Caution Hot Water Sign (Pack of 20)

Weight: 1kg

Dimensions: 25.5 x 15.5 x 14.5 cm

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, it is your responsibility to ensure the safety and welfare of staff and visitors on your premises. Safety signs need to be used in circumstances where risks cannot be avoided or reduced. It is important to protect people against the risk of scalding, but at the same time it is important to have the hot water hot enough to protect people against the risks posed by the legionella bacteria – therefore, the use of Caution Hot Water signage is advisable.

Our Caution Hot Water signs are designed to be used in wet conditions and will therefore last for a long time. They feature self-adhesive vinyl and are made of rigid plastic. Our hazard sign is designed to last in poor weather conditions.

As long as we have the signage in stock, delivery should take around 2-7 days from confirmation of your order.

Display this sign near any hot water taps.

They are adhesive and will stick to walls and tiled surfaces.

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 “require employers to ensure that safety signs are provided (or are in place) and maintained in circumstances where there is a significant risk to health and safety” and “where the use of a sign can further reduce the risk”.

Under the Regulations, using a background yellow colour is an indication that people need to take care. The additional use of the exclamation mark is to highlight that there is a danger and encourage people to read the notice. People washing their hands will understand that there is a need to be cautious and check the temperature of the water when they put their hands underneath. Hot water can cause injury by scalding the skin so by having warning signs you are helping to prevent accidents and fulfilling your duty of care. Changes in water quality, such as unusual taste, odor, or discoloration, may serve as a not drinking water sign, signaling potential issues with the pump that require servicing.​

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‘Hot Water’ caution signs are essential in public and commercial spaces to prevent scalding injuries when people are washing their hands. Commercial spaces will always have a flow of visitors, and public spaces attract a great many visitors, many of whom will be unfamiliar with a particular building. Therefore if there’s anything in the building or workplace that may be a safety issue, such as hot water, it is a wise precaution to make people aware of it. By signposting that the water is hot, people will understand the need to be careful when using it to avoid a scalding injury. People have different tolerances when it comes to the heat of the water, and people with thinner skin will be more susceptible to damage. A caution sign will help prevent injuries and discomfort by warning people to take care.

Caution signs are not a legal requirement, but under the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, they are a useful way employers can fulfil their responsibility to keep employees and visitors safe from very hot water. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (the Management Regulations), employers are required to identify hazards (very hot water) as well as any risks associated with those hazards (hot water sign caution), and then take measures to control those risks. Where hot water might need to be hot enough to cause scalding, a ‘Caution Hot Water’ sign is an effective way of warning people to take care. Where scalding can occur, very hot water signs are required to warn people.

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Water temperature is a vital element in legionella risk management. It is essential to control legionella bacteria because of the health risks involved – if inhaled, the bacteria can develop into the potentially fatal Legionnaires’ disease. Legionella bacteria thrive in water temperatures between 20oC and 45oC, so it is therefore necessary to keep the hot water at a temperature above 50oC to kill the bacteria and protect people. If necessary, a TMV can be installed which mixes cold water with the hot water just before the water reaches the tap. TMVs are mainly used by care homes and health care facilities as small children and the elderly are more at risk of scalding.

A ‘Very Hot Water’ sign needs to have a yellow background colour to indicate it’s a general warning sign and the reason why people need to take care in clear, unambiguous language. Therefore ‘Caution Hot Water’ are the only words you need, as people will infer there is a risk and take precautions.

The risk of water being too hot is that someone may scald their skin when washing their hands. If you warn people of hot water hazards, they can take precautions to avoid the risk of injury. To control the dangers that legionella bacteria pose, hot water must be stored at temperatures above 50oC, which is why the temperature of the water can’t be turned down. 

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