High voltage symbol

A black lightning arrow in a yellow triangle, warning of electrical danger.

Also known as: Electric shock symbol, Lightning bolt warning, Electrical hazard symbol

Safety & hazardEveryday & digitalStandard profile

Meanings

A jagged arrow in a yellow triangle warns of dangerous voltage. The arrowhead matters: it distinguishes the hazard warning from the plain zigzag used decoratively to mean electricity in general.

Common modern usageVerified fact
Warns of dangerous electrical voltage behind a panel, inside an enclosure, or in an area.
Contexts: Public information
Common modern usageVerified fact
Is drawn as an arrow rather than a plain zigzag — the arrowhead marks it as the hazard symbol, distinguishing it from decorative or generic uses of a lightning shape to mean electricity.
Contexts: Public information
Common modern usageCommon usage
Appears in some jurisdictions with wording such as 'Danger of Death', which is a local addition to the pictogram rather than part of it.
Contexts: Public information
Common modern usageVerified fact
Belongs to the warning class of safety signs, drawn as a black pictogram in a yellow triangle with a black border. The triangle means a hazard is present and care is needed, not that anything is prohibited.
Contexts: Public information

Visual description

A jagged black arrow shaped like a lightning stroke, angled downward with a clear arrowhead, inside a black-bordered yellow triangle.

Symmetry: none
Orientation: upright
Colours: yellow, black

Part of the same system as: General warning symbol
Both are yellow-triangle warning signs; this one names the hazard the general sign leaves unstated.

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is documented in encyclopedic references.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references.

Sources

Safety sign
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for what the symbol depicts, its shape-and-colour category, and any ISO reference number it reports. The standards themselves are paywalled and were not consulted, so nothing here is treated as an official definition.
High voltage
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for what the symbol depicts, its shape-and-colour category, and any ISO reference number it reports. The standards themselves are paywalled and were not consulted, so nothing here is treated as an official definition.

Last reviewed 2026-07-31

Part of

Safety signs and their shape-and-colour grammar

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Meanings

A jagged arrow in a yellow triangle warns of dangerous voltage. The arrowhead matters: it distinguishes the hazard warning from the plain zigzag used decoratively to mean electricity in general.

Common modern usageVerified fact

Warns of dangerous electrical voltage behind a panel, inside an enclosure, or in an area.

Contexts: Public information

Common modern usageVerified fact

Is drawn as an arrow rather than a plain zigzag — the arrowhead marks it as the hazard symbol, distinguishing it from decorative or generic uses of a lightning shape to mean electricity.

Contexts: Public information

Common modern usageCommon usage

Appears in some jurisdictions with wording such as 'Danger of Death', which is a local addition to the pictogram rather than part of it.

Contexts: Public information

Common modern usageVerified fact

Belongs to the warning class of safety signs, drawn as a black pictogram in a yellow triangle with a black border. The triangle means a hazard is present and care is needed, not that anything is prohibited.

Contexts: Public information

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is documented in encyclopedic references.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references.

Sources

Safety sign
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for what the symbol depicts, its shape-and-colour category, and any ISO reference number it reports. The standards themselves are paywalled and were not consulted, so nothing here is treated as an official definition.
High voltage
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for what the symbol depicts, its shape-and-colour category, and any ISO reference number it reports. The standards themselves are paywalled and were not consulted, so nothing here is treated as an official definition.

Last reviewed 2026-07-31

Meanings

Visual description

Related & commonly confused symbols

Meanings

Visual description

Related & commonly confused symbols