A sign pointing to reception and a sign identifying an emergency exit may both help somebody find a route. That does not make them interchangeable.

Ordinary wayfinding helps people navigate a place. Safety signs communicate a safety instruction, warning or other defined safety message. Some signs, including emergency escape signs, involve both direction and safety.

Before choosing colours, materials or a layout, establish which job the sign needs to do. This guide helps you prepare a clearer signage brief. It is not a site risk assessment, legal interpretation or confirmation that a particular sign meets your obligations.

Start with the question the sign must answer

For ordinary wayfinding, the question might be “Where is reception?”, “Which door should deliveries use?” or “How do I reach this room?” The useful starting point is the destination and the route a first-time visitor takes.

For a safety sign, the question might concern a hazard, required action, prohibition or the location of emergency facilities. The required message should come from the responsible person’s confirmed site requirements, not from a designer’s guess.

Write down the purpose of each sign. Separate reception directions, promotions and safety instructions before preparing artwork. They may share a building, but they do not all need the same design or assessment.

Where the Irish workplace rules fit

The Health and Safety Authority identifies Chapter 1 of Part 7 and Schedule 9 of the General Application Regulations as the framework for safety signs at places of work. Its guidance explains that signs are used where hazards cannot be avoided or adequately reduced by other measures. A warning sign is not a substitute for dealing with the hazard. HSA guidance on safety signs.

Regulation 160 requires employers to have regard to their risk assessment and safety statement when determining the need for signs. It also requires safety or health signs used at work to comply with Schedule 9. Revised Regulation 160.

That is a workplace framework, not a blanket checklist for every sign in every public space. Regulation 159 sets out its application and exclusions, including signs regulating transport, subject to the workplace-traffic provision. Revised Regulation 159.

An event or public-facing venue may also involve work activities and other requirements. Do not assume that either a general workplace summary or an ordinary directional-sign design resolves the whole situation. Have the appropriate responsible person or competent adviser confirm what applies before ordering.

Safety symbols are not branding elements

A safety message should not be restyled simply to match a business logo. Required symbols, shapes, colours and associated information need to be identified correctly before artwork is prepared.

The HSA’s safety-sign guide revised in 2016 explains the role of pictograms and supplementary text. Each safety signboard and any associated supplementary signboard should convey one safety message. If two confirmed messages are required, use two separate signboards; those separate signboards, with supplementary signboards where necessary, may be arranged on one carrier. Do not merge pictograms into a new symbol or use supplementary wording to introduce a second safety message.

For a production enquiry, supply the approved symbol or exact requirement and identify who has authorised it. Do not ask the artwork stage to decide which warning a site needs.

Keep ordinary directions consistent

For non-emergency wayfinding, use the same destination names throughout. If one sign says “Reception” and another says “Main Office”, a newcomer may not know whether they refer to the same place.

Consider the points where somebody must choose a direction: an entrance, a junction or an unfamiliar doorway. A useful brief shows where the reader approaches from and what they should do next.

A photograph and simple marked-up plan can help explain that intention. They are supporting information, not a substitute for checking the actual route. Avoid copying an arrow from another sign without confirming its direction at the proposed location.

Prepare the information before requesting production

For each sign, gather:

  • Its purpose and the exact approved wording, symbol or artwork.
  • The proposed location, with photographs or a marked-up plan.
  • The required dimensions and quantity.
  • Whether it will be indoors or outdoors, and relevant exposure or cleaning conditions.
  • The proposed mounting surface and fixing requirements.
  • Any specified material, visibility, lighting or performance requirement.
  • The deadline and the person responsible for approving the final proof.

For safety-related work, include the requirements confirmed by your responsible person or adviser. If a specification calls for a particular standard or specialist property, provide it in writing so suitability can be checked. Do not assume that a printed board has that property.

Materials, finishing, fixing, stock and production suitability need to be confirmed for the particular job. A photograph of a similar sign does not establish any of those details.

A proof is an artwork check, not a compliance certificate

Check the proof against the approved brief: spelling, symbols, destination names, arrow directions, dimensions and quantities. Keep the sign list and proof references together so amendments are traceable.

For a safety sign, the appropriate responsible person must also confirm that the proposed artwork and specification match the requirements they have identified. An attractive design or a customer-approved proof does not, by itself, certify compliance.

Location and maintenance matter after production too. The Schedule 9 requirements address positioning, condition and the effectiveness of signs. A sign that becomes obstructed, damaged or outdated needs attention.

Bring a confirmed brief, not an unresolved safety decision

For ordinary directional signage, start with the destination, proposed location, quantity and deadline. For safety-related signage, bring the confirmed wording, symbols and technical requirements as well.

Call Time for Designs on 062 61524, WhatsApp 085 858 1906, or visit 98 Friar Street, Cashel. We can discuss your signage enquiry and confirm what can be supplied for the specific brief. This does not replace a risk assessment or professional determination of the signs your site requires.

Official sources

Check the dates and amendment information attached to these sources. This article is explanatory and does not claim a complete legal update through October 2026 or replace advice about the particular site.