Think Safe, Act Safe, Be Safe. Why safety signs matter

Peter Clayton Head of Sales for Spectrum Industrial on the importance of safety signs following the launch of the ‘Think Safe, Act Safe, Be Safe’ campaign

In our daily lives we see signs, they tell us to stop at junctions, they provide us with directions and tell us if there is construction work happening. But do they really matter? The simple answer is yes.

Although safety signs are often low on the hierarchy for many employers, signs play a huge role in telling employees and visitors at workplaces what hazards are present and how to avoid these dangers.

Safety signs

➤ Inform ➤ Warn ➤ Guide

Latest HSE statistics show that in 2019/20, there were 111 workers killed, with a further 693,000 workers sustaining non-fatal injuries. Meanwhile, an estimated 38.8 million working days were lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury at a cost of £16.2 billion to the economy, while fines from convictions totalled £35.8 million.

The human and financial cost of accidents and ill health at work are clearly extremely high. Businesses found in breach of health & safety regulations may suffer significant damage to their reputation, and in some cases, bosses may even face a prison sentence. Organisations must therefore pay close attention to health & safety and regularly review their approach to identify opportunities for improvement.

THINK SAFE! – FIVE BENEFITS OF SAFETY SIGNS

Health and safety signs deliver enormous benefits to organisations:

1. Decreases accidents in the workplace

2. Boosts safety conscious employees

3. Reduces employers’ responsibility

4. Highlights necessary information

5. Reduces workplace costs

SPECIFYING HEALTH & SAFETY SIGNS – MISTAKES TO AVOID

Recognising the importance of health & safety signs is the first step towards implementing an effective safety signage plan, but it’s important to be aware that not all safety signage is created equal. Beware of the following issues which can occur where safety signs are bought from vendors who don’t have the appropriate level of expertise.

• The signage uses the right colours for mandatory, prohibition, hazard
• The right symbols have been used to ensure compliance legislation
• The use of appropriate fonts
• The right size of sign for viewing distances
• Clear and concise messaging
• The right material is used
• Best practice for safety sign usage

ACT SAFE – TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

Once a business has selected compliant safety signage, they have a responsibility to keep notices clearly displayed, unobstructed and well maintained, as failure to do so could pose a significant danger if an emergency arises.

If you think there could be room for improvement in your safety signage plan, the best way to review your safety signs is to walk through your site and take a look.

Safety professionals and site managers also need to be mindful that too much signage can be confusing and hard to understand. It is very easy to go overboard with signage. Having a group of safety signs all in one place warning of different hazards can create confusion among your workers. The best way to approach this is to look at what signs can be merged into one main sign, Site Safety Notices are a great way and commonly used on construction sites to alert individuals of many hazards in a clear and concise way. An experienced safety sign manufacturer can help your organisation with this issue and come up with the best solution for your business.

Our tips:

• Think about the purpose of the sign
• What information needs to be provided
• Is that message relevant to that area
• Is the message easily actionable when a worker reads it

Regulations establish that certain requirements are to be applied on safety signs, such as colour, icons etc. For example, yellow is incorporated on hazard signs. It’s essential that all members of staff understand what signs mean. Including safety sign training into health and safety or site inductions helps employees begin to understand and recognise the types of hazards associated with the different environments. It’s also important to consider that not all employees may speak the same language and therefore signs should be easily understood by all parties.

BE SAFE

Health & safety signs play a far more important role in promoting effective health & safety management than many people realise. Not only can health & safety signs help to reduce accidents and work-related ill health but they can also provide an opportunity to promote and celebrate a strong health & safety culture and leave a positive lasting impression. Clear and compliant safety signage signals that health and safety is a high priority within your organisation, but it is only one piece of the overall safety puzzle.