What does this sign mean?
A mandatory (blue) sign requiring a mask or filtering respirator covering the nose and mouth before entering the area. The solid blue circle with a white symbol is the ISO 7010 mandatory shape, an instruction to act, not a hazard warning, and M016 shows a face wearing a mask against dust, spray and fine particles.
Where does it go and when is it required?
Required in joinery shops and cutting or sanding areas, when mixing cement, plaster and insulation on construction sites, in paint booths and spray areas, in powder, feed and chemical stores, and in isolation rooms in clinics, laboratories and pharmacy preparation areas.
Regulation notes: Civil Defense and occupational safety authorities in Saudi Arabia and the UAE expect dusty or fume-generating areas to be marked with respiratory protection mandatory signage as a condition of operating licences and risk-assessment files. In the UAE, practice under the OSHAD Code of Practice 17.0 is for Arabic to sit above English on safety signs.
- Mount at the area entrance at eye level (1.5–1.7 m), before the boundary where dust or spray begins rather than beyond it.
- A4 on workshop and work room doors; A3 at the entrances to spray halls and large handling areas.
- State the required mask class, FFP2 or FFP3, for example, in the organisation band; a cloth mask is no use against industrial dust or fumes.
This sign is also known as: wear a mask sign, dust mask required sign printable pdf, ISO 7010 M016 sign, face mask mandatory sign Arabic English. Shape and colours follow ISO 7010 / ISO 3864-1, reference M016.
