Safety signs in Australia: a complete guide to AS/NZS 1319

Every Australian workplace has a legal obligation to display safety signage. Not any signage — compliant signage. Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and its state equivalents, employers must identify hazards, manage risks, and communicate those risks clearly to workers, contractors, and visitors. Safety signs are one of the primary tools for doing that.

The standard that governs how those signs must look, what they must say, and where they must go is AS/NZS 1319: Safety Signs for the Occupational Environment. If you operate a worksite in Australia, this standard applies to you.

Here is what it actually means in practice.

What AS/NZS 1319 covers

AS/NZS 1319 is a joint Australian and New Zealand Standard developed by Standards Australia. It defines:

The seven categories of safety signs
The colour, shape, and symbol conventions that apply to each category
The message wording and layout requirements for text-based signs
The minimum legibility distances for sign sizing
The materials and durability requirements for different environments

The standard exists because a safety sign only works if it is immediately recognised. A worker entering a site for the first time, a contractor who has never visited your facility, a delivery driver who cannot read English — all of them need to understand the hazard or instruction from the sign alone, without explanation.

AS/NZS 1319 achieves this through strict colour and shape conventions. Danger signs are always red, white, and black. Warning signs are always yellow and black. Mandatory signs are always blue circles with white symbols. Once a worker knows the system, every compliant sign in every workplace across Australia communicates the same message using the same visual language.

The seven categories of safety signs

Danger signs communicate the most serious hazards — conditions that present an immediate risk of death or serious injury. Identified by a red oval on a white background with black border.

Warning signs alert workers to hazards that could cause injury or illness if not avoided. Yellow background with black text and symbol.

Mandatory signs tell workers what they must do in a given area — wearing PPE, following hygiene procedures, restricting access. Blue circle with white symbol.

Hazard warning signs communicate specific hazard types including chemical, biological, and radiation hazards. Follow GHS (Globally Harmonised System) labelling conventions in many cases.

Dangerous goods signs comply with the Australian Dangerous Goods Code for the storage, handling, and transport of hazardous materials. Include HAZCHEM placards, class labels, and emergency information panels.

Emergency information signs identify first aid, emergency exits, safety equipment, and assembly points. Green with white symbol.

Fire equipment signs identify firefighting equipment locations including extinguishers, hose reels, and hydrants. Red with white text and symbol.

What the WHS Act actually requires

The WHS Act 2011 does not list every sign you must display. Instead, it requires employers to eliminate or minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable. Signs are a risk control measure — they do not eliminate a hazard but they warn workers it exists and tell them how to behave around it.

Codes of practice issued by Safe Work Australia and state regulators go further in specifying signage requirements for particular environments. The Model Code of Practice for Hazardous Chemicals requires HAZCHEM signage and storage area identification. The Model Code for Construction Work requires site entry signs displaying key safety information. State regulations add further requirements.

The baseline is this: if there is a hazard in your workplace, and a sign is a reasonable way to communicate it, not having one is a breach of your duty of care.

Choosing the right sign for your environment

AS/NZS 1319 does not specify a single material for safety signs. The right material depends on the environment the sign will be used in:

Indoor signs can use lighter substrates including self-adhesive vinyl, rigid plastic, and polypropylene.
Outdoor signs should use aluminium or corflute with UV-stable printing to resist fading and weathering.
Chemical environments require corrosion-resistant materials and inks.
Low-light environments such as underground car parks, tunnels, and mine entries require reflective or photoluminescent signs.
High-impact areas such as loading docks and warehouse aisles benefit from reinforced aluminium or boxed-edge construction.

Getting the material wrong is as costly as getting the message wrong. A sign that fades, warps, or peels within months of installation is not a compliant sign — and more importantly, it is not doing its job.

How many signs do you need?

There is no universal formula. The number and placement of signs depends on:

The number and type of hazards present
The size of the site and the paths workers and visitors take through it
The legibility distance required for each sign (determined by AS/NZS 1319 based on viewing distance)
Whether you have workers whose first language is not English (symbol-based signs become more important)
Whether conditions change across shifts or seasons

A thorough hazard assessment is the starting point. Walk the site, identify every hazard and every access control requirement, and map where a sign would communicate each one. That list becomes your signage plan.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use overseas signs that don't follow AS/NZS 1319? No. Signs used in Australian workplaces must comply with AS/NZS 1319. Overseas signs, including US OSHA and ANSI-format signs, use different colour conventions and may not be immediately understood by Australian workers.

How often should safety signs be replaced? There is no fixed replacement schedule, but signs should be inspected regularly for fading, damage, or illegibility. A sign that cannot be clearly read from the required viewing distance is non-compliant regardless of age.

Who is responsible for safety signage? The person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) has the primary duty under the WHS Act. On multi-contractor sites, the principal contractor is responsible for site-wide signage; individual PCBUs are responsible for their work areas.

Do temporary worksites need permanent signs? Compliant signs are required regardless of how temporary the site is. Many temporary applications use portable sign stands, corflute substrates, and clip-in sign panels for exactly this reason.

Shop safety signs at Industroquip: Browse our full range of AS/NZS 1319 compliant safety signs — rigid aluminium, corflute, and self-adhesive options with same-day dispatch across Australia.