5 Ways Your Workplace Can Benefit From Metal Safety Signs
Workplace safety has improved radically over the last few decades. All around the world, worker injuries, accidents, deaths, and illnesses have decreased significantly. Yet, a lot still remains to be done. To promote safety at the workplace, metal safety signs can play a vital role. Many of you may think such signs are all about caution/hazard symbols or warning signs but they aren’t. Safety signage can go beyond the usual warnings/cautions to indicate potential risk zones, give directions, signify restricted areas, and more. Thus, they bring several benefits your way that could keep your workers safe in a wide range of circumstances. If you’re still not sure why your workplace needs to have safety signs, here are five ways they can help.
• Ease of navigating the premises
Accidents can happen and risks may be heightened when your employees land in the wrong areas. Wayfinding metal signs can help avoid such scenarios. Primarily, wayfinding safety signs are created to help users navigate the premises easily and reach point B from point A. You may even put up warning signs or hazard symbols to ensure the safety of your employees. Such signs could be used to alert your staff of slippery surfaces, inflammable chemicals, heavy-duty machinery, and other dangers. You may also use safety signs to direct your staff to their desired locations such as the restrooms, pantry, etc. Such signs could be especially helpful when you want people to take alternate safer routes instead of the usual ones. This could be due to the original routes being under some repair/remodeling work or because they’re littered with dangerous items.
Wayfinding signs could help avoid congestion. The more people flock to an area, the more likely they’ll be to create or face hazards. Let’s imagine your workplace has different shifts for different departments. You could use safety signs to separate the entry and exit gates for these workers who work in different shifts. This would ensure the same gate isn’t being used by everyone and avoid a ruckus from being created.
Safety signs that help in wayfinding could be useful during emergencies. Thus, in case there’s a fire, these signs can direct your employees to fire exits and other emergency exit routes. They could even help them find fire extinguishers, smoke protection masks, or other lifesaving equipment.
• Help in emergency egress
Safety signs installed in your workplace’s strategic places can help your on-premise employees and visitors easily exit. Such signs clearly and legibly display the locations of the emergency exits. Your color-coded safety signs placed at the appropriate locations would ensure they’re clearly visible at all times. Thus, they can direct your employees to their nearest exits if there’s a gas leak, fire, etc.
Sometimes, exit routes aren’t obvious. Putting up emergency signs can help people reach the nearest exit easily. You may even use signs to mark areas that could be mistaken for an emergency exit. Thus, installing a “Not an Exit” sign on a door to the chemical store could help avoid hazards during emergencies.
Your exit signs should also be in line with the applicable laws and guidelines. For example, US-based businesses would need to adhere to state and federal safety regulations. Thus, exit signs in such workplaces must have emergency lighting provisions. Such signs would help your employees exit quickly and even facilitate the first responders to reach those needing help.
• Facilitate clear visual communication
There exist different safety signs that vary based on their types, formats, symbols, and design features. Thus, you can choose from prohibition signs, danger signs, caution signs, warning signs, notice signs, emergency signs, and much more. With appropriate visuals, such signs can communicate your desired messages effectively and precisely.
Your employees are probably already used to seeing safety signs in both public spaces and workplaces. Thus, they’re likely to recognize the common safety icons or hazard symbols that are used all over the globe. However, there could be some differences in the use of safety signs and labels based on your country and industry. Yet, safety signs are a dominant tool for communicating safety hazards. You should make sure everyone understands them – from your full-time/part-time employees to your visitors, customers, vendors, third-party collaborators, etc.
• Help mitigate danger and promote safety
Imagine a naked wire lying unguarded on your premises through which a high-voltage current is passing. Could you imagine the potential shock hazard or the level of existing danger if someone touches it by mistake? By putting up proper hazard signs or warning signs, you can cordon off the area. This would help mitigate danger and prevent your staff or anyone else from risking their lives. However, safety signs don’t just alleviate danger or warn about hazards. They could even provide guidance and encourage safe work practices. For instance, with PPE signage, you could help your employees identify the right type of PPE they should wear. Thus, if the work involves flying particles or dust, safety signs about wearing the right eyewear could help. Again, proper ear protection signs could promote safety in areas marked by loud noises.
• Ensure the safety of your workers handling equipment servicing or maintenance tasks
Equipment in your workplace would require regular inspection, maintenance, servicing, and repair. Even some of your facilities would need such routine services. But these tasks need to be done carefully. For instance, some machines would need to be shut off before their oil or fuel levels are inspected. Again, they need to be started by following the proper instructions. Some equipment may involve risks as they have high oil/air pressure, high-speed moving parts, etc. Relevant safety signs to warn or guide workers handling such equipment repair, servicing, etc. could help everyone stay safe.
Final words
Safety signs are essential for all workplaces. They are part of a comprehensive safety system that ensures the safety of your employees, clients, vendors, partners, and visitors. So, order metal safety signs now to ensure your business and everyone associated with it stays safe.
Thanks for pointing out that safety signs in the workplace can help employees and visitors easily exit. As you said, color-coded signs placed at the appropriate locations can ensure visibility at all times. I would imagine that any organization would want to prioritize the safety of its personnel. I think they should look for photoluminescent exit signs that can complement existing exit signage without requiring any additional electrical wiring.