Top 5 Things to Consider when Ordering Your Metal Safety Signs
With metal safety signs, you can ensure your employees stay safe within the workplace. Additionally, you can make sure members of the public too are safeguarded against hazards and accidents. That’s why safety signage is a significant feature of your business and its assets. In the workplace, such signs can act as your effective safety communication tool. Danger signs or hazard symbols can act as a point of reference for your employees. They’re usually the easiest way to encourage your employees to take steps for their safety and that of everyone around. But when ordering your safety signs, you shouldn’t hire the first company that you come across. You should consider a few important factors and compare the prices and services before taking your pick. Whether you need danger signs, safety symbols, or warning signs, consider these top five things when placing your order.
Type of metal safety sign you need
From construction sites and hospitals to offices, parking zones, schools, hotels, shopping centers, and more, almost everyone needs safety signs. However, the type of metal signs needed would vary based on the nature of your business and specific requirements.
At first, you’ll need to decide the specific safety sign requirements of your business or workplace. Based on the message you want to convey and the recommended guidelines and governing regulations, your sign will be created. For instance, you may think warning signs and caution signage are the same. However, in reality, they are designed to deliver different messages. For instance, warning signs are used for messages to indicate hazardous situations with some probability of serious injury or death. In contrast, danger signs indicate circumstances with a high probability of death or serious injury. Thus, a pesticide storage area is likely to have a danger sign. But a warning sign would be used where your hands shouldn’t touch the heavy machinery when it’s in use.
If you use the wrong hazard signs or fail to indicate the specific hazards, it could have devastating consequences. Such signs would elevate the risk of your employees, customers, and even the general public. They may even cause accidents and injuries. Thus, before you place your metal safety sign order, you should identify the type of signage you need.
Choosing the signage material
From fiberglass, plastic, and aluminum to self-sticking vinyl or polyester signs, you can choose from different signage materials. Your choice should ideally depend on the signage application. For instance, if you’re looking for durable safety signs or those for outdoor use, plastic won’t work. Rather, durable aluminum metal safety signs would be a much better and wiser investment. Such signs would not only withstand severe weather conditions but even offer excellent resistance to chemicals and abrasion.
If you need to put up warning signs or hazard symbols on poles or curved surfaces, heavy metal won’t work. You’ll have to select lightweight metal signs. If durability isn’t a factor, you could even opt for plastic signs. However, they may need to be frequently replaced, which may not be very cost-effective.
You should ask yourself questions like these:
- Would my safety signs be used in outdoor, harsh conditions?
- Do they need to be resistant to high-temperatures? Or chemicals? Or abrasion?
If yes, metal safety signs (say, those made of aluminum) would be your ideal choice. Such signs can be used effectively for both outdoor and indoor applications.
Deciding the size and shape of your safety sign
Your safety signs must be easily readable and noticeable even from a distance, based on their particular application and location. Additionally, they should adhere to the region’s applicable laws and regulations for such signs. All these will determine the size of your signs. Whether it’s essential messaging (social distancing/using sanitizers) or warning signs (confined/slippery spaces), they should be of the appropriate size. And it’ll be decided based on what’s the best specification to convey the message across legibly and easily. Most sign manufacturers that fully support OEM would offer you the standard sizes for your safety signs. However, you may even choose customization options to meet your specific needs, if any.
Square, rectangular, and triangles are some common shapes that your safety signs can use. Rectangle or square signs are used to display general information and emergency. Triangle signs imply warning or caution, while circle signs indicate a recommended or mandatory action that you must follow. You may even use signs with pictograms for your warning signs or hazard symbols. For example, danger signs with a ‘lightning’ or ‘skull and bones’ symbol enclosed within a triangle could indicate high-voltage areas. Again, a slashed sign over a lit cigarette enclosed in a circle would indicate a no-smoking zone. Thus, the shape of your safety signs would depend on what you want to convey. You just need to ensure they follow the applicable rules and guidelines and are a universal way to communicate effectively.
Choosing the appropriate color for your metal safety sign
Color-coded safety signs and hazard symbols are designed to identify and warn against particular hazards and accident preventions. Thus, red is used to focus on an immediate or possible danger or to specify areas for emergency equipment. Yellow-colored signs usually act as warning signs as they indicate precautionary steps to be taken for your safety. With blue safety signs, you can specify compulsory instructions. Such instructions typically accompany warning signs or danger signs. For directional signs such as those indicating evacuation/exit routes or emergency equipment locations, green is used. These and other colors may also be used to indicate hazardous and other materials. Thus, yellow could signify oxidizers while green, orange, and white may indicate nonflammable gases, explosives, and poison/toxic materials respectively.
Ensuring the applicable regulations are met
In the USA, your safety signs need to meet ANSI and OSHA guidelines and regulations. If you’re a UK-based business, you’ll need to adhere to UK’s Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996. For businesses or workplaces in China, adhering to the PRC’s State Administration of Work Safety is crucial for safety signs. Thus, when placing your order, you should ensure your sign manufacturer knows and will comply with the applicable regulations.
Wrapping up
Safety signs must meet different standards and legal requirements. They not only make your workplace or premises safer but even let you avoid dangerous hazards or costly accidents. So, order them now. And remember the above factors when placing your order to ensure your safety signs are created the right way.