Under the Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers need to ensure that safety signage is in place and maintained. Health and safety signs are compulsory across industries in the UK for indicating various hazards that are present in the workplace or construction site. Simultaneously, they warn workers to keep watching out for the hazards by providing necessary information and safety instructions.
Workplace safety signs and symbols inform the presence of hazards and create workers’ safety awareness. Safety signage for office assists in the communication of essential instruction, reinforce safety messages, and give vital orders for emergency situations. Workplace safety sign prevents substance contamination, work-related deaths, as well as help protect your business against lawsuits. Not only do they alert the workforce of potential hazards, but also help identify emergency tools to reduce workplace injuries and accidents.
Here’s everything you need to know about workplace healthy and safety signs.
Purpose Of Health And Safety Signs In The Workplace
When it comes to putting up safety signs in the workplace, there are many different applications. Generally, they serve three main purposes. These are:
- To Convey General Information
When you wish to provide safety instructions or information, or want to share safety quotations for work, putting up general information signs can be a very useful tool. While instructional signs detail safety topics for working on a specific machine, housekeeping signs direct workers to abide by proper hygiene and sanitation practices.
- To Provide Directions
Certain work safety signs are used for designating specific traffic patterns or locations. This includes no smoking signs, storage area signs, hand wash station signs, etc. Barricade signs and exit signs ensure you know where you can and cannot go. Since these signs direct people and items to appropriate areas, it helps you ensure work zone safety.
- To Warn Of Potential Dangers
Some signage is displayed to signify increased risk of dangers. These must always be colour-coded according to the risk level and worded for clearly indicating a prospective hazard. You need to be direct and ensure only positive, action-oriented wording is used for getting your message across clearly and quickly.
Every employer in the UK has the obligation to ensure a safe and healthy workplace to the staff. Putting up occupational health and safety signs is thus important to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of employees and all other people who may be affected by your workplace activities.
Workplace Safety Signage – Colours
- Yellow
Yellow signs notify workers to take caution and be alerted of hazards. Putting up these signs can thus reduce necessary risks.
- Red
Red signage designates areas for several emergency devices such as fire fighting equipment or to emphasise forbidden or unsafe actions.
- Green
Green signs designate the location of emergency measures or equipment such as fire exists, evacuation routes, first aid kits, escape ladders, or fire assembly points.
- Blue
These signs show a particular behaviour or action. For example, they carry instructions to wear personal protective equipment or PPE.
Wrapping Up!
Occupational safety signs and symbols are a key component of every workplace in the UK. Health and safety signage in the workplace should be suitable for the environment they are being displayed in. They should be clear and large so that they are understood easily, fixed securely, durable, and well-maintained. Approach 3Signs for workplace health and safety signs and unlock great benefits for your staff, visitors, and clients.
