By name: as-1319 description: "Technical reference for AS 1319—1994 (Safety signs for the occupational environment), Reconfirmed 2018. Use this skill when the user asks about workplace safety signage, sign design requirements, symbolic signs, safety colours, sign classification, placement and maintenance of safety signs, or when an action skill needs to verify or cite specific clauses of AS 1319."
AS 1319—1994 — Safety Signs for the Occupational Environment — Complete Reference
Purpose
This skill provides the complete technical reference for AS 1319—1994, Safety signs for the occupational environment (Reconfirmed 2018). It enables accurate clause lookup and compliance checking against the standard's requirements for the design, classification, construction, installation and maintenance of safety signs used in occupational environments to regulate and control safety-related behaviour, warn of hazards, and provide emergency information.
AS 1319 is the primary Australian standard governing the design and use of workplace safety signage. The standard specifies requirements for the design, colour coding, shape coding, layout and symbolic design of safety signs across five main functional categories: regulatory signs (prohibition, mandatory, limitation/restriction), hazard signs (danger and warning), emergency information signs, fire signs, and accident prevention tags. It also prescribes specifications for safety sign colours, retroreflective materials, sign construction and installation practices.
The standard is structured in five main sections addressing scope and definitions, classification and layout of signs, design of signs, construction/installation/maintenance, and accident prevention tags. Six normative appendices specify safety colour designations, index symbolic safety signs, design of danger sign symbols, guide layout design, retroreflective material usage, and illuminated sign lighting levels.
Critical Rules
- Only cite clauses that appear in the section files. Never fabricate or assume clause numbers or content. If a clause cannot be located in these files, state that the specific clause should be verified against a current copy of the standard.
- Citation format: Use "Clause X.Y" or "Clause X.Y.Z" for individual clauses, e.g. "Clause 1.1 of AS 1319—1994" or "Clauses 2.1 to 2.3" for a range. For figures and tables, use "Figure X" or "Table X" as they appear.
- Use conservative, factual language when describing standard requirements. Avoid subjective interpretation — describe what the standard requires in objective terms. Use "the standard requires" or "Clause X.Y specifies" rather than interpretive language.
- Always use Australian English spelling (e.g. colour, recognised, organisation, centre, behaviour).
- If a clause cannot be located in these files, state this explicitly. Do not guess or reconstruct clause content from memory or general knowledge.
- Distinguish between mandatory and recommended content. The standard uses "shall" for mandatory requirements and "should" for recommendations (as per Clause 1.3.9 and 1.3.10).
- Distinguish between the standard and legislation. AS 1319 is a technical standard, not legislation. WHS Acts and Regulations are covered by separate skills. The standard may be referenced by or incorporated into workplace legislation and recognised as best practice for sign design and placement.
- Note text extraction limitations. Symbolic sign designs and visual examples (figures and tables) may be referenced in these files, but detailed visual representation may not be fully preserved in text format. If a query depends on specific figure design details or colour rendering, advise the user to verify against the published standard or consult AS 2700 for colour specifications.
- Regulatory standing: AS 1319—1994 is a Category 4 (Advisory/Best Practice) standard. It is not directly mandated by specific legislation but represents the recognised national benchmark for workplace safety sign design and use. It is widely referenced in WHS codes of practice and is commonly used to demonstrate compliance with general WHS duties requiring provision of adequate safety signage.
