Most WA workplaces have plenty of signs. The real problem is where they’ve ended up. Good safety sign placement puts the right message in front of a worker just before they reach the hazard.
How Safety Signs Are Categorised in Australia
Australian safety signs fall into four main groups under AS 1319: regulatory, hazard, emergency information and fire signs. Each group uses colour and shape so a worker can grasp the message before reading a single word.
- Prohibition signs use a red circle with a diagonal slash, e.g. “No smoking.”
- Mandatory signs use a solid blue circle with a white symbol, such as “Eye protection must be worn.”
- Limitation or restriction signs use a red circle without the slash, often for speed or load limits.
- Danger signs show the word DANGER in white on a red oval inside a black rectangle. They’re reserved for hazards likely to cause death or serious injury.
- Warning signs use a yellow triangle with a black border for hazards that aren’t immediately life-threatening.
- Emergency information signs are green with white text or symbols, covering exits, first aid and eyewash stations.
- Fire signs are red with white text or symbols, marking extinguishers, hydrants, hose reels and alarms.
The Ground Rules Before a Single Sign Goes Up
A sign belongs at the point where a worker makes a decision, and it needs to be readable from far enough away to act on. That usually means the approach to a hazard, around eye level, with nothing blocking the sightline.
- Mount signs on the approach side, so there’s time to stop, gear up or turn back.
- Size signs to their viewing distance. A sign meant for a forklift driver 15 m away needs to be far bigger than one read at arm’s length.
- Keep them clear of doors that swing open and cover them, which happens more often than anyone admits.
- Check sightlines from a forklift seat and a ute cab, since drivers sit at different heights to pedestrians.
- Light signs for night shift, or use reflective stock in yards and car parks.
- Choose UV-stable materials outdoors. Signs cop a hammering from WA sun, and cheaper materials fade noticeably.
Site and Building Entry Points
Entry points need mandatory and prohibition signs, because it’s the last chance to set conditions before someone steps into the risk area. Construction sites also need a site entry board showing the principal contractor and emergency contacts.
- Mandatory signs (blue circle), e.g. “Hard hats must be worn” or “Hi-vis clothing must be worn”.
- Prohibition signs, e.g. “No unauthorised entry.”
- Site entry boards with emergency contacts, first aid locations and sign-in instructions.
- A directional sign to the site office or induction point, so visitors aren’t wandering in looking for someone.
Field experience shows entry signage works best when it’s short. A gate with fourteen signs bolted to it gets read about as closely as the fine print on a phone plan.
Vehicle, Forklift and Loading Areas
Forklift and vehicle zones need warning signs for mobile plant, plus mandatory and prohibition signs that keep pedestrians on marked walkways. Larger sites with internal roads also need standard traffic signs at intersections.
- Warning signs (yellow triangle), e.g. “Forklifts operating.”
- Mandatory signs such as “Pedestrians must use walkway.”
- Prohibition signs, e.g. “No pedestrians” at loading docks during operation.
- Stop and Give Way signs where internal roads meet.
- Speed limit signs matching whatever the site’s traffic management plan specifies.
- Wheel stops, speed humps and bollards where vehicles and foot traffic share space.
- Obstacle markers on racking ends and blind corners.
Experienced site managers put signs at every point where a walkway crosses a vehicle route. A sign 30m back from the crossing won’t help someone stepping out from behind a racking end.
Machinery and Workshop Areas
Machine-specific signs go on or directly beside the machine, where the operator stands to start it. General PPE signs belong at the workshop entry.
- Mandatory signs for eye, ear, hand or face protection.
- Warning signs for pinch points, rotating parts or hot surfaces.
- Danger signs for exposed live parts or crush zones.
- Prohibition signs such as “No loose clothing near machinery”.
Keeping general and machine-specific signs separate matters more than it looks. A blanket “Hearing protection must be worn” on the door doesn’t tell anyone that one particular bench grinder also needs a face shield.
Safety tags, including lockout and out-of-service tags, belong to the same family. They’re fixed at the isolation point, ideally with a sign showing where isolation points are located.
Chemical Stores and Hazardous Goods Areas
Areas holding hazardous chemicals need warning or danger signs at the entry. Above set storage thresholds, WA’s dangerous goods rules require placards at the store and the site entry. Above the higher manifest quantities, a site also needs a manifest and site plan, and may need a dangerous goods licence.
- Warning signs naming the hazard class, e.g. “Flammable liquids.”
