First aid signs are materials displayed in workspaces and public areas to promote a safer environment by highlighting emergency first aid information. This information could be the location of first aid stations or first aid boxes, or could be used to highlight specific pieces of first aid equipment, such as defibrillators.

First aid signage is designed to be easy to understand and is often made from rigid PVC or rigid plastic so that it can withstand different environments and remain clearly identifiable. These safety signs can be self-adhesive, allowing for quick and easy installation, photo-luminescent, and usually consist of a white symbol or text on a green background.

The most common first aid signs consist of a simple white cross on a green background, but the pictograms can illustrate other things, such as emergency showers, emergency eye washing stations. All first aid kits, rooms and provisions must be clearly labelled and unobstructed from view, easily identifiable for all persons in the workplace in times of emergency or injury.

What types of first aid signs are there?

Most first aid signage is simple, with a white cross or white text on a green background, but there are other more specific types of first aid signs. These include:

• Defibrillator signs and other emergency equipment
• Drinking water signs as not all tap water is drinkable
• First aid room signs to provide the fixed location of first aid in the workplace
• Signs that identify trained and appointed first aiders in the workplace so that they can be quickly located in the event of an incident
• First aid box signs positioned on or next to the location of the first aid kit (such as cupboard or closet doors or on the wall next to a wall-mounted kit)
• First aid stations, such as emergency showers and emergency eyewash station signs