Safety Sign Colours: What They Mean

Date: 10.10.2026 20:46

What safety colours and signs mean: red for prohibition, yellow for warning, blue for mandatory action and green for emergency exits. Covers sign shapes, colour proportions and floor marking, based on safety signs regulations.

Contents

1. Safety colours and their meanings
2. Sign types: shape and colour
3. Floor and obstacle marking
FAQ

Short answer

Under the Health and Safety Signs Regulation in Türkiye, red indicates prohibition, danger alarms and firefighting equipment; yellow (or bright orange) indicates a warning; blue indicates a mandatory action (e.g. "wear PPE"); and green indicates emergency exits, first aid and a "no danger" condition. Prohibition signs are white circles with a red border and diagonal bar, warning signs are yellow triangles, mandatory signs are blue circles, and emergency exit and first aid signs are green rectangles or squares.

1. Safety colours and their meanings

Colour	Meaning	Use
Red	Prohibition sign · danger alarm · firefighting equipment	Dangerous movement or behaviour; stop, shut down, emergency stop of equipment, evacuate; identifying the location of equipment
Yellow (or bright orange)	Warning sign	Be careful, take precautions, check
Blue	Mandatory sign	Specific behaviour or action; wear personal protective equipment (PPE). Blue counts as a safety colour only when used within a circle
Green	Emergency exit, first aid sign · no danger	Doors, exits and escape routes, equipment, facilities; return to normal

Under the regulation, bright orange may be used instead of yellow other than on safety signs; its fluorescent properties make it especially conspicuous in poor natural visibility.

2. Sign types: shape and colour

Sign type	Shape	Colours	Coloured area
Prohibition	Circle	White background, black pictogram, red border and diagonal bar	Red parts at least 35%
Warning	Triangle	Yellow background, black pictogram, black border	Yellow parts at least 50%
Mandatory	Circle	Blue background, white pictogram	Blue parts at least 50%
Emergency exit / first aid	Rectangular or square	Green background, white pictogram	Green parts at least 50%
Firefighting	Rectangular or square	Red background, white pictogram	Red parts at least 50%

Examples of mandatory signs given in the regulation: "Wear eye protection", "Wear a safety helmet", "Wear safety shoes", "Wear hearing protection". You can list the equipment these signs require

using the PPE selection matrix.

3. Floor and obstacle marking

Obstacles and dangerous locations are marked with alternating yellow-and-black or red-and-white stripes of equal size, set at an angle of approximately 45 degrees.
Vehicle traffic routes are marked with continuous yellow or white lines.
Where natural light is poor, fluorescent colours, reflective material or artificial lighting are used.

Products:

Floor marking tape, yellow-black · Wet floor sign · Safety signs · Traffic safety equipment.

FAQ

Which colour indicates a mandatory requirement?

Blue: mandatory signs are circular, with a white pictogram on a blue background.

What does yellow mean?

Warning: be careful, take precautions, check. Warning signs are triangular with a yellow background.

What does a green sign mean?

It indicates emergency exits, first aid and the absence of danger.

Sources:Regulation on Health and Safety Signs in Türkiye (Official Gazette 11.09.2013/28762) and its annexes (Annex 1, Annex 2, Annex 5)

This guide was prepared by Vitrin Online on 10.10.2026. It is based on the original text of the regulation; check the current version of the legislation for any subsequent amendments.