- Prohibition signs such as “No smoking” and “No naked flames”.
- Mandatory PPE signs for gloves, goggles or respirators.
- Green emergency signs pointing to the nearest eyewash station or safety shower.
- Pipe markers showing contents and flow direction on lines carrying hazardous substances.
- Placards at the store and the main site entry once storage thresholds are passed.
Containers need GHS-compliant labels. Signage on the store itself is a separate obligation, and it gets missed far more often than the labels do.
Electrical Rooms and Switchboards
Switchboards and electrical rooms need danger signs for electrical hazards, plus restricted entry signs where only licensed or authorised workers are allowed. The area in front of a board also needs marking so nothing gets stacked against it.
Anyone who’s audited a few small businesses knows the switchboard cupboard often doubles as a storeroom. Floor marking and a “Keep clear” sign usually fix that faster than another toolbox talk.
Confined Spaces and Restricted Areas
Confined spaces must carry signs that identify them and warn against entry without a permit. The WHS regulations make this signage a specific requirement. It’s one of the few cases where the rules spell out exactly what a sign must do.
Tanks, pits, silos and some ceiling voids can all qualify. Signs go at every access point, including hatches that only get opened once a year.
Temporary Work Zones and Maintenance Areas
Temporary hazards need portable signs, barriers and cones set up before work starts and removed once it’s finished. Maintenance jobs, spills and contractor works create short-term hazards that permanent signs don’t cover.
- Portable corflute or multi-message signs on stands, placed on each approach.
- Hard cones and delineators marking the edge of the work area.
- Barriers, safety fencing or tape where people could walk into the zone.
- A named person responsible for packing it all down.
A barrier left out for a month stops meaning anything to the people walking past it.
Emergency Exits, Fire Equipment and First Aid
Exit signs go above or beside exit doors, and along escape routes wherever the next exit isn’t visible. Most are illuminated signs covered by AS 2293, which calls for six-monthly testing.
- Exit signs above every exit door.
- Directional exit signs at corridor turns and junctions.
- Extinguisher and hose reel location signs mounted above the equipment, so they’re visible over stock and parked forklifts.
- Hydrant markers so fire crews can find hydrants quickly.
- Green first aid and AED signs visible from the main work area.
- Braille and tactile signs on exits and amenities where building access requirements apply.
A familiar lesson from fit-outs: after shelving gets rearranged, the extinguisher moves and the sign stays put. Any layout change is a cue to recheck every fire sign.
Offices, Car Parks and Amenities
Lower-risk areas still need signs, mostly emergency information, fire signs and car park traffic controls. Offices don’t need workshop-level density, and overloading them trains staff to tune out signs everywhere else.
Car parks benefit from speed limit signs, pedestrian crossing warnings and accessible parking signs. Slip hazards near kitchens are usually handled with portable “Caution wet floor” signs. Left out once the floor’s dry, they turn into background noise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Safety Signs a Legal Requirement in WA?
Yes, in specific situations. The WHS (General) Regulations 2022 require signs for confined spaces and asbestos, among other cases. WA’s dangerous goods laws add placarding rules for chemical storage. Beyond those, a PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking) must manage risks so far as reasonably practicable, and signage often forms part of that.
How High Should Safety Signs Be Mounted?
There’s no single height that suits every sign. Most sites mount pedestrian-area signs around eye level, roughly 1.5m to 2m from the floor. Exit and fire equipment location signs go higher so they stay visible over people and stock. In vehicle areas, sightlines from the driver’s seat should decide the height.
How Often Should Safety Signs Be Checked?
A visual check during routine workplace inspections is common practice, and many sites add a fuller audit each year or after layout changes. Illuminated exit signs have their own six-monthly testing schedule. Outdoor signs in WA conditions often need replacing sooner than expected.
Key Takeaways
Signs earn their keep when they sit at decision points and match the actual risk of each zone. Placement also needs revisiting every time the site changes.
- Entry points get mandatory and prohibition signs, plus site entry boards on construction sites.
- Hazard zones like workshops, chemical stores and switchboards get warning or danger signs, placed on the approach.
- Confined spaces need signs at every access point, as a specific regulatory requirement.
- Temporary work zones need portable signs and barriers that come down once the job’s done.
- Exits, fire equipment and first aid get green emergency and red fire signs, mounted high enough to see over clutter.
- Any layout change, new chemical or new machine is a cue to walk the site and recheck every sign.
