What is this standard about?
Increased international travel, trade and labour mobility have made it necessary to develop a common way of communicating safety information that relies as little as possible on words.This international standard wants to avoid confusion – and therefore the risk of accidents – by specifying safety signs for the purposes of:
Accident prevention
Fire protection
Communicating health hazard information
Emergency evacuation
Who is this standard for?
Manufacturers, designers, retailers and purchasers of registered safety signs
Health and safety managers
Health and safety bodies (regulators, accident prevention organisations, market surveillance etc.)
Why should you use this standard?
Because it specifies original safety signs that may be scaled for reproduction and application purposes. The standard allows you to:
Develop specific safety signing for your industry
Ensure there is only one safety sign for each safety meaning
Conform to the design principles of BS ISO 3864 series
Prevent the risk of hazards and accidents
Assess safety signs using geometric shapes and safety colours
These safety signs are intended for use only where there is a risk to people. They may appear in: safety signage in workplaces and public areas, safety manuals and notices, product labelling and escape and evacuation plans, as appropriate.
The shape and colour of each safety sign is in accordance with BS ISO 3864-1 and the design in accordance with BS ISO 3864-3.
NOTE 1: The use of standardized safety signs does not replace proper work methods, instructions and accident prevention training or measures. Education is an essential part of any system that provides safety information.