FOCUS SIGNAGE
and secure without a detailed health and
safety check.
Signage is the first impression your
business can make. A clean, illuminated
and well maintained sign will present your
business at its best and allow you to stand
out against your competitors.
What are the most repetitive
signage issues your
engineer teams see?
Apart from the bus
stop signage that
we see damaged by
delivery drivers on
a daily basis! The
issues we see all too
o‘ en are illumination
faults, bird mess and
signs installed without
adequate weather proof
flashing.
Worst still we see over
cladding and most worryingly
signs fixed over old signage and
to deteriorating timber sub-fascia and
or signs installed with insuˆ icient or
inappropriate fixings for the sub-fascia and
substrate. These can all lead on to much
bigger issues and most are due to either
a lack of or inconsistent maintenance
and management. These issues all bring
potential risk.
How can facilities managers best
manage signage risk and ensure sta and
customers are safe?
Risk can be managed by quite simply
managing the security of fixings across
your estate. Our intrusive inspections allow
38 JUNE 2021
our clients to actually understand what is
above their staˆ and customers’ heads!
Suspected safety issues are investigated
using market leading portable testers to
test the crucial holding force of anchors
and fixings of the signage through
every level. The issues can
then be quickly resolved
and managed. The
consequences of not
taking action can
vary greatly; from
a poor business
image and damage
to your signage,
to a dangerous
incident involving
a customer or
member of your
team from a falling
sign.
Ultimately, we would
recommend all business
owners undertake at least one
full estate review annually. This can
then be tailored based on findings to best
suit on-going needs. This will be dependent
upon many factors including age of estate,
locations (including localised guttering and
drainage) and usage.
The pandemic has reshaped many
businesses, especially retail. What advice
would you give as the most cost-e ective
way to manage estate signage when
businesses are struggling to find budget?
A‘ er a tough year for many businesses
we work with our clients to implement
maintenance programmes based upon
sound risk assessment principles
(likelihood v severity).
On a recent Cygnia customer review
those that have a Planned Preventative
Maintenance programme (PPM) in place
had fewer health and safety issues and
extended the life of their signage compared
to customers who manage their estates on
a reactive basis. Within a PPM our engineers
are able to identify issues and quickly
resolve to avoid the need for signage
replacement.
For those clients who are not in a position
to undertake a full estate PPM we suggest
a review of 5–10 per cent sample selection
of the estate with a fully intrusive service to
really understand the condition and overall
support needed for the entire estate. This
gives detailed information allowing further
fact-based decision making.
Managing your estate with reactive
maintenance support leaves you exposed
to potentially unexpected capital
expenditure. A PPM programme helps
you manage budgets and actually reduce
reactive maintenance spend. Our PPM
clients receive our essential ‘Sign Health
Check’ to test the safety, security and
eˆ ectiveness of their current signage
fixings. A signage asset register can also be
built advising age, condition and estimated
life expectancy so you are able to forecast
spending and be proactive rather than
reactive.
Maintenance should be focussed on
delivering sustainable solutions. Our
engineers can improve both the condition
and energy eˆ iciency of your signage. LED
retrofits provide much needed eˆ iciency
and financial pay back as well as improved
visual appearance.
Signage is the fi rst impression
your business can make. A clean,
illuminated and well maintained sign
will present your business at its best
and allow you to stand out
against your competitors.”