Workplace health and safety signs are absolutely necessary for employees working in places prone to all kinds of accidents. These health and safety signs can guide the employees with all their tasks. There are many companies that provide proper training on different tasks and procedures but still employees needs health and safety boards or signs. Health and safety signs and symbols cannot be remembered very easily especially if they are large in number. There are manufacturing scenarios where workers or employees need to be provided proper information regarding the safety measures that they need to take and the safety equipment that they need to use while working. Proper and effective use of health and safety boards or signs is compulsory for almost all commercial organizations, public access buildings and businesses.
Different Categories of Health and Safety Signs to be Used in Workplaces
The content of the different workplace health and safety signs is split into different categories and they are as follows:
Prohibition
The sign for prohibition is a safety sign in white and red denoting that a particular activity or behavior is prohibited. “No access” and “No smoking” are some common examples.
Mandatory
A white and blue sign board is used for denoting that a particular action needs to be taken. The mandatory sigh board is commonly used for signifying that different varieties of protection tools need to be used or worn. “Safety Footwear”, “Eye Protection”, “Hi-Visibility Clothing” and “Hard Hats” are necessary in almost all areas of construction and industry.
Hazard
The hazard sign is denoted with a warning triangle in yellow featuring a border in black. This sign board signifies the potential hazards at a workplace. The signs can be very general like “Danger” or too specific like “Danger high voltage” or “Caution slipper surface”. The triangle consists of a symbol and this symbol varies as per the hazard. General hazard is denoted by an exclamation mark while electrical hazard is denoted by a strike of lightning.
Safe Condition
A white and green sign board is used for denoting safe condition. Such sign boards are generally used for informing people about the escape procedures and escape routes. Normal style used for these sign boards is wording like “Exit” or “Fire Exit” along with the symbol of a running man and directional arrow. “Push Bar to Open” and “Assembly Point” are other common applications.
Fire Equipment
White and red sign board is used for denoting fire equipment like alarm call points, fire hoses and extinguishers. The extinguisher signs are coded further for denoting the proper use and the right type.
Conclusion
Workplace health and safety signs can easily be availed in the market. These can even be prepared in the form of DIY projects. Employers can even contact dealers dealing in health and safety signs if they are in the look out of customized sign boards. However, when making the choice of these sign boards, it is important for the employers or business owners to ensure that they pick the right symbols and signs needed in their office environment.