Under current regulations, workplace safety signs must be installed whenever, in a workplace, “a risk cannot be avoided or prevented by the existence of collective protection or by the organization of the work”.
In the same way that an employer must prominently display emergency call numbers and, for 50 or more employees, fire safety instructions, other information must also be provided to employees. A labor inspector can issue a formal notice to an employer in this regard.
What do workplace safety signs look like?
The shape and color of and color of ATEX signs in the workplace are governed by the Decree of November 4, 1993 :
- no-smoking and no-touching signs are round, with a white background, red border and slanted band, and a black pictogram;
- warning signs (e.g. for flammable or toxic materials) are triangular in shape, with a black pictogram on a yellow background and a black border;
- mandatory signs (e.g. for wearing helmets or gloves) are round, with a blue background and a white pictogram;
- Rescue or emergency signs on squares or rectangles, on a green background with a white pictogram;
- Signs concerning fire-fighting material or equipment are square or rectangular, on a red background with white pictograms;
- risk and danger signs can feature yellow and black stripes, or red and white stripes.
As regards the pictograms used, there are international standards to be complied with, in particular the ISO 7010 standard.
What other safety signs are available at work?
Signs are not the only form of safety signage. You can also use :
- Illuminated signs must be clearly visible without dazzling. Its color and any pictograms used must correspond to the nomenclature established for signs. If it is possible to use a continuous and an intermittent signal for the same sign, the intermittent light signal will indicate a higher level of danger or greater urgency than the continuous signal.
- An acoustic signal, which must be audible despite the ambient noise in the company without being painful.
Light and soundsignalling must be checked at least once every six months, as must fire alarms. Emergency power supplies must be checked at least once a year.
In addition, to inform and protect personnel, all potentially hazardous substances must be identified and labeled. The same applies to pipes transporting hazardous products, with the decree of November 4, 1993 defining the colors to be used according to the fluid being transported.
In all cases, employers are obliged to train their employees in the meaning of safety signs and signals. All employees need to know what they mean, and what to do if they see one.
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