Safety signs can be found in almost every area of large facilities and buildings – in schools, shopping centres, hospitals, factories, warehouses, etc. You might wonder why the signs are necessary since the hazards are often obvious. However, this isn’t always the case.
All businesses recognise that safety signs are essential to their health and safety policies.
Understanding the role of safety signs in the workplace may be a critical oversight for businesses in various industries. However, the success of a workplace safety intervention often depends on managers’ ability to communicate the value of a measure to their employees. After all, if employees do not believe in your company’s health and safety policies, they are less likely to follow the rules as strictly as they should.
Implementing workplace health and safety policies frequently necessitates a significant amount of reading, instruction, and learning, with the most dangerous occupations necessitating extensive training programs before the work can be done safely. In this context, safety signs‘ value lies in their ability to communicate the most important safety messages in a visual, immediate, and precisely targeted manner.
As a result, those in charge of workplace safety must consider why safety signs are so vital to ensure that they are always used correctly.
There are five common types of safety signs, each colour noting a specific instruction:
- Red circle – Prohibition – means stop, don’t do
- Blue circle – Mandatory – means obey
- Yellow triangle – Warning – means a risk of danger
- Green squares – Safe condition – means go, gives information
- Red squares – Fire safety – info in emergencies
Safety signs are crucial because they cross any language barriers. The pictograms on these warning signs are universally recognised.
One of the most challenging tasks in ensuring good health and safety practices in information communication. It is critical that everyone involved understands the risks and how to deal with them. As a result, proper workplace signage is critical, as it is one of the primary points of reference and contact for employees. These safety signs should be placed anywhere there is a potential hazard, and the goal is to clearly indicate the danger so it can be avoided.
Because a simple warning of danger is insufficient in many cases, these signs can convey various meanings. Therefore, the most effective health and safety systems employ a comprehensive set of signs that help prevent dangerous situations and instruct workers on how to deal with them. A hazardous gas sign, for example, maybe accompanied by a warning to wear a gas mask. This is more effective than one warning symbol that does not explain how to avoid the potential danger.
However, safety signs are no substitute for a well-trained workforce. Instead, the signs should be a reminder and be of use to those who aren’t necessarily familiar with an area or process. As a result, safety signs must be simple to understand. To allow a person to make an immediate decision, simple graphics or words work far better than complex instruction. Many are quickly identified, such as the red circular prohibition sign, but others may require more specificity depending on the situation.
Having proper signs in your workplace can significantly reduce accidents and ensure your company is legally compliant.
Safety signs are essential safety communication tools because they help identify various hazards in the workplace and warn workers to keep an eye out for potential dangers through necessary information and safety instructions.
The sign you need
Sure Signs specialises in the manufacture, design, and supply of safety signs. We can custom make signs to suit your specific requirements. All signs are available in 150 mm, 190 mm, 290 mm, or 440 mm.
The common signage types we offer include:
- Aluminium signage
- Photoluminescent signage
- Firefighting signage
- General signage
- Mandatory signage
- Prohibitory signage
- Warning signage
Our safety signs solution is available in natural anodized aluminium frames. They can also be powder coated or anodized in any colour you choose. These signs can be face printed on photoluminescent vinyl, or they can be reversed screen printed on acrylic Perspex. Contact us for more information.