Employee training in signs and symbols

• 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 that:

• All employees in general industry and shipyards be instructed on the meaning of DANGER and CAUTION safety signs, per 29 CFR 1910.145.
• All construction employees be trained to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions, per 29 CFR 1926.21. Because signs help construction employees to recognize and avoid unsafe conditions, safety sign training is a must.

No matter the industry, it’s good practice to provide employee training on the meaning of safety signs. 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 the various signs in action at the facility.