Working with electrical installations requires responsibility, increased attention, and compliance with certain rules set out in regulatory documentation. Separate paragraphs are devoted to protective equipment, including electrical safety posters. What are they, what categories are they divided into and what are they intended for?
You will learn everything about posters that prescribe and prohibit activities during equipment repairs or electrical installations from our proposed article. We will tell you what types of posters are divided into and what shape they have. We list and describe the main and additional types of visual warnings.
Posters as means of protection
Brightly colored images with explanatory inscriptions or symbols are called posters or safety signs. They have a certain geometric shape: rectangular, triangular, square.
Posters are needed to warn both workers and bystanders about the potential hazards posed by electrical installation equipment. Some posters directly prohibit performing certain actions, others carry an informational load, others allow and order work.
To make posters or signs catch the eye, contrasting or signal colors and their combinations are used for the background and inscriptions: red/white, blue/white, black/white, black/yellow
The document applies to any means of protection used by organizations of various forms of ownership - both state enterprises and private property, especially if the voltage in electrical installations is above 1000 V.
The main document in which you can find information about posters and safety signs on electrical safety is SO 153-34.03.603-2003. It is called “Instructions for the use and testing of protective equipment used in electrical installations”
Workers involved in work in electrical installations must be provided with protective equipment, including posters, and explained how and where they should be used in order to ensure the safest possible working conditions. Portable signs must be part of the inventory that field teams are armed with.
Like other means of protection, signs and posters need to be properly stored and transported, and permanent ones must be in proper condition, that is, clean, dry, undamaged, with clearly readable inscriptions
Posters and signs are made in accordance with GOST. Unlike tools and clothing, they do not require markings and do not need to be numbered or otherwise marked.
Warning
Warning posters are designed to inform people of the risk of being near apparatus or equipment that, if energized, could cause injury. In addition, they are hung in situations where it is necessary to exclude the possibility of activating separators, buttons, switches, keys and other switching devices in electrical installations in order to avoid supplying voltage to the electrical equipment on which work is being performed. Also, warning posters are placed during repairs and other work to remind about the rules and requirements of electrical safety.
Two danger symbols
A permanent sign, depicted as a yellow equilateral (36 cm) triangle with a black border, on which a black lightning bolt is depicted. Serves to alert you to the potential danger of being in a certain place or to prevent any other actions. They are hung on the doors of electrical installations and equipment of any voltage class, and in the security zone of cable lines.
A permanent sign, distinguished from the previous one only by a white background. It is installed for the same purpose on concrete enclosing structures of open switchgears and reinforced concrete supports of high-voltage power lines.
STOP! VOLTAGE
A portable rectangular sign with a black inscription and an image of a lightning bolt (according to GOST R 12.4.026). Used on electrical installations of various voltage classes. In conditions of repair or installation work - on the fences of the working area and adjacent chambers.
TEST is life threatening
Portable poster with black inscription and an image of a red lightning bolt on a white background with a red border. Serves to alert you to the risk of electric shock during high voltage testing. During preparation for testing, posters are placed directly on the equipment and its enclosures.
Danger! Keep out
A portable sign indicating the risk of walking and walking on structures leading to live parts of equipment. It is made in the form of a black inscription and a red lightning bolt on a white plate with a red frame.
Groups of electrical safety posters
There are 13 posters and signs in total. According to the instructions, according to their intended purpose, they are divided into 4 types:
- prohibiting – to prohibit switching devices from turning on/off in order to eliminate the risk of supplying voltage to the work area;
- warning - to warn workers that live parts are nearby and protective equipment is required;
- prescriptive - for permission to work, but taking into account compliance with safety requirements;
- indicative - to indicate places where devices or objects are located (in particular, those related to grounding).
The second group is the largest. It includes 4 posters and 2 signs. There are no signs in other categories.
The sizes of signs, like posters, are regulated by GOST. Depending on the installation location (on the door, on the wall or on an electrical appliance), the dimensions may vary
Based on the nature of their use, posters are divided into 2 groups:
- permanent (this also includes signs);
- portable.
All types of posters are made exclusively from electrical insulating materials, but permanent signs can be applied with spray paint or a brush to metal and concrete surfaces - walls, parts of structures. Metal parts with marked marks must be kept away from live circuits and devices.
And now in more detail about the types of electrical safety posters.
Group #1 – prohibiting
The category includes four signs, united by the same purpose, rectangular shape and the use of a red and white color scheme.
DO NOT TURN ON people working
A rectangular portable poster, which is used at construction sites and at electrical installation sites (up to 1000 V and above) in order to protect the workplace from voltage supply.
The background is white, the letters are red. Along the perimeter of the rectangle, at a distance of 1.25 mm from the edge, there is a red stripe 5 mm wide for a 100x50 mm poster and 10 mm wide for a 200x100 mm poster.
Installation locations:
- wires of switches and disconnectors;
- switches and automatic machines up to 1000 V;
- remote control control buttons.
If a circuit with voltages up to 1000 V does not include switching devices, remove the fuses before starting work, and hang a poster near their installation site.
