5 Key Reasons to Use Metal Safety Signs
You’ll find safety signs almost everywhere. From your workplace to a manufacturing setting to your residential building, these signs are ubiquitous. Such signs are especially important in jobs involving high risks. Be it hazard signs, safety symbols, or danger signs, safety signs help people adhere to the necessary precautions. In high-risk jobs, not doing so at every stage could jeopardize lives. For example, if a manufacturing unit is at a high risk of fire, fire safety symbols should be displayed prominently. Such a unit may even use signs to inform people about fire safety protocols. Safety signs could also be put up to direct people to the exits in case of a fire emergency. Though you can get safety signs made of different materials, those made of metals are a class apart. If you’re still not sure why you need metal safety signs, here’re five reasons to use them.
• Effective visual communication
Safety instructions can be written in the text-only format. However, they’re much less effective than visuals depicted in metal safety signs. Wondering why? Science gives you the answer. Compared to text, the human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster. Moreover, 90% of information that gets passed on to the human brain is visual. This means when you use metal safety symbols, you convey the safety messages visually and immediately. Apart from symbols, safety signs could feature clear pictorial images of the hazards they’re highlighting. Sometimes, these images may be accompanied by an eye-catching visual design and simple text instructions. Several safety signs are also color-coded and come in specific shapes. Thus, with a glance, someone would know when he/she is in a high-risk area. Additionally, he/she would also become aware of the precautions he/she should take for his/her own safety and that of others.
• Emphasize safe work methods
As the name suggests, the most important role of metal safety signs is to remind people to be safe. For instance, with hazardous signs, you can alert employees to the presence of combustible gases and liquids, chemicals, etc. Again, restricted area signs can help define dangerous areas like welding or construction zones where only authorized personnel are allowed. Workplaces may even put up personal protective equipment (PPE) signs. Such safety signs designate areas that need PPE like earmuffs, face masks, and safety glasses, among others. In workplaces, metal safety signs aren’t used just for warnings. Rather, they help in reminding the employees and even others of the safest and most effective ways of working. Thus, be it social distancing signs, fire equipment signs, or others, safety signs can convey crucial safety policies and rules. Hazard signs and safety symbols can even help third-party contractors to stay as safe as possible within the office premises. You could also get signs with customized designs to direct employees to in-house fire extinguishers, first-aid stations, and other equipment.
• Increase awareness about hazards
Different types of hazards are present in different environments. Be it marine workers, construction staff, or those handling chemicals and combustibles, safety signs can help them all. Such signs make them aware of the dangers present in their immediate surroundings. Thus, they encourage these people to adhere to the safety steps at every stage of their work. For instance, you can use electric hazard signs to inform workers of buried cables, arc flashes, and high-voltage equipment. To prevent accidents on slippery floors or areas with low headroom or tripping hazards, you could use slip-and-fall hazard symbols. With illustrated hazardous signs for inflammable objects and more, you can help workers spot hazards right away. Engineering or manufacturing workplaces usually have hazards all around. With new recruits and third-party vendors/contractors coming in often, these places need hazard signs. Such signs will help to make these people aware of the dangers. You shouldn’t be afraid to overinvest by ordering some extra metal safety signs. That’s because your business won’t lose anything by overpreparing for every contingency where possible.
• To protect both your employees and the public
With safety drills supervised by your company’s safety trainers, your employees perhaps know the safety steps they need to follow. Yet, these employees may sometimes need a quick reminder on a safety-related query. Since the health and safety trainers won’t be around always or easily accessible, safety signs can work as an alternative. They can offer your employees several on-site reference points, which they could consult when in need. This way, such safety signs will help protect them from probable hazards and accidents.
Occupational safety hazards aren’t just applicable to your employees. Depending on your workplace’s nature, such hazards could be risky for the public too. This is especially true when your workplace (construction site, chemical factory, etc.) is in a public location. People passing by your premises could be exposed to significant dangers in such cases. What’s more worrying is that unlike your employees, the public has had no safety training. Thus, if something takes a bad turn, they would be completely unaware of what they should do. However, you can avoid such situations with metal safety signs. Such signs can help the public become aware of potential hazards. They may include dangerous machinery, loud noises, slippery surfaces, and falling objects, among others. You can put up relevant hazard signs to protect members of the public from such risks. You may even use custom warning signs to caution civilians against venturing into specific areas. Such signs may also display your contact details or other essential information. This would help members of the public to reach you quickly in case they notice any signs of danger.
• Meet legal requirements
Certain safety signs are a legal requirement. Depending on your business’s nature or location, the law may need your safety signs to be legible and easily visible. It may require you to put up your well-maintained hazard signs under the following situations:
- To emphasize procedures and safeguards that are compulsory to follow
- To caution against prohibited and risky actions in a particular space
- To attract attention to a potentially dangerous situation or hazard that’s close by
- To guide the employees towards fire safety equipment and essential safety gear
Failing to meet such legal requirements, especially if an accident occurs, could be risky for your business. In such cases, your business would risk being penalized with regulatory fines. Additionally, it would suffer a serious dent in its market reputation.
Final words
Perhaps you now know why you should never ever underestimate the significance of using metal safety signs. If you’re using them, make sure they’re utilized the right way. If you’re yet to use them, order them now to ensure your premises and workplaces are safe for everyone involved.