Mandatory sign (blue circle)

How to read it

ISO 3864-1 defines the mandatory action sign as one that indicates “a specific course of action is to be taken”: a blue circle with a white symbol, the blue covering at least half the sign. ISO 7010 numbers these signs with an M; M001 is the general mandatory action sign and M002 means refer to the instruction manual or booklet. Great Britain’s 1996 regulations use the same design, and HSE’s guidance says any text used with a mandatory sign states its mandatory nature with “must” rather than “should” or “may”, as in “Face protection must be worn”.

Also searched as: iso 7010 mandatory, mandatory signs, ppe symbols.

What do PPE symbols mean?

PPE symbols are mandatory signs for personal protective equipment: each blue circle shows equipment that must be worn where the sign is posted. These are the protective equipment signs registered in ISO 7010:2011.

Britain’s 1996 regulations word the same signs as statements, such as “Eye protection must be worn” and “Safety helmet must be worn”.

PPE symbols on laboratory doors

Lab door signs pair PPE symbols with hazard symbols. The University of Houston’s door signs show the minimum PPE for entry, with pictograms for a lab coat, an apron, safety glasses, safety goggles, a face shield, gloves, a hardhat, fall protection and protective footwear. The hazard symbols on the same signs are covered under lab safety symbols.

Look-alikes

A red ring with a diagonal bar is a prohibition sign, the opposite instruction. On American ANSI signs, a blue header reading NOTICE carries information about practices not related to physical injury.