That meaningless pictogram must be one of many that the general unwashed don't understand. Clear wording with it will help.

Z.

These RED stop signs are better than the green one. They are obvious in their instruction and result if used. PRESS TO STOP is the clear message.

Emergency Stop Symbol - Bing images

RED is good, it aligns with RED at traffic lights=STOP.

Just like motor starter switches RED  = STOP. (And GREEN = START or GO).

Z.

Zoomup said:

When in Rome etc.

Well, even the French have the word, "STOP" on their road signs. 

Well, I learn something new every day.

Z.

Zoomup said:

So on a motor starter it often has a green button for on  and a red button for off. Green for GO or green for safe? A conflicting situation.

that follows the principles of BS EN 60073, for "operating, no fault". Safety signs also align with this standard.

A good summary of colour vs safety meaning vs condition/state of equipment meaning is provided by an indicator manufacturer here: https://beaconlamps.com/index.php/download_file/view/704/152/

Safety signs usually are taught with H&S courses in the workplace - I guess we could also say that self-employed persons have the same duties to inform themselves in the way an employer informs their employees about safety signs.

But I don't see a lot of awareness in the industry - outside those who deal directly with industrial controls and machinery - about BS EN 60073.

Zoomup said:

RED is good, it aligns with RED at traffic lights=STOP.

Just like motor starter switches RED  = STOP. (And GREEN = START or GO).

No, see reply a few minutes earlier regards BS EN 60073.

Red means "DANGER" or "FAULT".

Green means "SAFE" or "NORMAL"

It also aligns with BS 7671 colour for protective conductor- was green, but now green-and-yellow (because internationally no-one could agree on solid green) - being the protective conductor, or "safety conductor".

Germany used to go with "red" = "safety conductor" (protective conductor), but I'm led to believe that the red there meant to indicate  "do not mess with this" ... I'm not so sure about that last little anecdote.

This is all very inconsistent. An emergency stop mushroom switch actuator is coloured RED. Red for "danger. I think not. It is RED for STOP. Green can not mean SAFE if a machine is switched on. Traffic light colours are internationally known. 

Zoomup said:

Green can not mean SAFE if a machine is switched on.

If it's not safe, you shouldn't use it ... PUWER, EAWR, H&S@W etc Act.

Zoomup said:

This is all very inconsistent.

Zoom, do you have an underlying issue or niggle, that we could actually help resolve?

It's OK moaning about stuff in a hap-hazard manner ('the product is bad design', 'don't like the use of colours to the standards', 'don't like the Safety Signs and Signals Regs' etc.), but if there's a real issue here, it needs to be discussed and resolved.

I have worked in loads of factories with those sorts of e-stops in place. Everyone knows you push the red button marked Emergency Stop to stop the machine. And some of the people who work in those factories are not the greatest intellectuals. To me you seem to making an issue out of nothing