Industries Signage 101

Why Industrial Signage Matters?

Investing in Industrial Signage is a proactive way to create a safer work environment helping to reduce accidents in the workplace. All industries are extremely important whether manufacturing, heavy industry, on construction sites, or even in office-based environments. It’s a reminder to employees to always be cautious.

Safety:

The most important reason for having sufficient safety signs on site is safety. All workplaces legally require risk assessments, and if a safety sign would help reduce the risk, then a sign must be installed.

Causes of injury are commonly categorised by;

• Slips, trips and falls on the same level
• Handling, lifting or carrying
• Struck by moving object
• Falls from height
• Act of Violence

Signage can often reduce the risk by simply making staff and visitors aware of the hazards in the working environment. For example signage can indicate un-even floor surface or indicate weight loads of heavy goods. By highlighting these, staff and visitors can act accordingly to avoid injury.

The bar chart illustrates the most common types of non-fatal injuries reported under RIDDOR in 2022/23. The most frequent accidents involve slips, trips, or falls. According to RIDDOR 2022/23, 60,645 employees reported a non-fatal injury. RIDDOR mandates the reporting of non-fatal injuries to ensure accurate data collection. The current rate of self-reported non-fatal injuries is similar to pre-pandemic levels, with 1,750 injuries per 100,000 workers, indicating a general downward trend.

Compliance

In the realm of workplace safety, understanding and adhering to key legal requirements is crucial.

Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996:

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 mandate that safety signs must be installed and maintained in workplaces where they can reduce risk, following a thorough risk assessment. It’s important to recognise that while these signs are essential for warning of risks and thus reducing them, they are not a substitute for actual risk control measures.

BE EN ISO 7010

Additionally, signage must align with the BE EN ISO 7010 standard, which specifies the colours and icons to be used. This standardisation ensures that signage maintains a consistent design, making it easily understood in any application. However, the regulations do permit small differences in pictograms, provided these variations do not affect clarity or cause confusion. Compliance with these standards ensures a safer and more comprehensible environment for all employees.

Efficiency

Types of Industrial Signage

There are different types of industrial signage, the most common types of industrial signage, include safety signage, emergency signage, and informational signage which are always found around your site or workplace.

Safety Signage:

Safety signage notifies people of possible dangers such as chemical storage facilities, high-voltage places, and slippery floors. These areas or situations are often there to identify low-risk places of circumstance that require prudence as well as declaring danger that could cause serious harm or even death. These signs are typically red and white.

Informational Signage:

Informational signage indicates what must be done, such as putting on a safety harness or protective equipment (PPE). It specifies any behaviours that are forbidden such as entering or smoking. It provides specific information about the facility, such as operating instructions, operational hours, and emergency contact details.

Emergency Signs:

Emergency signs are there to enable quick action in the event of a fire, including signs for fire exits, extinguishers, and fire alarms. They mark the location of first aid stations and emergency medical equipment and display escape routes and assembly points for evacuation.