L3-015-HSE-02 Safety Signs and Signals .

Doc. No.
: L3-015-HSE-02
AZN Procedure
Rev. Date: 25-Dec-2018
Issue No Issue Date Revalidation SAFETY SIGNS AND
3 28-Jun-2015 24-Dec-2020 SIGNALS Page 2 of 11
Distribution List
Department/Section Recipient Department/Section Recipient
Management GM Stores All staff
Operations All staff Chemistry All staff
H.R. & Administration All staff Electrical All staff
I.T. All staff Mechanical All staff
Finance All staff Instrumentation & Control All staff
Procurement All staff Engineering All staff
H.S.E. All staff Performance All staff
Security All staff

Doc. No.: L3-015-HSE-02
AZN Procedure
Revision Record
Revision
Issue No. Description of Change Effective date
No.
1 0 First issue 28/06/2015
Routine review. Change of review

2 1 22/03/2018
period to 4 years
3 2 Format Change 31/12/2018

Doc. No.: L3-015-HSE-02
AZN Procedure
Contents
1.0 PURPOSE.................................................................................................................. 5
2.0 PRINCIPLE ................................................................................................................ 5
3.0 SCOPE....................................................................................................................... 5
4.0 RESPONSIBILITY ..................................................................................................... 5
5.0 DEFINITIONS/ ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................. 5
6.0 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 5
7.0 HSE AND BUSINESS RISK....................................................................................... 5
8.0 PROCEDURE ............................................................................................................ 5
8.1 Safety Signs ............................................................................................................... 5
8.2 Safety Signals ............................................................................................................ 6
8.3 Signs on Containers and Pipes ................................................................................ 6
9.0 AUDIT / REVIEWS ..................................................................................................... 7
10.0 ATTACHMENTS ........................................................................................................ 7
Appendix 1 Safety Sign colours ................................................................................ 8
Appendix 2 Hazardous chemical and mixture labelling ........................................... 9
Appendix 3 Hand Signals ......................................................................................... 10
Doc. No.: L3-015-HSE-02
AZN Procedure
1.0 PURPOSE
The designs of safety signs and signals are internationally recognised, and all staff should
be aware of their meaning at a glance.
2.0 PRINCIPLE
The UK Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations require employers to
use a safety sign where there is a significant risk to health and safety that has not been
avoided or controlled by the methods required under other relevant law, provided use of
a sign can help reduce the risk. Safety signs are not a substitute for those other methods
of controlling risks such as engineering controls and safe systems of work.
3.0 SCOPE
Permanent and temporary signs where a hazard has not been fully controlled, or people
in the area may not be fully aware of the risk of those hazards. This procedure does not
cover the use of signage for fire protection.
4.0 RESPONSIBILITY
The HSE Manager is responsible for ensuring that the site is compliant with safety signage
requirements.
The HS&E Committee are responsible for ensuring that any required notices have been
posted and kept in a clean and legible condition.
5.0 DEFINITIONS/ ABBREVIATIONS

None
6.0 REFERENCES
L64 (2009) The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals); Guidance on
Regulations
7.0 HSE AND BUSINESS RISK

Use of signs around the plant should act as a reminder of general safety and PPE
requirements. Employers should erect safety signs if there is a significant risk that cannot
be avoided or controlled in any other way, but safe systems of work or engineering
controls must always take priority
8.0 PROCEDURE
8.1 Safety Signs
Where signs are posted for warning or prohibition purposes, the signs should conform
where possible to the requirements of the UK Health and Safety (Signs and Signals)
Regulations 1996. Under these regulations, there are four categories of safety signs,
shown in appendix 1 with examples of each.
Doc. No.: L3-015-HSE-02
AZN Procedure
Pipework containing dangerous substances must be marked, especially at discharge and

sampling points.
Under European legislation, labelling of hazardous chemicals must comply with the
Classification, Labelling and Packaging regulation (CLP). Examples are shown in
appendix 2 along with the equivalent CHIP-style sign.
8.2 Signs on Containers and Pipes

Containers, tanks and vessels used in the workplace to contain dangerous substances,
and the visible pipes in the workplace containing or transporting dangerous substances,
will in general need to have signs or labels fixed to them unless the risk is adequately
controlled or is not significant.
It may not be necessary to affix signs to pipes where the pipe is short and connected to
a container which is clearly signed
The signs or labels need to be mounted on the sides that are visible, and to be durable.
The signs used must make the contents easily understood, and not cause confusion by
being repeated too often.
8.3 Safety Signals

