Pedestrian Route Signs: A Guide for UK Workplaces

Pedestrian Route signs help employees, visitors and contractors identify where they should walk around workplaces where people and vehicles may operate in the same environment.

They're commonly used in warehouses, factories, construction sites, industrial yards, car parks and other premises where designated pedestrian routes form part of the workplace layout.

But putting up a few pedestrian signs doesn't automatically create a clear route.

A good pedestrian route should answer a series of simple questions:

Where do I enter?

Which way do I walk?

Where should I cross?

Where am I not allowed to go?

How do I reach my destination?

This guide explains how Pedestrian Route signs can be used to make those instructions clearer in UK workplaces.

What Is a Pedestrian Route Sign?

A Pedestrian Route sign identifies a route that pedestrians are expected to use.

Depending on the location, pedestrian signage can be used to:

• Identify pedestrian entrances

• Mark designated walkways

• Direct pedestrians left or right

• Identify crossing points

• Guide visitors towards reception

• Keep pedestrians away from vehicle routes

• Restrict access to operational areas

The exact signs required will depend on the workplace layout and how pedestrians move through the premises.

Why Are Pedestrian Routes Important?

Workplaces such as warehouses, factories, construction sites and industrial yards can involve pedestrians operating near:

• Cars

• Vans

• Lorries

• Forklift trucks

• Site vehicles

• Mobile plant

• Loading operations

The Health and Safety Executive recommends separating pedestrian and vehicle routes wherever reasonably practicable.

Where pedestrian and vehicle routes interact, workplace traffic arrangements can include designated walkways, physical separation, crossing points, road markings and appropriate signage.

Pedestrian Route signs can help people identify the route they're expected to follow.

However, signs shouldn't be treated as a substitute for other necessary traffic-management measures.

What Signs Do You Need for a Pedestrian Route?

Instead of choosing each sign individually, think about the complete pedestrian journey .

A typical route might look like this:

Pedestrian Entrance

↓

Pedestrian Route

↓

Pedestrians →

↓

Pedestrian Crossing

↓

Pedestrian Route

↓

Reception

At the same time, alternative routes may need:

No Pedestrians

The exact combination depends on the site, but thinking about the complete journey can make it easier to identify gaps.

1. Pedestrian Entrance Signs

Start at the point where people arrive.

If pedestrians and vehicles use separate entrances, make the pedestrian access point easy to identify.

A Pedestrian Entrance sign can be useful at:

• Warehouse entrances

• Construction sites

• Factory gates

• Industrial premises

• Car parks

• Delivery yards

Position the sign so people can identify the pedestrian entrance before accidentally approaching a vehicle gate or another unsuitable access point.

If the entrance isn't immediately obvious from the car park or public approach, additional directional signs may be useful.

2. Pedestrian Route Signs

Once somebody enters the site, they need to know where to walk.

Pedestrian Route signs can identify designated walkways through:

• Warehouses

• Factory premises

• Industrial yards

• Construction sites

• Car parks

• Loading areas

Position signs where the route begins and wherever somebody might otherwise be uncertain about where to continue.

A sign saying Pedestrian Route at the entrance isn't particularly useful if the walkway later reaches an unsigned junction.

Think about continuity.

A visitor unfamiliar with the premises should ideally be able to follow the route without guessing.

3. Pedestrian Direction Signs

Directional signs are useful where the route changes direction.

Typical messages include:

← Pedestrians

Pedestrians →

↑ Pedestrians

These can be useful at:

• Junctions

• Corners

• Changes in walkway direction

• Building entrances

• Car parks

• Site compounds

• Warehouse yards

Always check the arrow direction from the perspective of somebody approaching the sign.

A perfectly manufactured directional sign pointing the wrong way is worse than no directional sign at all.

4. Pedestrian Crossing Signs

Sometimes pedestrian and vehicle routes have to intersect.

Where designated crossing points are provided, signage can help identify where pedestrians are expected to cross.

Consider visibility for both pedestrians and drivers.

The crossing should fit into the wider traffic-management arrangements rather than simply being created by installing a Pedestrian Crossing sign.

Where possible, crossings should be positioned where approaching pedestrians and vehicle drivers can see one another clearly.

5. No Pedestrians Signs

A clear pedestrian route also needs to make unsuitable routes obvious.

No Pedestrians signs can identify areas where people on foot aren't permitted.

Examples might include:

• Vehicle-only entrances

• Loading areas

• Certain yard routes

• Operational areas

• Restricted vehicle routes

However, simply telling people “No Pedestrians” doesn't necessarily tell them what they should do instead.

Where appropriate, combine the restriction with clear directions towards the correct pedestrian route.

For example:

NO PEDESTRIANS

Pedestrian Route →

That provides both the restriction and the alternative.

Pedestrian Route Signs for Warehouses

Warehouses are an obvious location for carefully planned pedestrian routes because pedestrians may operate alongside forklift trucks, delivery vehicles and other workplace transport.

Pedestrian signs can help identify:

• Pedestrian entrances

• Marked walkways

• Crossing points

• Direction changes

• Reception routes

• Areas where pedestrians aren't permitted

Think beyond employees.

Delivery drivers, contractors and first-time visitors may be far less familiar with the layout.

A route that seems obvious to somebody who works there every day may not be obvious to someone arriving for the first time.

Pedestrian Route Signs for Factories

Factories and manufacturing premises may have vehicle routes, machinery, loading operations and production areas.

Pedestrian routes can help guide people between entrances, work areas, offices, welfare facilities and exits without unnecessarily entering operational vehicle areas.

Signs can be particularly useful where:

• Routes change direction

• Walkways cross vehicle routes

• Several entrances are available

• Pedestrians need to avoid operational areas

• Visitors need to reach reception

If a route changes because machinery or production layouts are altered, check whether the signage still makes sense.

