Ship safety signs

The 130 pictograms that hang on the bulkheads and doors of a merchant ship, complete from the annex to IMO resolution A.1116(30). Every sign has its own card: what it means, where you will meet it, plus a printable PDF. Knowing them is not trivia: recruitment tests and CES safety questions come straight from this wall.

Means of escape 11

They lead from any place on the ship to an exit and to the assembly station. They hang low above the deck and at eye level, because in smoke you move bent down.

Shipboard assembly station MES001 Emergency exit (left hand) MES002 Emergency exit (right hand) MES003 Door slides right to open MES004 Door slides left to open MES005 Turn anti-clockwise to open MES006 Turn clockwise to open MES007 Door opens by pulling on left-hand side MES008 Door opens by pulling on the right-hand side MES009 Push door on the right-hand side to open MES010 Push door on the left-hand side to open MES011

Emergency equipment 13

They show where the equipment for a sudden emergency is kept: the first aid kit, the EEBD, the defibrillator, the alarm button.

First Aid EES001 Emergency telephone EES002 Eyewash station EES003 Safety shower EES004 Stretcher EES005 Medical grab bag EES006 Oxygen resuscitator EES007 Emergency escape breathing device EES008 Doctor EES009 Automated external heart defibrillator EES010 Safety Equipment EES011 Shipboard general alarm EES012 Break to obtain access EES013

Life-saving appliances 23

They mark the life-saving appliances and evacuation stations: boats, rafts, lifebuoys, lifejackets and the GMDSS radio equipment.

Lifeboat LSS001 Rescue boat LSS002 Liferaft LSS003 Davit-launched liferaft LSS004 Lifebuoy LSS005 Lifebuoy with line LSS006 Lifebuoy with light LSS007 Lifebuoy with line & light LSS008 Lifebuoy with light and smoke LSS008.1 Lifejacket LSS009 Child's lifejacket LSS010 Infant's lifejacket LSS011 Search and rescue transponder LSS012 Survival craft distress signal LSS013 Rocket parachute flare LSS014 Line-throwing appliance LSS015 Two-way VHF radio-telephone apparatus LSS016 Emergency position indicating radio beacon LSS017 Embarkation ladder LSS018 Marine evacuation slide LSS019 Marine evacuation chute LSS020 Survival clothing LSS021 Liferaft Knife LSS022

Fire-fighting equipment 12

They show where the fire-fighting gear is: extinguishers, hydrants, fire stations and the releases of the fixed installations.

Fire extinguisher FES001 Fire hose reel FES002 Collection of firefighting equipment FES003 Fire alarm call point FES004 Fixed fire extinguishing battery FES005 Wheeled fire extinguisher FES006 Portable foam applicator unit FES007 Water fog applicator FES008 Fixed fire extinguishing installation FES009 Fixed fire extinguishing bottle FES010 Remote release station FES011 Fire monitor FES012

Prohibition signs 21

A red circle with a diagonal bar: what you must not do in this place.

General prohibition PSS001 No smoking PSS002 No open flame; fire, open ignition source and smoking prohibited PSS003 No thoroughfare PSS004 Not drinking water PSS005 No access for fork lift trucks and other industrial vehicles PSS006 No access for people with active implanted cardiac devices PSS007 No metallic articles or watches PSS008 Do not touch PSS009 Do not extinguish with water PSS010 No activated mobile phones PSS011 No access for people with metallic implants PSS012 No reaching in PSS013 No pushing PSS014 No sitting PSS015 No stepping on surface PSS016 Do not use lift in the event of fire PSS017 No dogs PSS018 No eating or drinking PSS019 Do not obstruct PSS020 Do not walk or stand here PSS021

Warning signs 22

A yellow triangle: what hazard waits in this part of the ship.

General warning WSS001 Warning: Explosive material WSS002 Warning: Radioactive material or ionizing radiation WSS003 Warning: Laser beam WSS004 Warning: Non-ionizing radiation WSS005 Warning: Magnetic field WSS006 Warning: Floor level obstacle WSS007 Warning: Drop (fall) WSS008 Warning: Biological hazard WSS009 Warning: Low temperature WSS010 Warning: Slippery surface WSS011 Warning: Electricity WSS012 Warning: Guard dog WSS013 Warning: Forklift trucks and other industrial vehicles WSS014 Warning: Overhead load WSS015 Warning: Toxic material WSS016 Warning: Hot surface WSS017 Warning: Automatic start-up WSS018 Warning: Crushing WSS019 Warning: Overhead obstacle WSS020 Warning: Flammable material WSS021 Warning: Sharp element WSS022

Mandatory signs 28

A blue circle: what you must put on or do in this place. A separate family within it is the survival craft launch sequence.

General Mandatory action MSS001 Wear ear protection MSS003 Wear eye protection MSS004 Connect an earth terminal to the ground MSS005 Disconnect mains plug from electrical outlet MSS006 Opaque eye protection must be worn MSS007 Wear safety footwear MSS008 Wear protective gloves MSS009 Wear protective clothing MSS010 Wash your hands MSS011 Use handrail MSS012 Wear a face shield MSS013 Wear head protection MSS014 Wear high visibility clothing MSS015 Wear a mask MSS016 Wear respiratory protection MSS017 Wear a safety harness MSS018 Wear a welding mask MSS019 Fasten safety belts MSS022 Close and secure hatches in launch sequence MSS023 Start engine in launch sequence MSS024 Lower lifeboat to the water in launch sequence MSS025 Lower liferaft to the water in launch sequence MSS026 Lower rescue boat to the water in launch sequence MSS027 Release falls in launch sequence MSS028 Start water spray in launch sequence MSS029 Start air supply in launch sequence MSS030 Release lifeboat gripes in launch sequence MSS031

The set and the English names follow the annex to IMO resolution A.1116(30) (mandatory on ships built from 01.01.2019). Sign colours are normative. Graphic files are public domain or CC0 (Wikimedia Commons recreations of the ISO 7010 symbols named by the annex). This is not a legal text: in any doubt the current wording of the resolution and regulations decides. Free, and it stays free: safety knowledge never goes behind a paywall here.