Hand signals can be used to direct hazardous operations such as crane or vehicle
manoeuvres. Ensure that the signals are precise, simple and easy to make and
understand.
Hand signals may only be used by a trained banksman who has checked that the person
being directed understands his signals.
The signaller needs to be able to see all the manoeuvres being made by the people
receiving the signals without being endangered by them.
During manoeuvres, make sure that the duties of the signaller are confined to directing
manoeuvres and to other specific measures aimed at the safety of nearby workers (e.g.
keeping people back a safe distance).
In some cases, the precautions described above may need supplementing, for example
with further signallers to help co-ordinate the action. In such cases, make sure that the
person receiving the signals takes them from one signaller only, unless specific
arrangements have been made.
When an operator is unable to continue the manoeuvre safely, the operation needs to be
discontinued until further instructions are received from the signaller.
Where weather conditions may obscure viewing or result in poor light, the use of high-
visibility clothing may be required to ensure the safety of the signaller. Such clothing
provides an additional benefit as it may also help the operator see the signaller. The use
of other items such as signalling bats and reflective arm bands may also help the operator
see and understand the signals.
Doc. No.: L3-015-HSE-02
AZN Procedure
Where hand signals are used, they should be consistent with the illustrations in appendix
3.
There may be situations where these codes of hand signals are insufficient to meet
communication needs. In these cases, additional signals can be used based on existing
signalling practice.
Irrespective of the code of hand signals chosen, it is important that they are used
consistently throughout a firm or workplace. If employees are unfamiliar with the code in
use then appropriate training is necessary. Particular care is needed with new employees
who have previously used different codes of hand signals. They may not fully understand
the signals in use and may therefore require retraining.
9.0 AUDIT / REVIEWS

This document will be reviewed every 4 years or as a result of audit findings.
10.0 ATTACHMENTS
Doc. No.: L3-015-HSE-02
AZN Procedure
Appendix 1 Safety Sign colours

Colour Meaning or purpose Instruction and information
Prohibition sign Dangerous behaviour; stop; shutdown;

Red
Danger alarm emergency cut-out devices, evacuate
Yellow or Amber Warning sign Be careful; take precautions; examine
Specific behaviour or action, e.g. wear

Blue Mandatory sign
protective equipment
Emergency escape Doors; exits; escape routes; equipment and

Green First-aid sign facilities
No danger Return to normal
Examples of Approved Signs
Condition Example of sign
Prohibition
Warning
Mandatory
Safe condition
Doc. No.: L3-015-HSE-02
AZN Procedure
Appendix 2 Hazardous chemical and mixture labelling

Old ‘CHIP’ labelling New CLP labelling
explosive
oxidising
highly or extremely flammable
(very) toxic
harmful, irritant
corrosive
dangerous for the environment
Contains gas under pressure

No equivalent
Doc. No.: L3-015-HSE-02
AZN Procedure
No equivalent Serious longer term health hazards

such as carcinogenicity and
respiratory sensitisation.
Appendix 3 Hand Signals

Meaning Description Illustration
A. General signals
START
Attention Both arms are extended
horizontally with the palms facing
Start of Command forwards
STOP
The right arm points upwards
Interruption with the palm facing forwards
End of movement
Both hands are clasped at chest

END of the operation
height
B. Vertical movements
The right arm points upwards
with the palm facing forward and
slowly makes a circle
RAISE
The right arm points

downwards with the palm
LOWER facing inwards and slowly makes
a circle
The hands indicate the relevant

distance
VERTICAL
DISTANCE
C. Horizontal movements
Doc. No.: L3-015-HSE-02
AZN Procedure
Both arms are bent with the

palms facing upwards, and
MOVE FORWARDS
the forearms make slow
movements towards the body
Both arms are bent with the
palms facing downwards,
MOVE BACKWARDS and the forearms make slow
movements away from the body
The right arm is extended

more or less horizontally with
RIGHT
the palm facing downwards
to the signalman
and slowly makes small
movements to the right
The left arm is extended

more or less horizontally with
LEFT
the palm facing downwards
to the signalman
and slowly makes small
movements to the left
HORIZONTAL The hands indicate the relevant

DISTANCE distance
Both arms point upwards

DANGER
with the palms facing
Emergency stop
forwards
QUICK All movements faster

SLOW All movements slower

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Doc. No.

Department/Section Recipient Department/Section Recipient

Management GM Stores All staff

Operations All staff Chemistry All staff

H.R. & Administration All staff Electrical All staff

I.T. All staff Mechanical All staff

Finance All staff Instrumentation & Control All staff

Procurement All staff Engineering All staff

H.S.E. All staff Performance All staff

Security All staff

1 0 First issue 28/06/2015

Routine review. Change of review

3 2 Format Change 31/12/2018

5.0 DEFINITIONS/ ABBREVIATIONS

7.0 HSE AND BUSINESS RISK

Pipework containing dangerous substances must be marked, especially at discharge and

8.2 Signs on Containers and Pipes

8.3 Safety Signals

9.0 AUDIT / REVIEWS

Appendix 1 Safety Sign colours

Prohibition sign Dangerous behaviour; stop; shutdown;

Yellow or Amber Warning sign Be careful; take precautions; examine

Specific behaviour or action, e.g. wear

Emergency escape Doors; exits; escape routes; equipment and

Examples of Approved Signs

Condition Example of sign

Appendix 2 Hazardous chemical and mixture labelling

highly or extremely flammable

dangerous for the environment

Contains gas under pressure

No equivalent Serious longer term health hazards

Appendix 3 Hand Signals

Both hands are clasped at chest

The right arm points

The hands indicate the relevant

Both arms are bent with the

The right arm is extended

The left arm is extended

HORIZONTAL The hands indicate the relevant

Both arms point upwards

QUICK All movements faster

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