• All employees in general industry and shipyards be instructed on the meaning of DANGER and CAUTION safety signs.
• No matter the industry, it’s good practice to provide employee training on the meaning of safety signs.

Many employees cannot distinguish between the signal words. However, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires sign training for general industry and shipyard workers at 29 CFR 1910.145. Pursuant to 29 CFR 1926.21, construction workers must be trained to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions. Because signs assist these workers in spotting unsafe conditions, you could say safety sign training is a must in construction.

No matter the industry, it’s wise to instruct employees. A training program should cover the following:

• What signs are,
• Their importance,
• Message types,
• Signal words,
• Safety symbols,
• Surround shapes, and
• Sign color schemes used in the specific workplace.

During training, it may be helpful to show photos of signs found in the trainees’ work areas and take trainees on a “sign tour” to point out (or have employees spot) various signs in action at the facility.