Workplace Safety Signage

Workplace safety signage is those elements that, referring to an object, activity or specific situation, provide an indication or an obligation related to safety or health at work. Every day we see Workplace safety signage such as fire safety signage, safety signage for warehouses, and electrical safety signage that warns or prohibits us. Health and safety signage such as the wet floor, do not enter or emergency exit is an example of the information around us.

This type of signage plays a fundamental role when there is an obligation to correctly communicate and publicize safety information to employees and it is that correct communication can minimize the risk of accidents that occur in a work environment.

It is worth mentioning that employers must provide relevant information to employees about the meaning and requirements of all signs used in the work environment since messages and indications must be understandable to everyone.

It is important to recognize that workers may not know the meaning of Workplace safety signage (some are obvious but some are not) and therefore Workplace safety signage must be included in the induction or health and safety training

In our environment, some dangers and situations can put our health and safety or that of others at risk, either due to the nature of the danger the type of activity we carry out or the situations we act on.

To reduce the risk in the face of certain threats, prohibitions or obligations, it is necessary to call our attention, for example, in the event of certain unwanted events, people must be alerted when a certain emergency occurs that requires urgent protection or evacuation measures.

Workplace safety signage types

Workplace safety signage combines shape, colour, and pictograms to convey specific health and safety information or instructions. There are 5 different main types of Workplace safety signage. OSHA Signs fall into four categories – Danger, Warning, Caution, and Notice

There are four primary categories of OSHA safety signs and labels:

1. Danger Signs: These signs are used to indicate immediate hazards that pose a serious threat of injury or death. They are usually red with white text and a black border.
2. Warning Signs: These signs indicate potential hazards that could result in serious injury or death. They are usually yellow with black text and a black border.
3. Caution Signs: These signs indicate potential hazards that could result in minor to moderate injury. They are usually yellow with black text and a yellow border.
4. Notice Signs: These signs provide information about safety procedures, policies, or equipment. They are usually blue with white text and a white border.

NEBOSH recognizes five types of safety signs:

1. Prohibition Signs
2. Warning Signs
3. Mandatory Signs
4. Safe Condition Signs
5. Fire Fighting Equipment Signs

Pictograms must be used on signs, not just in text. This is to overcome any language barriers you may have created if only text was used (as a result of illiteracy, learning difficulties, language or certain vision impairment). Let’s see what they indicate, what shape they have and the colours they use, but first let’s see a summary that will be very useful for us to learn the signs.

Colours:

• Blue for mandatory actions.
• Red is a prohibited colour.
• Yellow is a colour of warning.
• Green for positive actions.

Shapes:

• Circles are used for prohibitions or instructions.
• Triangles are used for warnings.
• Squares and Rectangles are used for emergency and information signage.

Now yes, let’s see each type separately with concrete examples of Construction safety signage:

Prohibition  

They prohibit behaviour likely to cause danger by preventing certain activities that endanger their health or that of other workers. Aimed at stopping dangerous behaviour, e.g. ‘No Smoking’. The signs are circular with a black pictogram on a white background with a red border and a red diagonal crossbar at 45º concerning the horizontal. It should be noted that the red colour must cover at least 35% of the surface of the sign. These signs indicate actions or behaviours that are not allowed, such as no smoking, no entry, or no parking.

Warning Sign

Similar to OSHA warning signs, these signs indicate potential hazards that could result in serious injury or death. They are usually triangular with a yellow background and a black pictogram or text along with a black border. Tell people to beware of a particular hazard, e.g. ‘Forklifts operating in the area’. The yellow colour must cover at least 50% of the surface of the sign.

Mandatory Action

These signs indicate actions that must be taken, such as wearing personal protective equipment or using a specific safety device. They indicate the obligation to use adequate protection to avoid accidents. They have a circular shape, a blue background and white drawings. They can also have a white edge. The blue colour must cover at least 50% of the surface of the sign. Instruct people to take a specific action, often related to the use of personal protective equipment. Such as ‘Eye protection must be worn.

Safe Condition

These signs indicate emergency exits, escape routes, and emergency equipment, such as fire extinguishers or first aid kits. They are usually rectangular or square, with a green background and white symbol or text. Identify safe behaviour or safe places, e.g. ‘First aid stations’ are a green background with a white pictogram on a Square or rectangular shape. They can also be called rescue or relief. These signs also indicate the location of safety equipment, such as eye wash stations or emergency showers.

Firefighting equipment  

These signals are those related to fire-fighting equipment, identifying particular items of equipment, e.g. The signs are rectangular or square with a white pictogram on a red background. It should be noted that the red colour must cover at least 50% of the surface of the sign. Here are some examples of fire fighting equipment safety signage:

Fire extinguisher sign: This sign indicates the location of fire extinguishers. The sign should be located near the extinguishers and easy to see.

Fire alarm call point sign: This sign indicates the location of fire alarm call points. The sign should be located near the call points and easy to see.

Fire hose reel sign: This sign indicates the location of fire hose reels. The sign should be located near the hose reels and easy to see.

These are just a few examples of fire fighting equipment safety signage. There are many other types of signs that can be used to help people stay safe in the event of a fire.

It is important to make sure that all fire fighting equipment safety signage is up-to-date and in good condition. The signs should be easy to read and understand, and they should be located in places where people will see them.

Construction safety signage

Through the use of construction safety signage, we can facilitate the identification of certain means of protection, evacuation, emergency or first aid, orienting and guiding them about workplace hazards and precautions. So that they can follow instructions based on the plans and procedures predetermined by a risk analysis as in the case of handling hazardous substances or energized areas.

Workplace safety signage should be used whenever the analysis of existing risks, foreseeable emergencies and the preventive measures adopted, reveals the need to alert workers when a specific emergency occurs that requires urgent protection or evacuation measures.

When the workers to whom the signage is directed have limited visual or hearing capacity, the necessary supplementary or substitution measures must be taken.

Therefore, we must conclude that the employer must adopt the necessary measures so that there is Workplace safety signage that complies with the provisions of the regulations mentioned above. Likewise, the employer will provide the workers with adequate training in terms of Workplace safety signage at work.

Regarding the location, placement and scope of the application of Workplace safety signage, it is necessary to understand and take into account the following indications:

• If signs are posted at the entrance to a workplace, they must be followed.
• If we find them on machinery, we must comply with what the signage tells us for the use of that specific machine.

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Conclusion

Accidents can happen in an office, on construction sites, or on the streets. Therefore, it is important to keep people on the lookout for these potential mishaps. To achieve this, one of the ways you can is to place Workplace safety signage in the places where accidents are most likely to occur. This Workplace safety signage can prevent any type of danger, depending on what it represents. Its signage can be a warning for health, traffic, danger, etc. to keep people guided about the problems that await them if they don’t pay attention or don’t realize it.

Finally, it is essential to allow people to work in a safe environment. Let’s make sure no one is physically hurt while on call. And to help you save time making your sign. What are you waiting for? Keep everyone safe and put up signs where they are needed.