Safety Signage
Guide
All guides are intended to give further details to information contained in a particular piece of legislation, policy,
code, agreement or procedure and must therefore be read in conjunction with them.
INTRODUCTION
To meet the requirements of the NT Workplace Health & Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011 and
Regulations and the CDU Work Health & Safety (WHS) Policy, Health Safety and Environment (HSE) has
produced this Safety Signage Guide.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this document is to assist the University (CDU) community to familiarise themselves with the
various types of safety signage located throughout the workplace. Risk Assessments conducted on the
facilities and activities have identified potential hazards and risks. Safety signs draw attention to objects and
situations affecting health and safety, and have been displayed with the purpose to alert persons to or state
required actions of individuals to these hazards.
It should be noted that safety signs do not replace the need for proper accident/incident prevention
measures.
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1.
Abbreviations................................................................................................................................... 2
2.
Relevant Definitions ........................................................................................................................ 2
3.
Health and Safety Responsibilities ................................................................................................. 3
3.1
How to manage work health and safety risks ......................................................................... 3
3.2
Duty of Care ............................................................................................................................ 3
4.
Classification and layout of signs .................................................................................................... 3
5.
Procedure for determining type and placement of signs ................................................................ 4
6.
Essential Supporting Information .................................................................................................... 5
1. Abbreviations
AS/NZS
CDU
NUL
PCBU
PPE
SOP
WHS
Australian/New Zealand Standard
Charles Darwin University
National Uniform Legislation
Persons Conducting a Business or Undertaking
Personal Protective Equipment
Safe Operating Procedure
Work Health and Safety
2. Relevant Definitions
In the context of this document:
Authorised Person means a person who has permission, qualified, licensed or competent for the
task at hand.
Chemical is defined as any element, chemical compound or mixture of elements and/or compounds
where chemical(s) are distributed. Chemicals may be in solid, liquid, gas or plasma.
Hazard means a situation or thing that has the potential to harm people, property or the environment.
Hazardous chemicals are pure chemicals, or chemical mixtures that present an immediate or long
term risk of injury or illness. The risk can be associated with health hazards or physiochemical
hazards (e.g. flammable, corrosive, reactive, radioactive etc.). A hazardous substance can also be a
dangerous good and/or a drug, poison or controlled substance.
PCBU is the legal entity operating a business or undertaking. A PCBU may be an individual person or
an organisation conducting a business or undertaking. It is not an individual, unless they are
conducting the business in their own name as a sole trader or partner. Persons engaged solely as a
worker or officer of the business or undertaking are excluded from the definition of PCBU.
Plant relates to and includes any machinery, equipment, appliance, container, implement or tool,
including any component or anything fitted or connected to any of those items. Plant includes items as
diverse as hoists, cranes, computers, machinery, vehicles, power tools, etc. (as per Code of Practice
– Managing risks of plant in the workplace).
Risk is the possibility that death, injury or illness might occur when exposed to a hazard.
Safety Data Sheet (SDS) is a document prepared by the vendor (manufacturer/importer/supplier) of a
chemical which describes uses, chemical and physical properties, health hazard information,
precautions for use, safe handling and emergency information. It is a legislative requirement for the
vendor to supply a copy of the SDS for each chemical to the end user.
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Worker means any person carries out work in any capacity for the University, including but not limited to,
University’s staff member, contractor, subcontractor and their employee, apprentice or trainee, student
gaining work experience, and volunteer;
Workplace means a place where work is carried out for the University and includes any place where a
worker goes, or is likely to be, while at work. This may include, but is not limited to, laboratories,
workshops, training rooms, on-site recreational facilities, vehicles or vessels, on field trips, in teaching
facilities, in offices, in rural environments and any area of industry operations.
3. Health and Safety Responsibilities
3.1
How to manage work health and safety risks
It is the responsibility of all individuals to observe and comply with the safety signage displayed
throughout the University and notify management of any further hazard or risk so that the necessary
controls can be implemented. Employees are encouraged to attend WHS Risk Management Training
and to read the CDU Risk Management Policy. http://www.cdu.edu.au/governance/policies/pol036.pdf
Work Health and Safety Policy http://www.cdu.edu.au/governance/policies/pol-044.pdf
This document will provide information relating to:






Duty of Care
Duty to identify hazards
Managing risks to health and safety
Hierarchy of control measures
Maintenance of control measures
Review of control measures
Risk management is about exercising responsibility to ensure workers and the public are properly
protected. The Risk Assessment Form allows you to identify the hazard, then identify and control the
associated risk.
Risk Assessment Form
3.2
Duty of Care
Primary duty of care – Persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) must ensure, so far
as reasonably practicable the health and safety of all persons engaged or influenced by the persons
activities, by eliminating or minimising the exposure to hazards and risks.
Workers and others – while at work, a worker must take reasonable care for their own health and
safety whilst also taking all reasonable measures to ensure that their acts or omissions do not
adversely affect the health and safety of other persons. The worker must comply and cooperate with
any reasonable policy or procedure relating to health or safety at the workplace.
4. Classification and layout of signs
Safety signs are classified and shall be used according to their function.
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Colour and shape requirements of signs
Classification
Regulatory prohibition
Example
Function
Black legend (text or symbol) within a
red circle with line through. Or a
combination of both
Indicates that an action or
activity is not permitted
White legend on a blue background.
Regulatory mandatory
.
Indicates that an instruction
must be carried out
Regulatory restriction
Black legend within a red circle.
Place numerical or other
defined limits on activities or
facility uses.
Hazard warning
Black legend within a yellow/black
bordered triangle.
Warn of non-life threatening
hazards or conditions
Hazard danger
Black legend with DANGER symbol
(white on red oval) incorporated.
Warn of potential life
threatening hazards or
conditions
Emergency information
White legend on green background.
Indicate location or directions to
emergency facilities, exits and
safety equipment
.
Fire sign
White legend on a red background.
Advise the location of fire
equipment, alarms and facilities.
5. Procedure for determining type and placement of signs

Identify through a risk assessment what site specific signs are required (ie personal protective
equipment, advice on operations, etc).

Display signs where messages are legible so they can attract the attention of all concerned.

The signs should be placed as close as practicable to the observer’s line of sight and should
be so sighted in relation to the particular hazard as to allow the worker ample time, after first
viewing the sign, to heed the warning. For example, signs against touching switches should
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be placed close to the switch. However, signs used on a construction site should be placed
to permit the warning to be perceived before the hazard is reached, for example, adjacent to
entrance.

Signs should not be placed on movable objects such as doors or windows.

All persons must comply with the requirements of this signage. Failure to comply with this
signage is an offence against the Work Health Act.
6. Essential Supporting Information
CDU Policies, Guides or Procedures
Work Health and Safety Policy
Emergency Management Plan
Risk Management Policy
Safe Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Acts & Regulations
Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Act 2011
Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Regulations
Codes of Practice
How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
Hazardous manual tasks
Managing noise and preventing hearing loss at work
Managing the Work Environment and Facilities
Australian and New Zealand Standards
•
AS1319.1994 – Safety signs for the occupational environment
•
ISO 3864 – Graphical symbols and signs
•
AS/NZS 31000.2009 – Risk Management – Principals and guidelines
Document History and Version Control
Version
Date Approved
Approved by
Brief Description
1
14/07/2014
WHS Manager
Created document
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