Guards Must Be in Position Before Starting Sign

Guards Must Be in Position Before Starting Sign – MS0088

The Guards Must Be in Position Before Starting Sign (MS0088) is a photoluminescent ISO 7010 mandatory pictogram instructing crew and engineering personnel to confirm that all machine guards are correctly fitted and secured before operating rotating or moving machinery. Manufactured to marine-grade specifications, the sign is built to withstand the corrosive, high-humidity conditions found aboard vessels while remaining clearly legible in both daylight and low-light or emergency lighting conditions.

Unguarded moving parts – belts, gears, shafts, and blades – are a leading cause of serious entanglement and crush injuries in engine rooms and workshops. The Guards Must Be in Position Before Starting Sign delivers an unambiguous, language-independent visual instruction that reinforces the vessel’s machinery safety program and helps the Master and Chief Engineer demonstrate compliance with occupational health obligations during port state control and flag state inspections.

Why Face Protection Matters

While this sign addresses machine guarding specifically, it forms part of the broader suite of mandatory safety signage required throughout a vessel’s engine room, workshop, and deck machinery spaces. Consistent, standardised signage across all mandatory-action categories – PPE, guarding, and procedural instructions – reduces confusion for multinational crews and visiting contractors, ensuring that every worker recognises the same blue-and-white mandatory action pictograms regardless of their first language. A clearly posted Guards Must Be in Position Before Starting Sign at every machine tool and rotating equipment station is a critical line of defence against entanglement injuries in the engine room.

Compliance and Certification

This sign is manufactured in strict accordance with ISO 7010 pictogram standards, ensuring the mandatory action symbol is instantly recognisable across international fleets and multinational crews. Ships operating under the ISM Code are required to maintain a safe working environment and provide appropriate machinery safety signage as part of their Safety Management System, and SOLAS-regulated vessels must ensure all safety and mandatory signage remains legible and properly maintained throughout the vessel’s operational life. For further detail on SOLAS requirements, consult the IMO’s official SOLAS resource page. Fitting a compliant Guards Must Be in Position Before Starting Sign at every relevant machine tool supports your vessel’s readiness for ISM audits and Port State Control inspections.

Installation Recommendations

Install the Guards Must Be in Position Before Starting Sign at eye level on or adjacent to every workshop machine tool, engine room rotating equipment, and deck winch station where guarding is critical. Use marine-grade adhesive, rivets, or a mounting bracket suited to the substrate, and position the sign where it will be seen before the operator starts the machine. Avoid locations subject to direct high-pressure washdown or excessive vibration that could loosen fixings over time, and inspect signage during routine safety rounds to confirm photoluminescent visibility remains effective in an emergency blackout scenario.

• Photoluminescent material charges under normal light and glows in low-light or blackout conditions
• ISO 7010 compliant mandatory action pictogram, internationally recognised
• Durable, corrosion- and UV-resistant construction suited to marine environments
• Available in a range of sizes and mounting options for workshops and engine rooms
• Supports ISM Code Safety Management System and SOLAS signage compliance

Order the Guards Must Be in Position Before Starting Sign (SKU: MS0088) today to keep your workshop and engine room machine tools compliant with IMO mandatory signage requirements and to protect your crew from entanglement injuries.

Complete your vessel’s safety signage program by browsing our Hazard Signs and Fire Fighting Signs categories for additional IMO-compliant maritime signage.