DO NOT ENABLE line work
A portable poster similar in design informs that people are working on the line, so supplying voltage is prohibited.
The background is red, the letters are white. Along the perimeter of the rectangle there is a white border 1.25 mm wide from the edge, the size of the posters is 100x50 mm or 200x100 mm
The purpose is the same as the first poster in the group - prohibition of actions with switching devices: buttons and switch levers, drives that supply voltage to the power cable with which installers work.
DO NOT OPEN people are working
A poster announcing the prohibition of actions that result in the supply of gas or compressed air.
The background is white, the letters are red. Along the perimeter of the rectangle, at a distance of 1.25 mm from the edge, a red stripe 5 mm wide is drawn. Poster size 200x100 mm
The poster is used at power plants and substations, in areas where electrical installations are located, so that gas or compressed air is not accidentally supplied to people performing electrical installation or repair work.
Installation locations:
- air duct valves;
- pipeline valves.
If you operate a switch or disconnector, move a valve or turn a valve, compressed air or gas (carbon dioxide, hydrogen, etc.) can cause harm to the health of electricians.
OPERATION UNDER VOLTAGE Do not switch on again
A portable poster prohibiting reactivation. Relevant for high-voltage line switches operating in automatic mode. If the line is automatically disconnected by a differential device or RCD, it can be switched on only after agreement with the maintenance personnel.
The background is white, the letters are red. Along the perimeter of the rectangle, at a distance of 1.25 mm from the edge, a red stripe 5 mm wide is drawn. Poster size 100x50 mm
The poster is hung on the control levers of the high-voltage line during repair work that involves supplying voltage.
Group #2 – warning
The group includes four posters in a red and white color scheme and two triangular signs with the image of a lightning bolt (arrow).
CAUTION ELECTRICAL VOLTAGE
A bright yellow sign warns that an electrical hazard exists and is posted or painted where live lines and devices are installed.
The background is yellow, the arrow and the border around the perimeter are black. The side size of the sign for doors is 30 cm, for equipment – from 2.5 to 15 cm. Design is regulated by GOST R 12.4.026
This is a permanent sign that can most often be found at substations and power plants.
Installation locations:
- entrance doors of control chambers, transformers and switch chambers;
- doors of electrical panels with voltage up to 1000 V;
- fencing structures of industrial premises, workshops of enterprises, repair areas.
For populated areas - villages, towns, cities, ports, agricultural enterprises, railway stations, beaches, etc., the same version of the sign is used.
The sign is mounted on metal or wooden supports of high-voltage lines at a height of 2.5-3 m from the ground surface. If the distance between the supports is more than 100 m, as well as when crossing the road, the sign must hang on each support. If the spans are less than 100 m, then it is hung not on each support, but through one.
CAUTION ELECTRICAL VOLTAGE
Like the previous sign, it warns of the risk of electric shock. The design is the same, but the background color is different.
The background is white, the arrow and the border around the perimeter are black. The side size of the sign is from 2.5 to 30 cm. Design is regulated by GOST R 12.4.026
A permanent sign designed specifically for placement on reinforced concrete supports and concrete fences of outdoor switchgear.
STOP voltage
A portable rectangular poster warning of the dangers of electric shock.
The background is white, the letters are black, the arrow and stripe are red. A strip 15 mm wide is drawn along the perimeter of the rectangle at a distance of 1.25 mm from the edge. The arrow image is regulated by GOST R 12.4.026. Poster size – 300x150 mm
The poster is intended for use in substations and power plants.
Installation locations:
- temporary fencing for live devices and lines;
- barriers placed in aisles;
- permanent fencing of cells adjacent to the working area.
In switchgears located on the street, the poster is hung on cords that serve as fencing, as well as on structures made of wood, concrete or metal located close to live lines.
TEST is life threatening
A portable poster used during test work - when high voltage is applied and there is a threat to health.
The background is white, the letters are black, the arrow and stripe are red. A strip 15 mm wide is drawn along the perimeter of the rectangle at a distance of 1.25 mm from the edge. The arrow image is regulated by GOST R 12.4.026. Poster size – 300x150 mm
The poster is hung before carrying out work on testing high voltage lines. It is mounted on equipment or enclosing structures with the inscription facing outward.
Danger! Keep out
A portable poster that warns of the risk of electric shock when climbing on structures or devices.
The background is white, the letters are black, the arrow and stripe are red. A strip 15 mm wide is drawn along the perimeter of the rectangle at a distance of 1.25 mm from the edge. The arrow image is regulated by GOST R 12.4.026. Poster size – 300x150 mm
Usually the poster is hung not on a structure with a staircase leading to a workplace located at a height, but on an adjacent one.
DANGEROUS ELECTRIC FIELD without protective equipment, passage is prohibited
The poster is permanent and prohibits staying near the electric field without protective equipment. If this requirement is not followed, there is a risk of electric shock.
