I have been asked by a number of staff, who have been sent the link below, whether forthcoming new style safety sign standards means that old signs have to be changed. My initial reaction is that it is just another marketing ploy by sign manufacturers but before I reassure our staff that their existing signs are OK and that they do not need changing retrospectively because of a supposed change in 'the law' I would welcome some reassurance myself. Any comments...... http://www.seton.co.uk/I...ysignslegislation-EN7010

I have also been asked this today! I believe that the approach has to be that all existing signs will remain until they need to be replaced due to wear and tear, fading in sunlight etc. and then new design signs will be affixed. Similarly, any first time new signs should meet the changed designs right away. The unnecessary cost to industry for am immediate change I think would be unacceptable. Just my thoughts, anyway!

Standards are not legislation!

I'm a little disappointed with this companies sales pitch attitude and very much doubt this method will make any significant sales increase? When I receive such drivel I usually talk with my feet!

We must be ahead of the curve - I was asked about this back in June! My understanding (as in June, I haven't revisited it in detail) ISO 7010: ‘Graphical symbols - Safety colours and safety signs - Registered safety signs’ was originally published in 2003. Now, in addition to being recently updated, it's about to be adopted as a legally required standard across Europe and will be known as PrEN7010. British Standard BS5499:2002 Graphical Symbols and Signs was used as the basis for ISO 7010. This means that the UK should get off pretty lightly when it comes to changes needed. However, there are two main types of emergency exit route and final exit signs in use in the UK. The first is based on the designs shown in the BS and the other commonly known as the ‘Euro-sign’ is based on the designs shown in the EEC Directive (EEC/92/58). The new PrEN7010 will probably mandate the BS-style sign rather than the Euro-sign. [White angular man with both knees bent running towards a white rectangle is the Euro-sign. Green man with curved elbows and one knee straight running through a white rectangle is the BS sign.] From the page linked, I note the statement that "Best practice will be to follow the latest safety sign guidance and therefore symbols will need to be updated." That pretty much confirms that there's no actual requirement to change. A change would need to be mandated by a revision to Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, and even if it did get revised I'd expect a transition period measured in years - look at the length of transition on the health and safety law poster.

I have just binned the Seton catalogue We do not need this sort of marketing in the H&S business