Australian Safety Signs Compliance Hub
Plain-English reference for the Australian Standards, model WHS regulations, NCC provisions, GHS labelling, FSANZ food-safety duties and state biosecurity laws most commonly cited across commercial signage. Written for facility managers, builders, WHS officers, food-business owners and farmers — not lawyers.
Last reviewed:
Safety signs do different jobs. Some exist because a regulator has made them conditional on a particular activity (e.g. a HAZCHEM placard over Schedule 11 threshold quantities). Some are part of a referenced standard under the Building Code (e.g. NCC-referenced exit signs). Some are purely risk-management good practice supported by AS 1319 conventions. The practical obligation depends on where the sign is installed and what is happening on that site.
This hub explains each area in plain English, with links to the primary regulatory source (Safe Work Australia, each state regulator, Standards Australia, FSANZ, state biosecurity authorities, Austroads and the Australian Building Codes Board). Everything is general guidance; check with your state/territory regulator for your specific duties.
Guides
AS 1319 — Safety Signs for the Occupational Environment
The cornerstone Australian Standard governing the shape, colour, symbol and wording conventions used across prohibition, mandatory, warning, danger, emergency-information and fire signs.
Hazardous Chemical Signs & Placards
GHS 7 labelling, Schedule 11 placard thresholds, chemical-store signage, flammable-liquid and corrosive-substance signs, ADG Code dangerous-goods labels.
Fire Extinguisher & Equipment Signs
Location markers, class-specific extinguisher discs, hose-reel and fire-blanket signs. Height, visibility and placement guidance.
Emergency Exit & Photoluminescent Signs
Running-man exit pictograms, directional arrows, NCC-referenced exit sign types, and the difference between photoluminescent wayguidance and electrical exit signs.
Braille & Tactile Signs
Accessible toilet signs, ambulant-toilet signs, exit-level braille, hearing-augmentation signs. DDA Premises Standards Part D4 and AS 1428.1 coverage.
Food Safety & Hygiene Signs
Handwashing, temperature control, cleaning/sanitising and allergen signs for cafes, restaurants, commercial kitchens and food manufacturing.
Biosecurity & Farm Signs
NSW biosecurity-management-plan gate signs, QLD farm gate templates, livestock / vineyard / vehicle-washdown signage. State-aware guidance.
Construction Site Signage Checklist
What signs a construction site typically needs — site-safety boards, PPE, hazard, electrical, confined-space, asbestos, first aid, emergency assembly.
Asbestos Warning Signs
Asbestos register labelling, removal-area signage, do-not-disturb markers and AS 1319-styled warning signs for workplaces with identified asbestos.
WA Road Train (RAV) Signage
What Main Roads WA actually requires for Restricted Access Vehicles. Myth-busting the “you must replace your old ROAD TRAIN signs” claim — the new graphic-length signs are optional.
Colorbond Metal Safety Signs — Standards & Substrate
The three Australian Standards that apply to a genuine Colorbond sign (AS 1397, AS/NZS 1365, AS/NZS 2728), thickness choices, and when to use Colorbond vs aluminium vs ACM.
Traffic & Temporary Traffic Management Signs
ComingRoadwork signs, Keep Clear, speed restrictions, pedestrian diversions and construction-zone traffic control. AS 1742.3 and Austroads guidance.
How we use this page at Platinum Signs
When you buy a safety sign from us, the product page lists the standards and model guidance we have aligned the artwork and materials to. That list is a pointer to the relevant Australian framework — it is not a declaration that the sign is legally required at your site. Whether a specific sign is mandated depends on your jurisdiction, your activity, and your risk assessment. The aim of this hub is to give you enough context to make that decision with less guesswork.
Primary regulatory sources
- Safe Work Australia — develops and maintains the model Work Health and Safety Act, Regulations and Codes of Practice. Does not enforce WHS law; enforcement sits with each state/territory regulator.
- SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe Victoria, Workplace Health and Safety QLD, WorkSafe WA and equivalents — the regulators who issue improvement notices and prosecute.
- Standards Australia — publishes AS / AS NZS series including AS 1319, AS 1428.1, AS 1742, AS 2293, AS 2444, AS 1851, AS 4724 and ISO 7010 (as Australian adoption).
- Australian Building Codes Board — NCC — Volume 1 Part E4 covers visibility in emergency, including referenced exit-sign standards.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand — Standards 3.2.2, 3.2.2A and 3.2.3 cover food-safety practices, food-handler training and premises facilities.
- Biosecurity Act 2015 (Cth) plus state biosecurity Acts (NSW DPI, QLD DAF, Agriculture Victoria, etc.).