Businesses encounter several risks on a daily basis. Employers must maintain a safe workplace and alert staff members to potential dangers by posting signs, labels, colour codes, or posters.
In this article, we will look at workplace safety signs, their purpose, and how to use and display them at work. We will also briefly review the laws governing them and the responsibilities of employers and employees.
What are Workplace Safety Signs?
Workplace safety signs are efficient and easily understood means of alerting workers to items, actions, or circumstances that carry a specific risk or to hazards that continue to exist despite precautions you have made.
Safety signs denote the type of risk or safety alert and the intensity of the risk in a simple, easily understandable and identifiable manner to mitigate risks in the workplace.
What is The Purpose of Safety Signs?
“There is a need to standardize a system of giving safety information that relies as little as possible on the use of words to achieve understanding,” states the ISO standard ISO 3864-1:2011 on safety colours and signs.
As instruments for safety communication, safety signs and symbols help convey instructions, cautions, and clear statements without using excessive words.
They quicken people’s learning and become particularly helpful in situations requiring prompt action.
Safety signs and symbols lower the possibility of injuries and raise awareness of hazards in particular locations or materials through visual aids.
Importance of Safety Signs in the Workplace
More than just discussing safety signs in a general sense, let us tie them to the office environment.
There are several important reasons for having safety signs in the workplace, including but not limited to:
1. Safety and Prevention of Accidents
Safety signs, foremost, lower the risk of workplace accidents and injuries. It has been proven many times without numbers.
In the US, there are over 2.8 million non-fatal industrial accidents or injuries annually. By reinforcing appropriate safety signs, many of these situations can be avoided.
Workers and employees are more aware of potential risks at work and can react appropriately and quickly when an incident arises, which helps prevent injuries like electrocution, falls, and slips and trips.
2. Law Compliance
Safety signs assist in guaranteeing adherence to OSHA regulations and standards. Companies that disregard the legal requirements for safety signage may be subject to fines.
When work is being done in places considered high-risk, OSHA 1926.200(a) mandates that appropriate notice be displayed at all times.
In Nigeria, a similar legislation/program exists in the form of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). Several other legislations apply to each industry. It is of utmost importance that you comply to prevent not only accidents to employees but also fines and compliance issues with the government.
3. Visitors’ and Employees’ Education
Safety signs are a useful teaching tool, particularly in engineering or manufacturing settings where potential hazards are common.
Making sure staff members are led effectively during a crisis is essential. Additionally, signs are a common way for new hires to learn about business safety procedures, so they must be clear and convey the necessary information.
Common Work Place Safety Signs
Maintaining a safe workplace requires the use of safety indicators. They provide visual cues to workers and visitors about possible workplace risks and the safety measures that must be followed to prevent accidents or injuries.
The top seven (7) signs that businesses need to have have been covered in this section.
