SAFETY isn’t a chance but a choice; let’s be prepared for it!
Most businesses like construction, electrical, and mining carry potential hazards for employees. The possibility of accidents and injuries, even after workers are trained for their self-safety, is often high in such business types. This is where the safety signs enter the scene.
Safety signs are a simple but effective part of the health and safety strategy of the business. They alert workers and members about the hazards and risks, encouraging them to take a safe step at the worksite. So, depending on your business type, you can plump for the emergency and safety signs in Australia to ensure that nobody gets hurt at your workplace.
Of course, there is an appropriate way to do all this. You only get the best out of safety signs if you focus on its correct usage. In short, you have to be certain that your effort to implement safety signage at the business site is super effective.
Here’s what you should do –
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ENSURE THAT SIGNS ARE PLACED IN A RIGHT PLACE
Ask yourself – as an employer, have you given a thought to what your business needs to know about fire risk assessments? What’s the point of investing in safety signs if they are not installed correctly or placed in the wrong places? Most of the time, managers neglect the placement of a particular sign. Either the safety signs are placed quite high to read clearly or are blocked by the surrounding objects. There are also cases when the essential signs are placed too close to the point of danger, not giving enough time to workers to be warned. All these mistakes maximise the life threat.
The solution to the problem is simple. Managers need to understand that the location of safety signs has a direct impact on their effectiveness. Therefore, they should ensure that signs are installed in such a way that they are clearly visible to workers on site.
2. USE CLEAR AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND LANGUAGE IN THE MESSAGE
Safety signs are not useful to workers and members until they convey a clear message. Using vague words or writing too much information on it often leads to confusion. On the other hand, too little information also makes the purpose of safety signage ineffective. Even the colours on the safety boards play a great role. Using dull colours may not fetch workers’ attention in case of emergency strikes. Thus, you have to be pretty careful of how your message looks and what it conveys.
You should comply with OHS laws and harness the standardised formats for your safety signs. Be it mandatory signs, warning signs, prohibition signs, safety fire signs, or others, you ought to concentrate on their layout, font sizes, wording, colours, graphics, and icons.
You can opt for the best bespoke site safety solutions to get your hands on the quality and effective safety signs in Australia.
3. DON’T PLACE TOO MANY SIGNS CLOSE TOGETHER
One of the most common mistakes companies make is not caring about placing too many signs close together. This can be overwhelming to any worker on the site. They may not get the relevant information that each sign is meant to convey. There is also a chance that beholders may be able to see the particular warning due to another safety board installed in close proximity to it.
As a general rule, the installation of safety signs should be done on the basis of priority. Managers should validate that the signs are grouped by meaning, purpose, and function, and there is enough space among them to let workers notice them with clarity.
4. MAINTAIN YOUR SAFETY SIGNS PROPERLY
Investing in the safety signs but then forgetting to maintain them is another blunder that companies do. Committing this negligence for a long time leads to wear and tear of safety signs. This fades the message at the board, thus making it ineffective to provide clear information. Such mistakes, when especially revolving around electrical or fire safety signs, may also cause other hazards at the workplace. To know the best place to put your signs, you can consult with fire safety companies (click here to check out one that may be in your area) so you can find out what to do to mitigate any issues that may come up from safety concerns.
To eliminate the scope of bigger risks, managers should keep their focus on improving the maintenance of safety signs. It is suggested to replace the worn or damaged signboards with new ones. Also, make sure that your workplace safety signs are updated when new hazards are identified or the work process is changed.
5. EDUCATE YOUR WORKERS ABOUT SAFETY SIGNS
Remember – the purpose of installing the essential safety signs at the workplace is to promote health and safety among employees. Thus, it is crucial to inform them about all the signs, their location, and the message that they convey.
You should also provide them with specific training and guidance on how to respond to certain emergency situations. Tell them what they need to do and what rules they should follow for their self-safety.
This is immensely important if hazards related to fire and chemicals are common at your business site. Your employees and members should know in such situations that fire safety signs and warning signs can help them prepare for their safety.
WHY ARE SAFETY SIGNS IMPORTANT?
It is often said, “employees are the asset of the business.” Thus, it forms the responsibility of employers to protect them from potential hazards and risks. Safety signs serve the purpose of warning the workers who may be exposed to the identified threats. In addition, they convey important messages and communicate instructions for a particular emergency situation.
There are several safety signs in Australia to serve distinct purposes. These are –
- Mandatory Signs
- Prohibition Signs
- Warning Signs
- Fire Safety Signs
- Emergency Information Signs
- Danger Signs
Closing Words
The safety of workers and staff should be the priority of your business. You should invest in the best safety practices to ensure that you continue your business operations without harming anyone on the site.
Thus, without having any second thought, go for quality safety signs in Australia to alert their workers of the potential dangers. Besides, make sure to implement the essential safety signs in an appropriate way for effective results.
Stay safe forever!
