A vehicle marshal uses hand signals to guide a driver who cannot see everything around the vehicle. A standard set of hand signals is written into the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996. This guide sets out those signals, the rules the regulations attach to them and what HSE says about marshalling reversing vehicles.12
The short answer
Schedule 1 of the 1996 regulations sets out 14 coded hand signals, including start, stop, move forwards, move backwards, left, right and emergency stop.2 Where hand signals are needed, employers must make sure the appropriate ones are used.1 The person signalling must be able to see every manoeuvre without being put in danger, must be easy for the driver to recognise and must do nothing else while directing.2 If a driver loses sight of the marshal, HSE says the driver should stop immediately.4
Where the law on hand signals comes from
Regulation 4 of the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 applies where a risk assessment shows that a risk cannot be avoided or adequately reduced by other means.1 In that case, the employer must make sure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that any appropriate hand signal or verbal communication described in Schedule 1 is used.1
The regulations also accept the hand signals in two British Standards, one for agriculture and one for cranes, as alternatives to the Schedule 1 signals.1 HSE’s guidance on the regulations adds that signals should be used consistently throughout a firm or workplace, and that a new employee who learned a different code elsewhere may need retraining.3
The coded hand signals in Schedule 1
The regulations describe each signal as the signaller makes it.2 Left and right are the signaller’s left and right, not the driver’s.2
| Meaning | How the signal is made |
|---|---|
| Start (attention, start of command) | Both arms held out horizontally, palms facing forwards |
| Stop (interruption, end of movement) | Right arm pointing upwards, palm facing forwards |
| End of the operation | Both hands clasped at chest height |
| Raise | Right arm pointing upwards, palm facing forwards, slowly making a circle |
| Lower | Right arm pointing downwards, palm facing inwards, slowly making a circle |
| Vertical distance | The hands show the distance |
| Move forwards | Both arms bent, palms facing upwards, forearms making slow movements towards the body |
| Move backwards | Both arms bent, palms facing downwards, forearms making slow movements away from the body |
| Right (to the signaller’s right) | Right arm held out roughly horizontally, palm down, making small slow movements to the right |
| Left (to the signaller’s left) | Left arm held out roughly horizontally, palm down, making small slow movements to the left |
| Horizontal distance | The hands show the distance |
| Danger (emergency stop) | Both arms pointing upwards, palms facing forwards |
| Quick | All movements made faster |
| Slow | All movements made slower |
Stop and emergency stop differ by one arm: stop uses the right arm, emergency stop uses both.2 The regulations allow signals to vary slightly or carry more detail, provided they are equally meaningful and easy to understand.2
The rules that come with the signals
Schedule 1 also sets rules for how hand signals are given.2 The regulations call the person signalling the signalman and the driver the operator.2
- signals must be precise, simple, expansive, easy to make and understand, and clearly distinct from each other
- where both arms are used, they move symmetrically and give one sign only
- the signaller must be able to watch every manoeuvre without being put in danger
- the signaller’s duties are limited to directing manoeuvres and keeping nearby workers safe
- if one signaller cannot see everything safely, one or more extra signallers should be used
- the operator must stop the manoeuvre and ask for new instructions when they cannot carry out an order safely
- the operator must be able to recognise the signaller easily, for example by a brightly coloured jacket, helmet, sleeves or armbands, or by signalling bats
HSE’s guidance on the regulations adds that the signaller should be competent and trained in the correct use of hand signals.3 Where there is more than one signaller, the driver should take signals from one of them only, unless other arrangements have been made.3 In poor weather or poor light, high-visibility clothing may be needed, and bats and reflective armbands help the driver see the signals.3
Marshalling reversing vehicles
HSE says nearly a quarter of all deaths involving workplace transport happen during reversing.4 Its guidance puts removing the need to reverse, and separating people from vehicles, ahead of using a marshal.4 HSE says a marshal, which HSE calls a banksman or signaller, should only be considered where there is no other way to control the risks of reversing, and that on construction sites they may be used only if they are trained and authorised.56
Where a marshal is used, HSE’s reversing guidance says they:4
- need a clear, agreed system of signalling
- need to be visible to the driver at all times
- need to stand in a safe position, from which they can guide the vehicle without being in its way
- should wear very visible clothing, such as a reflective vest
If the driver loses sight of the marshal, HSE says the driver should stop immediately.4 Its workplace transport checklist goes further: if a driver cannot see clearly behind the vehicle, they should apply the brakes, stop the engine, leave the cab and check behind before reversing.5 The same checklist says portable radios can help, and that everyone involved in guiding vehicles should be trained, especially new starters who may have used a different system before.5
Where the NPORS marshal categories fit
A marshal directs vehicles or plant as they move. NPORS has a category for each: N403 Vehicle Marshal and N133 Plant Machinery Marshal.7 The NPORS learning outcomes published in 2019 list hand signals, setting up an exclusion zone and guiding machines forwards and in reverse among the subjects for both.7
A banksman does a different job: watching an excavation for signs of collapse and keeping an eye on the people working in it. The guide to banksman, plant marshal and excavation marshal categories explains the difference.
Marshal testing on your site
Ray Walters is an NPORS assessor. He carries out tests at customers’ premises, anywhere in the UK.
Book a marshal test on your site
Call Ray on 07984 357997 or email ray@walterstraining.com.
Sources
- The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, regulation 4. legislation.gov.uk
- The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, Schedule 1, Part IX, minimum requirements for hand signals. legislation.gov.uk
- Health and Safety Executive, Safety signs and signals: guidance on regulations (L64, third edition, 2015), paragraphs 87 to 96. hse.gov.uk
- Health and Safety Executive, Reversing. hse.gov.uk
- Health and Safety Executive, Workplace transport checklist, section 5: vehicle movements. hse.gov.uk
- Health and Safety Executive, Banksmen and signallers. hse.gov.uk
- NPORS, learning outcomes for miscellaneous equipment and health and safety related courses (N133 and N403), 2019. npors.com
Sources checked on 30 September 2026.