The Directive 92/58/EEC specifies the minimum requirements for safety signs within the European Union. It superseded the Directive 77/576/EEC. While not being replaced by the standard ISO 7010, both signage systems can be used. This directive does not apply to signage used for controlling roadway, railway, waterway or air transportation.

Structure Directive 92/58/EEC consists of 3 sections, 12 articles and 9 annexes. Section one simply defines the function of the directive, as well as provide definitions. Section 2 specifies that employers are required to post safety/health signs, whenever a hazard can't be eliminated. It also provides guidance to member states regarding adoption of the directive in their laws and the implementation of the law. Signs already in use had to be brought up to Directive 92/58/EEC standards within 18 months after 24 June 1994. Signs posted on or after 24 June 1994 were required to comply with the directive when posted. Section 3 contained the effective date for the directive, repealed the older Directive 77/576, and reporting obligations of member states to the European Commission.

Annexes The nine annexes of the directive layout the actual designs and requirements of signs regulated by the directive.

Annex I Annex I, General Minimum Requirements Concerning Safety And/Or Health Signs At Work, lays out the types of signs, the colors used on signs, and the implementation/installation of signs.

Colour Purpose Examples Red Prohibited sign Restriction of dangerous or undesirable behaviours or objects Danger alarm Stop, shutdown, evacuate, identification and location of emergency stop switches Fire-fighting equipment Identification and location of fire-fighting equipment Yellow/amber Warning sign Identification of hazards Blue Mandatory sign requiring a specific behaviour or action, wearing personal protective equipment Green Emergency escape, first aid sign location and identification of doors, exits, evacuation routes, equipment and facilities No danger Return to normal working

Annex II (Signboards) Annex II, Minimum General Requirements Concerning Signboards, spells out the designs of symbols used in the directive. While specific symbol designs are provided, pictograms are permitted to vary so long as the variation in design does not reduce the symbol's effectiveness at conveying its meaning.

The directive contains five categories of signs, as shown below:

Prohibitory signs

Warning signs

Mandatory signs

Emergency escape or first-aid signs

Fire-fighting signs

Annex III Annex III, Minimum Requirements Governing Signs on Containers and Pipes''', lays out specific requirements for labeling of piping systems and storage containers containing dangerous substances defined by Directives 67/548 and 88/379.

Annex IV Annex IV, Minimum Requirements for the identification and location of fire-fighting equipment, is specific to fire-fighting equipment, specifying that red should be used to mark the equipment and its storage location, to supplement the fire-fighting signage provided in Annex III.

Annex V

Annex V, Minimum Requirements Governing Signs Used For Obstacles and Dangerous Locations, and Marking Traffic Routes, lays out the use of colored stripes for marking obstacles and identifying of traffic routes in work places.

Annex VI Annex VI, Minimum Requirements for Illuminated Signs, sets standards for the use of illuminated signage, the incorporation of colors and pictograms, as defined in Annex I and II and usage with acoustic signals.

Annex VII Annex VII, Minimum requirements for Acoustic Signs, sets requirements for sound signals, such as horns, sirens, alarm bells.

Annex VIII Annex VIII, Minimum requirements for Verbal Communication, sets requirements for communications using words, and defines specific code words. Code word Meaning Start To indicate the start of a command Stop To interrupt or end a movement End To stop the operation Raise To have a load raised Lower To have a load lowered Forwards To be coordinated with the corresponding hand signals Backwards Right Left Danger For an emergency stop Quickly To speed up a movement for safety reasons

Annex IX Annex IX, Minimum Requirements for Hand Signals'', describes specific hand signals and the requirements of a "signalman", the person giving the hand signs. Meaning Description IllustrationA. General Signals Start.Attention.Start of command. Both arms extended horizontally with the palms facing forward. Stop.Interruption.End of movement. The right arm points upward with the palm facing forwards. Endof the operation. Both hands are clasped at chest height. B. Vertical Movements Raise The right arm points skywards with the palm facing forward and slowly makes a circle. Lower The right arm points downwards with the palm facing inwards and slowly makes a circle. Vertical Distance The hands indicate the relevant distance. C. Horizontal Movements Move forwards. Both arms are bent with the palms facing upwards, and the forearms make slow movements towards the body. Move backwards. Both arms are bent with the palms facing downwards, and the forearms make slow movements away from the body. Rightto the signalman. The right arm is extended more or less horizontally with the palm facing downwards and slowly makes small movements to the right. Leftto the signalman. The left arm is extended more or less horizontally with the palm facing downwards and slowly makes small movements to the left. Horizontal Distance The hands indicate the relevant distance D. Danger Danger.Emergency stop. Both arms point upwards with the palms facing forwards. Quick Make all movements faster Slow Make all movements slower

Implementation in member states European member states adopted the directive in the following legal acts in their nation.

Austria: Kennzeichnungsverordnung Belgium: Arrêté royal du 17 juin 1997 Bulgaria: РД-07/8 от 20 декември 2008 г. Croatia: NN 29/2005 Cyprus: Σημανσης Ασφαλειας Και Υγειας Στους Χωρους Εργασιας 2012 Czechia: Č 11/2002 Sb. (Replaced by Č 375/2017 Sb.) Denmark: BEK nr 1246 af 11/12/2009 Estonia: Vastu võetud 30.11.1999 nr 75 Ohumärguannete kasutamise nõuded töökohas Finland: Nr. 687/2015 France: Arrêté du 4 novembre 1993 relatif à la signalisation de sécurité et de santé au travail Germany: Arbeitsstättenverordnung, specified by Technische Regel für Arbeitsstätten ASR A1.3 Greece: Π.Δ. 105/1995 Hungary: 2/1998. (I. 16.) MüM rendelet a munkahelyen alkalmazandó biztonsági és egészségvédelmi jelzésekről Ireland: Safety, Health and Welfare At Work (Signs) Regulations, 1995 Italy: Decreto Legislativo 14 agosto 1996, n. 493, replaced by Decreto Legislativo 9 aprile 2008, n. 81 Latvia: Rīgā 2002.gada 3.septembrī prot. Nr.37 17.§ Lithuania: 1999 m. lapkričio 24 d. Nr. 95 Vilnius Malta: S.L.424.16 2002 Netherlands: Arbeidsomstandighedenregeling Portugal: Portaria n.º 1456-A 1995, de 11 de dezembro Romania: Hotararea de Guvern 971 din 2006 Slovakia:Z.z. 387/2006 Slovenia:Uradni list RS, št. 34/10 Spain: Real Decreto n° 485/97 Sweden: AFS 2008-13 (Replaced by AFS 2020-1)

Similar implementation in non-EU member states

Iceland: Stjtíð. B, nr. 707/1995 India: IS 9457 2005 (A copy of the preceding standard 77/576/EEC was also active in India as IS 9457 1980) Northern Cyprus: 35/2008 Sayılı Yasa Finland: Forskrift 6. oktober 1994 nr. 972 Ukraine: Кабінету Міністрів України постанова від 25 листопада 2009 р. N 1262 Київ Turkey: Resmi Gazete Tarihi: 25325/2003 United Kingdom: The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 (Passed when an EU member, no longer a member.) The Law and Sign Standard is still in force and in-accordance with the EU (2024)

See also ISO 3864 - ISO standard for safety sign design ISO 7010 - ISO standard for safety symbols Napo in... The Best Signs Story

References

External links

EUR-Lex - List of National Laws implementing 92/58/EEC