Workplace safety signs are specified by the Government Decree (687/2015, in Finnish) and described in the Annex to said Decree.

If the risks posed to employees cannot be eliminated or sufficiently reduced by general technical and structural measures or by reorganisation of work, the employer must put the necessary safety signs in place in the workplace. The use of safety signs must be based on an assessment of workplace risks.

Employers must give employees or their representatives training and guidance on the meaning of safety signs and the actions required by the signs.

Warning signs must be placed in the correct positions

If warning signs are used, the signs must be installed, where possible, at a suitable height and in a position appropriate to the line of sight, taking any obstacles into account. A suitable place for a sign is the access point to an area in the case of a general hazard or the immediate vicinity of a specific hazard or object.

The location must be well-lit and easily accessible and visible. Where natural light is scarce, phosphorescent colours, reflective materials or artificial lighting must be used. The employer must remove the sign once the circumstances indicated in it no longer exist.

The types of warning signs are shown in Annex 1 to the Government Decree 687/2015. The signs include prohibitory signs, warning signs and mandatory action signs, signs indicating emergency exits and first aid stations, signs indicating the location of fire protection equipment, and signs indicating obstacles and hazardous places.

Prohibitory signs are round with red edges, a red diagonal line across the sign and a black icon on a white background	No unauthorised persons allowed
Warning signs are triangular with a black icon on a yellow background and with black edges	Moving vehicles
Mandatory action signs are round with a white icon on a blue background	Wear protective gloves
Emergency exit and first aid signs are rectangular or square-shaped with a white icon on a green background	Emergency exit
Fire safety signs are rectangular or square-shaped with a white icon on a red background	Fire hose reel

Hazard symbols for the storage of hazardous chemicals

Premises, rooms or fenced areas where significant quantities of dangerous substances or mixtures are stored must be marked with an appropriate warning label or warning labels in accordance with the provisions of the CLP Regulation, if the labeling of individual packages or containers is insufficient.

Other safety signs are also necessary

Places involving a risk of falling or collision with obstacles must be marked permanently using safety colours or safety signs or both. Traffic routes must always be marked using a permanent safety colour. Temporary signals, such as light signals, sound signals, voice messages and hand signals, must also be used when necessary.

Safety colour	For example: blue is used for indicating a required action or behaviour; Wear personal protective equipment
Light signals	For example: Flashing light signals indicate a more severe hazard than steady light signals
Sound signals	For example: Sound signals with tones of varying frequency indicate a more severe hazard than constant signals
Voice messages	For example: Code words start, halt, stop
Hand signals	Start