Safety and health signage

Function and principles of signaling

Royal Decree 485/1997 requires employers to take the necessary measures to ensure that workplaces have safety and health signage that complies with the provisions of its annexes, whenever the analysis of risks, foreseeable emergency situations, and preventive measures adopted demonstrates its necessity. The signage must draw attention to risks, prohibitions, or obligations; alert workers to emergencies; facilitate the location and identification of protective equipment and facilities, evacuation routes, emergency and first aid equipment; and provide guidance during hazardous maneuvers.

To be effective, signage must be consistent with the risk assessment, be visibly placed at an appropriate distance, be kept clean and in good condition, not accumulate to the point of losing effectiveness, and be understood by workers. Training and information are expressly required: workers must receive adequate training on the meaning of the signs and the behaviors they require, and must be consulted on signage measures.

The royal decree applies to all workplaces, with specific rules for the signage of dangerous goods, road, rail, river, maritime and air traffic, which are governed by their own regulations, and without prejudice to the provisions on signage contained in other prevention regulations (works, explosive atmospheres, chemical agents, carcinogens, electrical risk).

Types of signals and their use

• Panel-shaped signs. They combine geometric shape, color, and pictogram: prohibition (circle with red band), warning (yellow triangle), obligation (blue circle), rescue or first aid (green rectangle), and firefighting equipment (red rectangle). Their characteristics are detailed in Annex III.
• Safety colors. Red for prohibition, danger, and firefighting equipment; yellow or orange-yellow for warning; blue for mandatory action; green for rescue and safe situation. Annex II specifies the contrast colors and their application.
• Light and sound signals. For emergencies and situations requiring immediate attention; they must be clearly perceptible, distinguishable from other signals and checked periodically (Annex IV).
• Verbal communications and gestural signals. Short and clear verbal messages, and coded gestures to guide load and vehicle maneuvers, with identifiable signal personnel (Annexes V and VI).
• Signage indicating risks of falls, collisions and impacts. Alternating yellow and black or red and white stripes on obstacles, uneven surfaces and hazardous areas, and delimitation of traffic lanes (Annex VII).
• Pipes, containers and storage areas. Labelling in accordance with the regulations on hazardous substances and mixtures, warning signs in storage areas and signage for fire protection equipment (Annex VII).
• Emergency signage. Evacuation routes, exits, assembly points, first aid and fire extinguishing equipment, with emergency lighting in accordance with the Technical Building Code where applicable.

Signage and other regulations

• Workplaces . Royal Decree 486/1997 refers to signage for traffic lanes, dangerous areas, changes in level and exits.
• Construction works. Royal Decree 1627/1997 requires signage at construction sites in accordance with Royal Decree 485/1997, including signage for works affecting public roads.
• Explosive atmospheres. Royal Decree 681/2003 mandates the specific EX sign at entrances to areas with a risk of explosive atmospheres.
• Chemical agents and carcinogens. Labelling and signage of areas in accordance with the CLP Regulation and the royal decrees on chemical agents and carcinogens.
• Electrical risk. Royal Decree 614/2001 requires the marking and delimitation of work and danger zones in electrical installations.
• Technical standards. The UNE-EN ISO 7010 (pictograms), UNE-EN ISO 3864 (colors and design) and UNE 23033 standards complement the design and consistency criteria.

Organizational application: how to implement signage in the company

1. Start with the risk assessment and the emergency plan to identify where signage is needed: residual risks, prohibitions, PPE obligations, routes and exits, fire extinguishing equipment and first aid.
2. Prepare a plan or inventory of signage for each center, including type, location, size and reference standard for each sign.
3. Select signs that comply with the annexes of Royal Decree 485/1997 and UNE-EN ISO 7010, with sizes appropriate to the viewing distance.
4. Install the signs in visible locations, at appropriate height and angle, avoiding accumulation and ensuring adequate lighting and contrast.
5. Train and inform workers about the meaning of the signs and required behaviors, and consult them about their implementation.
6. Establish a program of periodic maintenance and review (cleaning, deterioration, obsolescence, layout changes), including the checking of light and sound signals.
7. Integrate temporary signage into work permits, construction, maintenance and facility changes.

Preventive management software allows you to maintain the inventory of signage by center and zone, plan periodic reviews with checklists, record deviations and link the signs with the risk assessment and the emergency plan.

Limits and common mistakes

1. Using signage as a substitute for technical or organizational measures to eliminate or reduce risk.
2. Saturating spaces with redundant or irrelevant signals reduces attention to the important ones.
3. Installing signs without linking them to risk assessment, either out of habit or according to a catalog.
4. Neglecting maintenance: signs that are deteriorated, covered, poorly lit, or outdated after installation changes.
5. Not training workers on the meaning of signals and gestural communication.
6. Omit temporary signage in construction, maintenance, spills or areas of temporary risk.

The technical characteristics of the signs are detailed in the annexes of Royal Decree 485/1997 and in the INSST technical guide; this sheet is for informational purposes.

Regulatory and reference framework

• Royal Decree 485/1997, of April 14. Minimum provisions regarding safety and health signage at work and its annexes.
• Council Directive 92/58/EEC . Minimum provisions for safety and health signage at work.
• Royal Decree 486/1997, of April 14. Workplaces ; signage of roads, dangerous areas and exits.
• Law 31/1995, of November 8. Law on the Prevention of Occupational Risks; principles of preventive action and information and training of workers.
• Technical guide on safety and health signage at work (INSST, 2023) . Criteria for the application of Royal Decree 485/1997.

Royal Decree 1627/1997, Royal Decree 681/2003, Royal Decree 614/2001 and the regulations on chemical and carcinogenic agents contain specific signage requirements; UNE-EN ISO 7010 standardizes the pictograms of the signs.