The background is white, the letters are red. Along the perimeter of the rectangle, at a distance of 1.25 mm from the edge, a 10 mm red stripe is drawn. Poster size 200x100 mm
The poster is intended for outdoor electrical devices with voltages above 330 kV.
Installation locations:
- routes along which distribution devices are bypassed;
- workplaces located near an electric field.
A prohibitory poster is hung at a height of 1.5-2 m either on a fence or on a specially installed pole.
Group #3 – prescriptive
Signs in this group do not prohibit or warn, but serve to indicate places of work. They are distinguished by their square shape and blue and white color scheme.
WORK here
The prescription is obvious - a specific place for the repair team or maintenance personnel to work is indicated.
The background is white, the letters are black. A blue stripe is drawn along the perimeter of the square, at a distance of 1.25 mm from the edge. Size – 100x100 mm, 250x250 mm
A portable poster is hung at substations and power plants to indicate workplaces. If the switchgear is located on the street, the best installation location is in the area of passage behind the fence.
CLIMB HERE
The regulation defines where you need to climb to a high-lying workplace to avoid danger.
The background is white, the letters are black. A blue stripe is drawn along the perimeter of the square, at a distance of 1.25 mm from the edge. Poster size 100x100 mm, 250x250 mm
Installation sites are stationary ladders or other structures specially designated for safe ascent to the workplace.
Group #4 – index
In this group there is only one portable poster indicating the prohibition of supplying electric current to a separate grounded section of the device or electrical installation.
GROUNDED
The poster is relevant for power plants or substations; it is mounted on switches, drives and remote keys that regulate the supply of electricity to grounded areas.
The background is blue, the letters are white. Along the perimeter of the rectangle there is a white border 1.25 mm wide. Poster size 100x50 mm and 200x100 mm
In addition to standard posters, it is allowed to hang larger ones if the equipment in electrical installations is large in size. The dimensions are regulated by the same GOST R 12.4.026.
Prohibiting
As is clear from the name of the category, prohibitory signs and posters must be used in cases where unauthorized actions could lead to voltage entering equipment or a voltage workplace. In addition, they are used to prevent employees from walking in work areas without special protective equipment.
“DO NOT TURN ON people working”
The prohibitory inscription is written in red in the center of a white sign with a red frame. Such posters are placed on electrical installations (from 1 kilovolt) - on switches, disconnectors, keys and other load supply devices, and on switching equipment, the erroneous activation of which will lead to the transfer of voltage to the site of installation or repair work.
"DO NOT ENABLE line work"
Red poster with white border. The prohibitory inscription is written in white letters in the center. Intended for use in the same conditions, however, this sign is located on the switching and closing devices of switching electrical installations to prevent the supply of load to the overhead lines during repair and installation work on them.
“People are working NOT OPEN”
Portable poster with dimensions 200˟100mm, has a white background with a red border. The inscription is written in white or red font. Installation of this sign is required in situations where the opening of pneumatic actuators and air ducts used in electrical installations of power plants could lead to the supply of hydrogen, compressed air or carbon dioxide, which is hazardous to health, to the people performing the work.
“Do not switch ON OPERATION UNDER VOLTAGE again!”
Letters in red or black on a white background with a red frame. This sign is used in situations where attempts to manually restart high-voltage lines after they have been automatically turned off should not be allowed. It is installed on switches, separators, keys and other similar devices during the repair of high-voltage live lines. Turning on the line after automatic shutdown must be agreed upon with the person making the repairs.
"DANGEROUS! ELECTRIC FIELD!"
These prohibition signs are large in size - 130˟240 mm, and are made in the form of a red inscription on a white background with a wide red frame. They are hung in open switchgears with voltages above 330 kV (the sign should be at a level of 180 cm from the ground). Personnel are prohibited from being in the area of an active electric field without special protective clothing. Some sources classify this sign as a warning sign.
Other posters and signs
In addition to the protective equipment from regulatory documents that are mandatory for use, there are a number of “amateur” type signs and posters. They are not mandatory, but are used to prohibit or permit certain actions with electrical equipment.
Some of them are informational and report on the technical characteristics of a line or electrical installation.
A version of a sign that reports the voltage in the network or in an electrical installation is 380 V. Today you can also find three-phase 380 V circuits in private homes
Others are variations of statutory posters and contain a prohibition or warning.
Some posters can be classified as educational. They are hung not in workplaces associated with danger, but in utility rooms, classrooms, offices - as additional educational material.
The information posted on the poster can be useful not only to workers involved in electrical installations, but also to ordinary people.
Sometimes they try to attract attention, partially using the rules for designing posters and adding something of their own:
Image gallery
Photo from
Combination of several posters
High voltage warning
Announcement in the power line area
Image of a skull on a poster
Sometimes the signs are humorous. But the main thing is that they perform the main function - they warn or prohibit.
After reading the information on the sign, it is unlikely that anyone will want to relieve themselves in a secluded corner - both health and nature will remain safe
There are no prohibitions on the placement of posters made in loose or imprecise design. The principle “more is better” applies here, since we are talking about preserving the health and lives of people.
