit the area. To keep these messages clear and quick to process each category of safety sign has a designated colour. The colour makes the type of sign easy to distinguish at a distance and we become accustomed to checking signage of particular colours as we know they contain important information. Because of this, it is important to stick with clear messaging and colours when ordering safety signage, here is what each of the safety sign colours mean: RED WITH A SLASH MEANS PROHIBITED Prohibition signs inform that certain actions or behaviors are not permitted within the area. Prohibition signs have large red circles with a red slash going across it, with black text on a white background. Check out our range of Prohibition signs RED MEANS DANGER Danger signs warn of hazards or hazardous conditions that could be life threatening. Danger signs have the word ‘DANGER’ inside a red circle, inside a black triangle. Check out our range of Danger signs YELLOW MEANS WARNING Similar to danger signs, warning signs also warn of hazards or hazardous conditions, but these are likely to be less life threatening. Warning signs have a yellow background, black text and a large triangle surrounding the hazard symbol. Check out our range of Warning signs GREEN MEANS EMERGENCY Emergency signs direct people to specific areas they may need in cases of emergency. For example, emergency assembly points, first aid supplies or eyewash units. Emergency signs have a green background and white text. Check out our range of Emergency signs HAZCHEM (hazardous chemical) signs are diamond shaped and differ in colour depending on the hazardous chemical the sign is warning of. Check out our range of HAZCHEM signs