Safety signs are tricky to read for the majority of people. Their meanings are not always apparent to every single person who sees them and can be interpreted in other ways if you do not otherwise already know what they actually mean.
There are four types of safety symbols: each one refers to a particular safety protocol or hazard warning that correlates to a specific color as well as symbol. The four sign categories are Prohibition, Warning, Mandatory and Emergency.
While safety signage typically appears in workplace setups of certain industries, it is still useful to know the basics as a lay person. Safety signs are universally recognized symbols that are not limited by language so warnings and health hazard messages can be conveyed to anyone regardless of what language they speak. Signsmart, Custom Safety Signs Australia has a quick and easy to understand guide on decoding the meanings of these symbols and signs:
Infographic Source: https://signsmart.com.au/quick-matrix-guide-for-safety-signs-and-meanings/