Pedestrian Route Signs for Construction Sites

Construction sites can be especially challenging because routes may change as work progresses.

Signs might be used to identify:

• Pedestrian site entrances

• Designated walkways

• Crossing points

• Site offices

• Welfare facilities

• Restricted vehicle areas

Don't assume that signs installed at the beginning of a project will remain appropriate throughout the job.

As gates, compounds, temporary roads and work areas change, pedestrian directions may need to change as well.

Remove or reposition outdated directional signs promptly.

Pedestrian Route Signs for Car Parks

The pedestrian journey often begins in the car park.

Consider how employees and visitors get from parked vehicles to the building entrance.

Questions to ask include:

Is the pedestrian route obvious?

Do people need to cross moving traffic?

Is there a designated crossing point?

Can visitors identify the correct building entrance?

Are pedestrians likely to take a shortcut through a vehicle area?

Appropriate route and directional signage can help reinforce the intended pedestrian journey.

Pedestrian Signs Around Loading Areas

Loading and delivery areas can involve lorries, vans, reversing vehicles and loading equipment.

Where pedestrians shouldn't enter a particular operational area, use the appropriate access restriction.

Where delivery drivers need to leave their vehicles and walk to an office or reception point, make the intended pedestrian route clear.

Don't assume visiting drivers know the site.

A simple sequence such as:

Drivers Report to Reception

↓

Pedestrian Route →

can be much clearer than expecting them to work out where to go.

Should Pedestrian and Vehicle Routes Be Separate?

Where reasonably practicable, pedestrian and vehicle routes should be separated.

Depending on the workplace, this could involve:

• Separate entrances

• Dedicated walkways

• Pavements

• Barriers

• Guard rails

• Road markings

• Designated crossings

• Traffic routes

• Appropriate signs

Pedestrian Route signs can help people understand these arrangements, but the signs themselves don't physically separate pedestrians from vehicles.

The overall workplace traffic layout remains important.

Where Should Pedestrian Route Signs Be Positioned?

Put the information where pedestrians actually need it.

Useful positions can include:

• Site entrances

• Pedestrian gates

• Walkway entrances

• Route junctions

• Changes of direction

• Crossing points

• Car parks

• Warehouse entrances

• Factory yards

• Building entrances

Avoid positioning a directional sign after the junction it relates to.

The pedestrian should have enough time to see the instruction and follow it.

How Many Pedestrian Route Signs Do You Need?

There isn't a fixed number.

A better approach is to walk the complete route.

Start where an unfamiliar employee, visitor or contractor would arrive.

Then ask at every stage:

“Would I know where to go next?”

If the answer becomes uncertain at a junction, crossing or change of direction, additional signage may be useful.

This approach is often more effective than deciding in advance that a site needs an arbitrary number of signs.

What Size Pedestrian Route Sign Do You Need?

Choose the size according to where the sign will be positioned and how far away it needs to be recognised.

A sign inside a building may be viewed from relatively close range.

A pedestrian direction sign across a large warehouse yard or at an outdoor site entrance may need to be more prominent.

Consider:

• Viewing distance

• Mounting height

• Lighting

• Visual clutter

• Direction of approach

• Indoor or outdoor location

The sign should be easy to identify before the pedestrian reaches the point where they need to act.

Which Material Should You Choose?

Choose the material according to where the pedestrian sign will be installed.

Self-adhesive vinyl can suit appropriate clean, smooth surfaces.

Rigid plastic provides a lightweight rigid option for many walls, doors and other mounting positions.

Aluminium composite can provide a robust option for outdoor and more demanding locations.

Check the individual product specifications and choose a material suitable for the intended environment and mounting method.

Should Pedestrian Route Signs Be Blue?

Where signage gives a mandatory safety instruction to pedestrians, recognised mandatory safety-sign conventions use a blue circular symbol.

However, pedestrian signage can perform several different functions.

A sign may:

• Give a mandatory instruction

• Prohibit pedestrians

• Provide direction

• Identify an entrance

• Identify a crossing

• Provide general information

The appropriate design therefore depends on the message being communicated.

Avoid assuming that every sign mentioning pedestrians should use the same format.

Are Pedestrian Route Signs a Legal Requirement?

There isn't a blanket requirement saying that every UK workplace must display a particular number of signs containing the words “Pedestrian Route” .

The arrangements required depend on the workplace and its risks.

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 require safety signs where significant risks remain after other appropriate measures have been taken.

Workplace transport arrangements should also consider the interaction between pedestrians and vehicles.

Businesses should therefore assess their actual workplace rather than treating signage as a box-ticking exercise.

Common Pedestrian Route Sign Mistakes

Only Signing the Entrance

A Pedestrian Entrance sign gets somebody onto the site but doesn't necessarily tell them where to go next.

Follow the journey through to the destination.

Missing Junctions

If a route splits, give people enough information to choose the correct direction.

Signs Pointing the Wrong Way

Check every directional arrow after installation.

Hidden Signs

Watch for signs becoming obscured by stock, parked vehicles, equipment, open gates or vegetation.

No Alternative Route

If you display No Pedestrians, consider whether people can clearly identify where they're expected to walk instead.

Outdated Signs

Remove signs that point towards routes that have moved or are no longer in use.

This is particularly important on changing construction sites.

Too Many Signs

More signs aren't automatically better.

Unnecessary signage can make the important instructions harder to notice.

Use enough signs to make the route clear without creating avoidable clutter.

How to Check Your Pedestrian Route

A simple practical exercise can reveal problems.

Start at the normal arrival point and walk towards the destination as though you've never visited the premises before.

Check:

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