Keep Out Sign

Keep Out Sign

A keep out sign is a straightforward worded warning used to restrict access to areas where entry could be hazardous or is simply not permitted, such as restricted machinery spaces, cargo holds during operations, or stores holding dangerous goods. Unlike a pictogram-only prohibition sign, this worded version relies on clear bold text to communicate the restriction directly, making it well suited to general access control where a specific hazard pictogram isn’t necessary. It is commonly fixed to doors, gates, hatch coamings, and temporary barriers, giving anyone approaching an unmistakable instruction before they step through.

This keep out sign follows the worded rectangular prohibition format: bold black text on a white or yellow background, often bordered in red to align with the broader prohibition sign family used throughout the vessel. Its plain-language wording makes it effective even where a crew member or visitor might not immediately recognise a symbolic pictogram, reinforcing the message through text alone. It carries IMPA code 33.8559 and ISSA code 47.585.59, the catalogue codes ship chandlers and marine suppliers use when reordering general access-control signage, and Safety Sign Hub holds this sign in stock for despatch.

Restricting General Access to Hazardous Areas

This sign suits a wide range of shipboard locations where entry needs to be restricted but no single ISO 7010 pictogram quite fits, such as void spaces, tank tops during gas-freeing, temporary work sites, or areas cordoned off during cargo operations. Because the wording is general rather than tied to one specific hazard, it can be redeployed across different situations as needed, from a hatch left open during survey to a store temporarily closed for stocktaking. Fixing it to a barrier chain or door at the point of restriction, rather than only mentioning the restriction verbally at toolbox talks, ensures the warning reaches anyone who wasn’t at the briefing. It complements our full range of prohibition signs used for more specific hazards elsewhere aboard.

Manufactured on fire-retardant material with a photoluminescent option for spaces where lighting may be reduced or lost, this sign is built to withstand the conditions of the areas it’s most often used in, including damp voids, exposed deck barriers, and dusty cargo spaces. UV-stable printing prevents the bold text from fading into illegibility after prolonged sun exposure, while a protective laminate resists moisture and general handling wear. Because a keep out sign is frequently moved between locations as access restrictions change, its construction needs to tolerate more physical handling than a sign left permanently fixed in one spot.

Available as a self-adhesive label for fixed doors and hatches, or as a rigid panel suited to temporary barriers and repeated relocation, this sign uses the same IMPA 33.8559 and ISSA 47.585.59 codes across both formats. Keeping a small stock of both formats on board means the right version is always available, whether the restriction is permanent or expected to change again within a few days.

Maintaining Consistent Access Control Signage

General-purpose access signage like this one still follows the layout and colour conventions described in ISO 7010 and reflected in AS 1319, keeping it visually consistent with the vessel’s other prohibition signs even though it relies on wording rather than a fixed pictogram. This consistency helps crew and visiting contractors recognise a restriction as official rather than an informal handwritten note, which carries more weight during safety inspections and port state control visits.

Deck officers commonly reach for this sign whenever a new, temporary restriction is needed that doesn’t match an existing pictogram sign already carried on board, such as cordoning off a wet-painted area or a section of deck under repair. Because it’s quick to fix to an existing barrier or door, it can be deployed within minutes of a hazard being identified, rather than waiting for a custom sign to be made ashore. Retrieving and reusing the sign once the restriction is lifted, rather than leaving it in place indefinitely, keeps its instruction meaningful the next time it’s needed elsewhere on the vessel.

Post this keep out sign at restricted access points to clearly warn unauthorised personnel away from hazardous or sensitive areas onboard. Browse our full range of Prohibition Signs for more IMO-compliant maritime safety signage.