Section Index
Read the relevant section file(s) based on the subject matter of the query:
| File | Section | Key Clauses | When to Read |
|---|---|---|---|
sections/section-01-scope-and-general.md |
Section 1 — Scope and General | Clauses 1.1–1.4 | Scope of the standard (safety signs for the occupational environment), objective, definitions (Clause 1.3) — including definitions of safety colour, symbolic shape, danger, warning, sign, symbol, legend, etc.; general requirements (Clause 1.4) — suitability for purpose, language considerations, accident prevention and education. |
sections/section-02-classification-and-layout.md |
Section 2 — Classification and Layout of Signs | Clauses 2.1–2.3 | Sign classification and use (Clause 2.1) — regulatory signs (prohibition, mandatory, limitation/restriction), hazard signs (danger and warning), emergency information signs, fire signs; colour/shape/enclosure coding (Clause 2.2); sign layouts (Clause 2.3) — symbolic signs alone, symbolic signs on target boards, multiple symbols, combination word/symbol signs, word-message signs, danger signs, emergency information signs, fire signs. |
sections/section-03-design-of-signs.md |
Section 3 — Design of Signs | Clauses 3.1–3.5 | General design requirements (Clause 3.1), use of symbols and symbolic signs (Clause 3.2) — selection from standard set in Appendix B, testing to AS 2342, use of untested symbols; sign layout design guidance (Clause 3.3); sign size, legend and legibility (Clause 3.4) — symbolic sign and letter sizes (15 mm per metre viewing distance), letter sizing, legend colour, sign size modification, use of directional arrows; sign face materials and colours (Clause 3.5) — non-retroreflective signs, retroreflective materials, self-luminous materials. |
sections/section-04-construction-installation-maintenance.md |
Section 4 — Construction, Installation and Maintenance | Clauses 4.1–4.3 | Sign construction, erection and removal (Clause 4.1); sign location (Clause 4.2) — visibility, siting in relation to observer line of sight, proximity to hazards, placement on moveable objects, illumination of signs, number of signs; sign maintenance (Clause 4.3). |
sections/section-05-accident-prevention-tags.md |
Section 5 — Accident Prevention Tags | Clauses 5.1–5.2 | General description (Clause 5.1) — miniature signs for attachment to plant/equipment; design of tags (Clause 5.2) — layout as miniaturized versions of standard signs, minimum dimensions (80 mm × 50 mm), background colour selection. |
sections/appendix-a-safety-colours.md |
Appendix A — Specification of Safety Colours | (Normative) | CIE chromaticity co-ordinates and luminance factor specifications for red, yellow, green and blue safety colours; colour designations per AS 2700; retroreflective colour conformance to AS/NZS 1906.1. |
sections/appendix-b-symbolic-safety-signs.md |
Appendix B — Index of Symbolic Safety Signs | (Normative) | Complete index of all symbolic signs approved for use: prohibition signs (401–405), mandatory signs (421–430), hazard signs (441–453), emergency information signs (471–473). |
sections/appendix-c-danger-sign-symbols.md |
Appendix C — Design of Danger Sign Symbols | (Normative) | Design specification for the DANGER symbol (red oval with white letters on black background). |
sections/appendix-d-sign-layout-design-guide.md |
Appendix D — Guide for the Layout Design of Safety Signs | (Informative) | Guidance on layout, critical dimensions and spacings for symbolic signs, combination word/symbol signs, worded signs, danger signs, and corner rounding. |
sections/appendix-e-retroreflective-material-guide.md |
Appendix E — Guide for the Use of Retroreflective Material on Signs | (Informative) | Recommendations on fully reflectorized and partially reflectorized signs, luminance contrast ratios, colour combinations. |
sections/appendix-f-illuminated-sign-lighting.md |
Appendix F — Recommended Lighting Levels for Illuminated Signs | (Informative) | Mean luminance recommendations (Category 1 and 2), luminance ratios for coloured portions, uniformity of illumination across signs. |
Regulatory Standing
AS 1319—1994 is a Category 4 — Advisory/Best Practice Standard. It is not directly mandated by specific legislation but represents the recognised Australian benchmark for workplace safety sign design, colour coding and use. The standard is widely referenced in:
- WHS codes of practice and guidance materials across all harmonised jurisdictions
- Workplace risk assessments and safety management systems
- Due diligence obligations for PCBUs and officers to ensure adequate safety signage
- General WHS duty of care requirements to provide safe systems of work and information
Whilst the standard itself is not legislatively mandated, WHS legislation across all Australian jurisdictions requires adequate safety signage as part of the duty to ensure the health and safety of workers. AS 1319 is the recognised benchmark used to determine what constitutes "adequate" signage and is commonly cited as evidence of compliance with these general WHS obligations.
Note: This is a 1994 standard reconfirmed in 2018. The reconfirmation confirmed that the standard remains valid and appropriate.
Always check jurisdiction-specific requirements and relevant codes of practice, as these may reference or incorporate elements of this standard.
Workflow
- Identify the subject matter from the user's query — is it a clause lookup, a compliance check, a sign design question, or a general question about safety signage?
- Read the relevant section file(s) — consult the Section Index above to determine which file(s) to read. Most queries will require 1–3 files.
- For sign design queries: Start with Section 2 (Classification and Layout) to identify the sign type, then read Section 3 (Design of Signs) for sizing, colour and material specifications. Appendix D provides layout design guidance.
- For sign placement queries: Read Section 4 (Installation and Maintenance) for location, visibility and installation requirements.
