Slips, trips and falls are among the most common workplace injuries in Australia, and they happen in every kind of business: shops, cafes, offices, warehouses, gyms, pools and strata buildings. A wet floor, an unexpected step or a loose mat is easy to miss until someone is hurt. Warning signs are a cheap, simple way to point the hazard out.
Signs help, but the best fix is removing the hazard: cleaning up spills quickly, fixing uneven surfaces and improving lighting. Your WHS regulator has guidance on preventing slips, trips and falls. This guide is general information.
1. Wet and slippery floors
- Caution: wet floor and Series 2
- Caution: slippery when wet: for tiled entries, ramps and pool areas.
- Caution: slippery floor and Warning: slippery surface
- Caution: slip hazard area: for kitchens, wash bays and food production.
2. Steps and changes in level
- Caution: mind your step and Mind the step
- Caution: watch your step (silver): neat for hotels, offices and restaurants.
- Danger: watch your step and Warning: beware of step
3. Trip hazards
- Caution: tripping hazard, watch your step
- Caution: trip hazard: for cables, uneven paving and temporary works.
4. Fragile surfaces and working at height
- Caution: brittle surface, no step, keep off: for skylights and fragile roofs.
- Danger: do not step or stand on platform without fall protection
5. Low ceilings and head height hazards
- Caution: mind your head: for low doorways, stairs and beams.
- Danger: low clearance and Low clearance with your height for car parks, awnings and loading bays.
Where slips and trips happen most
- Entries on rainy days. Put a wet floor sign out with the entrance mat.
- Kitchens and wash bays. See our commercial kitchen signs guide.
- Pools and change rooms. See our pool safety signs guide.
- Warehouses and loading docks. See our loading dock guide.
For cleaners: Caution, cleaning in progress ยท Slippery when wet (diamond) ยท Please clean as you go ยท Help keep this place clean
Material tips
Wall-mounted ACP or aluminium signs suit permanent hazards like steps and ramps. Vinyl stickers work on glass doors and pillars. For short-term spills, many businesses keep a freestanding wet floor sign handy as well.
Frequently asked questions
What colour should a wet floor sign be?
Yellow and black caution or warning signs are the usual choice, because they signal a hazard that isn't likely to be life-threatening. See our AS 1319 guide.
Do you offer bulk pricing?
Yes. Buy 25 or more of the same sign to save an extra 5%, 50+ to save 10%, or 150+ to save 15%, applied automatically. Every sign is made to order and dispatched in 2โ3 business days.
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