Something Shocking
What ever is lurking inside this BC Hydro electrical box must be dangerous. How dangerous? Try “four signs level” dangerous – that’s like a 4-alarm fire but with less flames and more electrons, or something.
But we digress – the real story here is the agonized expression on one of the electrocuted men silhouettes. Of course, the other guy’s grimacing too (kudos to whomever added “noooo!”) but the frozen grimace on the dude above shows BC Hydro’s graphics department is er, plugged in to what final fatality really looks like. (image via Mike W.)
Skull & Crossbolts
How metal is this electrical warning sign from Turkey? Very metal? Heavy metal? Add in the uniquely Turkish tooth treatment and the double-umlauted “Ölüm Tehlikesi” (“Danger of Death”) subtext and you have to ask yourself: How much more metal could this sign be? And the answer is none – none more metal. (image via Lost in Transliteration)
Hide Voltage
Oh, nothing, just a minimalist (and minimum-sized) high voltage warning for those who have sharp eyes and can read between the power lines. One might assume the risk of injury isn’t all that great since the graphic is so tiny, has no accompanying warning text, and is devoid of other, larger, more frightening graphics (see previous sign). Guess it’s no big deal thenBZZZZT!! (image via Nenad Stojkovic)
Best De-Fence
Welcome to the Crosstown Electrical Substation, located near 18th and Cherry in Kansas City’s Crossroads district – now get lost, ya filthy trespassers! The unwelcoming message is stated and restated in no less than FIVE different ways, from top to bottom, and if it still isn’t clear a weird and confusing graphic is included to help (?) you out. There’s a lot going on here, though we’re not quite sure exactly what.
We draw your attention to the snake-like something-or-other that appears to be biting Mr Silhouette on his stump of an arm. Is it an electric eel? Have they learned to fly? Some weird three-fingered alien appendage to reach out and touch someone? Strange things are afoot at the Circle K… er, the Crosstown Electrical Substation. (image via Chris Murphy)
Electro Cute
Leave it to Japan to think outside the transformer box, so to speak. The warning sign above – a metal tag, of sorts – was riveted onto some roadside electrical equipment by the Kansai Electric Power company (KEPCO) in the city of Kobe. The text “warning” translates roughly to “Hey you kids, no fooling around!”… because as so many have learned, fooling around leads to finding out. (image via Jim Jetson)
Natural dangers have warning signs too: Check out Lava, Hey! 10 Smokin’ Hot Volcano Warning Signs!

