Health and safety is an essential part of any business, and there are a lot of rules and regulations that need to be abided by. One thing that must be in place are particular health and safety signs, however, the requirements for this can vary depending on the type of business that you run and the building that you work from.
To help further, Judson Signs have put together an essential guide when it comes to the health and safety signs that are mandatory for your business.
Signage colours
Generally speaking, it is important to be able to recognise what a health and safety sign is saying as quickly as possible, and so they need to be colour coded. Red signs can indicate fire equipment signs, however, if they are circular then they are there to designate some form of prohibition, such as ‘no smoking’.
If you see a yellow sign, this should offer you some sort of warning, for example, ‘wet floor’ and should be triangular.
A blue circular sign is a mandatory sign giving instructions like ‘wear safety goggles’. Green signs are for safety and emergency escapes, and these should be a rectangular shape.
It is important to make sure that all of your health and safety signs conform to these strict colour guidelines so that they are easily understood by everyone. You should make sure they are consistent with all rules regarding their design, are properly maintained, are clearly visible and legible and are located in a suitable position.
When do I need a sign?
It can be difficult to know whether you need to display safety signage or not, but it is important to remember that it should be displayed when risks in the area cannot be controlled or avoided through any other means.
To determine this, you should carry out a full risk assessment to determine where any risks might be found. You should also ensure that there is signage available to react to hazards, such as a spillage on the floor. Once you have identified the correct locations for your signs, you should record this along with details on the type of sign, the message it displays, when it was installed and any inspection and maintenance records.
Failure to display the correct signage can lead to fines of up to £20,000 from the HSE, and if a lawsuit occurs from an incident that could have been avoided with proper signage, it could prove to be even more costly. You should also ensure that all staff are properly trained in the meaning of each sign to ensure that they know what they are being told.
Mandatory health and safety signs
It is a legal requirement for every business to display the UK Health and Safety Legislation Poster on site or distribute leaflets where this is not possible. You also must ensure that fire action notices are clearly displayed showing what action needs to be taken in the event of a fire.
It is also necessary to highlight fire exits and emergency escapes with the correct signage to show people the route out of a building. First aid signs need to be located near your first aid box and no smoking signs should be displayed at every entrance to smoke-free premises. If your workplace has hazards such as low doorways or steps which could cause trips, you also need warning signs to show this. Any PPE that must be worn should also be shown through signage.
Managing your health and safety signage is important in order to stay within the law and keep your staff, customers and visitors safe.
Malcolm Judson is the Managing Director at Judsons Signs, specialists in sign making for vehicles, schools and commercial and retail spaces. Judsons Signs manage the entire sign making process, from…
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