Official Do Not Drink Sign

Do Not Drink Sign for Non-Potable Water Outlets

The Do Not Drink Sign is an IMO prohibition sign used aboard ships and in port and terminal facilities to warn that a specific water outlet is non-potable and unsafe for drinking, food preparation, or personal hygiene. Vessels commonly carry multiple separate water systems, including technical water, washdown water, and grey water, alongside the vessel’s potable water supply, and mixing them up can pose a genuine health risk to crew and passengers.

When to Use This Sign

Install the Do Not Drink Sign at any tap, hose connection, or outlet drawing from a non-potable water source, such as deck washdown lines, technical or service water systems, ballast water connections, and reclaimed grey water outlets. It should be displayed wherever a non-potable outlet is located close enough to a galley, mess room, or accommodation space that it could reasonably be mistaken for a drinking water tap.

Design and Materials

This sign is printed on self-adhesive film in your choice of material – non-glow vinyl, or DNV Wheelmark certified Class C / Class D photoluminescent film. It carries a long-duration afterglow, remaining visible in darkness or during a blackout after normal light exposure. The sign is waterproof and resistant to saltwater exposure, with a glossy, wipe-clean finish suited to the damp, high-splash environment typically found around water outlets.

Installation and Use

The Do Not Drink Sign uses a peel-and-stick self-adhesive backing, allowing installation directly onto bulkheads, pipework, or panels next to the affected outlet without tools or drilling. Clean and dry the mounting surface before application to ensure maximum adhesion in the marine environment. Position the sign directly beside or above the tap or outlet so it is the first thing anyone sees before using it.

Compliance and Standards

This sign complies with IMO Resolution A.1116(30) governing graphical symbols for shipboard safety signage, and follows ISO 24409-2 for ship design and construction life-saving and fire protection symbols, with further guidance on workplace drinking water and hygiene standards available from Safe Work Australia. These standards ensure the sign’s pictogram and wording are internationally recognised, supporting consistent water-safety practices across the maritime industry.

Fitting Into a Vessel’s Broader Health and Hygiene Plan

A clearly marked do not drink sign works alongside a vessel’s potable water testing and hygiene procedures to give crew, contractors, and passengers a consistent, easily understood warning system wherever separate water systems exist side by side. Port state control inspections and classification society surveys routinely check that water-safety signage such as this is present, legible, and correctly positioned at every relevant outlet.

Ordering Information

This Do Not Drink Sign is supplied under product code IP0077. It forms part of Safety Sign Hub’s full IMO Posters range, covering the complete set of IMO-compliant prohibition, warning, and information signage used across marine vessels, offshore installations, and port facilities. Contact Safety Sign Hub for bulk ordering or custom sign requirements.

Where This Sign Fits in a Vessel’s Water Safety Plan

Clear separation between potable and non-potable water systems is a standard requirement in vessel health and hygiene management, and the do not drink sign is the point-of-use control that makes this separation obvious to everyone on board, not just the crew familiar with the plumbing layout. Visiting contractors, agency crew, and passengers on passenger vessels may have no knowledge of which taps are safe, so consistent signage at every non-potable outlet removes any ambiguity. Flag-state and class surveys covering potable water systems typically expect this kind of signage to be in place as a documented control alongside water testing records.