- For symbol lookup: Read Appendix B (Index of Symbolic Safety Signs) to identify the appropriate symbol(s) for the hazard or message.
- For colour specifications: Read Appendix A (Safety Colours) and refer to AS 2700 for colour designations and CIE co-ordinates.
- Cite clauses accurately from the extracted text. Include clause numbers as they appear in the source files.
- Cross-reference where appropriate — some requirements span multiple sections (e.g. sign visibility requirements appear in Section 3.4 and Section 4.2).
- Flag limitations — if the query depends on visual design details or figure renderings that may not be fully preserved, advise the user to verify against the published standard.
Common Query Routing
| Query Topic | Primary Section(s) | Key Clauses |
|---|---|---|
| Scope — what signs does AS 1319 cover? | Section 1 | Clause 1.1 |
| Sign classification and types | Section 2 | Clause 2.1 |
| Prohibition sign design | Sections 2, 3 | Clauses 2.1(a)(i), 2.3.3, 3.1–3.5 |
| Mandatory sign design | Sections 2, 3 | Clauses 2.1(a)(ii), 2.3.3, 3.1–3.5 |
| Hazard sign design — general | Sections 2, 3 | Clauses 2.1(b), 2.3.3–2.3.4 |
| DANGER signs — design | Sections 2, 3 | Clauses 2.1(b)(i), 2.3.4, Appendix C |
| Warning signs — design | Sections 2, 3 | Clauses 2.1(b)(ii), 2.3.3 |
| Emergency information signs | Sections 2, 3 | Clauses 2.1(c), 2.3.5 |
| Fire signs — design | Sections 2, 3 | Clauses 2.1(d), 2.3.6 |
| Sign colour coding | Sections 2, 3 | Clauses 2.2, 3.5, Appendix A |
| Safety colour specifications | Appendix A | (Normative specifications) |
| Symbolic sign selection | Section 3, Appendix B | Clauses 3.2, Appendix B |
| Symbolic signs — prohibition | Appendix B | Table B1 (Signs 401–405) |
| Symbolic signs — mandatory | Appendix B | Table B2 (Signs 421–430) |
| Symbolic signs — hazard | Appendix B | Table B3 (Signs 441–453) |
| Symbolic signs — emergency | Appendix B | Table B4 (Signs 471–473) |
| Sign size and legibility | Section 3 | Clause 3.4 |
| Sign sizing formula (mm per metre) | Section 3 | Clause 3.4.2 |
| Sign placement and location | Section 4 | Clause 4.2 |
| Sign visibility and siting | Section 4 | Clauses 4.2.1–4.2.6 |
| Sign installation hazards | Section 4 | Clause 4.1 |
| Sign removal — timing | Section 4 | Clause 4.1 |
| Sign maintenance | Section 4 | Clause 4.3 |
| Accident prevention tags | Section 5 | Clauses 5.1–5.2 |
| Retroreflective signs | Section 3, Appendix E | Clauses 3.5.2, Appendix E |
| Illuminated signs — lighting levels | Appendix F | (Informative guidance) |
| Sign layout design — guidance | Appendix D | (Informative guidance) |
| Multiple symbols at one location | Sections 2, 3 | Clauses 2.3.3(c), Appendix D |
| Combination signs (word/symbol) | Sections 2, 3 | Clauses 2.3.3(d), 3.2–3.5 |
| Languages other than English | Section 1 | Clause 1.4.1(a) |
| Directional arrows on signs | Section 3 | Clause 3.4.5 |
Version Information
- Standard: AS 1319—1994, Safety signs for the occupational environment
- Publication: 18 April 1994
- Reconfirmed: 29 August 2018 (reconfirmation confirmed the standard remains valid)
- Approved: 1 February 1994
- Prepared by: Committee SF/5, Industrial Warning Signs (Standards Australia)
- Edition: Fourth edition 1994
- Source: Licensed copy, text extracted from standards document
Notes
This skill covers AS 1319—1994 (Reconfirmed 2018) only. The standard specifies requirements for safety signs used in occupational environments. For non-occupational safety signs (road, water safety, etc.), refer to relevant standards (AS 1742, water safety standards). For emergency evacuation signs in buildings, refer to AS 2293. For development and testing of new symbols, refer to AS 2342. For colour standards, refer to AS 2700. For retroreflective materials, refer to AS/NZS 1906.1.
The standard excludes EXIT signs of the type specified in AS 2293.1 for use inside buildings.