Prohibition Signs and their Meanings

Prohibition signs – What do they mean?

Prohibition signs are a type of sign used to try and prevent various activities in certain situations. They’re commonly used to identify actions that are either not authorised because they do not conform to the rules and regulations of a given area, or that those actions could potentially cause a risk to the health and safety of bystanders.

These signs send a clear message to all who see them that some actions are either not safe or are outright not permitted. Prohibition signs are a crucial component to maintaining safe practice and order in the workplace, whilst also helping to adhere to health, safety, and sign regulations.

What type of Prohibition Sign(s) are you looking for?

"No..." Signs

"Do Not..." Signs

Access Awareness

(No) Smoking

Machinery

No Food or Drink

Mobile Phone

"No Dog" Signs

Warehouse Prohibition

What do they look like?

Typically, these signs are easily identified by their round shape, outlined by a bold red circle and diagonal line which extends from the top left down to the bottom right. More often than not, this circle is positioned above a black symbol on a white background, with any related text to the side or underneath, in black and white – especially if they’re instructional signs such as “No” signs or “Do Not” signs.

The entire purpose of these signs is to be visible and thereby prevent any kind of behaviour which may lead to danger or an accident; making it imperative to have the correct prohibition signage in areas in which it is needed.

When do you use them?

With so many different signs on the market, it may look like a challenge to select the correct ones. However, you should be able to easily track down what it is you are after, depending on your needs, be it that you just want to prohibit entry into a particular area with a No Entry sign or keep the surrounding air clear with a few No Smoking signs.

Perhaps you work in an environment into which it is important that no one brings anything edible, so you might therefore be after one or two No Food or Drink signs to hopefully prevent people from eating or drinking in the prohibited area.

Failing that, you might find yourself after something completely different. Seton has you covered, with signs from the slightly more obscure No E Cigarettes sign to a wide variety of No Access signs – Whatever the situation, you will have a number of options at your disposal and hopefully be able to find the correct prohibition signage to suit your needs.

Below, you will find a selection of our most popular sign symbols, along with their respective meanings.

General prohibition

No naked flames

No smoking

No electronic cigarettes

No eating or drinking

No dogs

No children

No swimming

No running

No cycles, rollerblades, skateboards or scooters

Not drinking water

Do not use mobile phones

Do not use lift

No access for pedestrians

No unauthorised access

No photography

Do not use ladder

No fork lift trucks

Do not use incomplete scaffold

No climbing

Do not operate

Do not use machine

Do not extinguish with water

All of the prohibition signs that are on this website are compliant with the BS EN ISO 7010 regulation (a regulation which aims to standardise signage to cater to an increasingly international audience, ideally reducing confusion and avoiding accidents) to ensure that we provide you with the latest symbols available, so that your signs can be clearly understood by all.

Despite all of this, you might be in a situation in which you need a particular type of signage, but are unable to find exactly what suits your needs on our website. If this is the case, then our custom prohibition sign tool might be of use. This unique design feature allows you to create your own safety sign featuring whichever prohibited symbol and personalised text you require.

If you need any assistance when using the online customisation tool to make your own custom signs, then please check out our video on how to design and personalise your products online.