Health and Safety Signage Your Business Needs
As a business owner, employer and the caretaker of your business property, you’re responsible for a lot of different issues. Stock, customer experience and satisfaction, payroll, the happiness of your employees and of course, keeping your staff and your customers safe.
Safety in the workplace is paramount, regardless of the size of your premises or the kind of business you’re operating. From the biggest of warehouses to the most modest of offices, each and every business has a duty and a legal requirement to keep everyone in the vicinity safe. Not only does preventing injuries and accidents reflect well on you as an employer, but it also prevents personal injury lawsuits and other legality problems from arising.
One of the simplest ways of keeping your employees and clients safe is the use of health and safety signage – check out mysafetysign.com for the latest in official signage. And the best way to indicate what kind of signage you need for your business is to have experts conduct a risk assessment of your premises.
You’ve probably seen health and safety signage like this in public places or work environments before, but do you know what they mean? Which signs are the most important to have?
Discover the most common health and safety signage and why you should have them, below.
Fire notices
Knowing what to do in the event of a fire is crucial. Experiencing a fire at home is one thing, but a fire in the workplace where the responsibility of employees and members of the public is at your door is daunting, to say the least. There are various kinds of fire notices which should be visible on your premises. These notices should provide:
- What to do in the event of a fire
- Clear instructions in standard text formats
- Illustrate where the nearest exits are
- Describe the evacuation point
- Who should raise the alarm
- Where fire equipment is located and how to use it
These notices should be displayed in full view, including in communal areas, noticeboards and on the back of doors etc.
Emergency escape routes/signs
There are many reasons why the people on your premises might need to use an emergency escape route. You must help them locate them.
- Signs with emergency routes marked clearly
- Fire exit signs above the appropriate doors
- Directional signs to the emergency exits
- All door signs should be illuminated
First Aid signage
Employees must be aware of the first aid points within your premises. A white cross on a green background is usually seen. Or red and white respectively. These should be visible and as an employer, you should have a list of registered first aiders available too.
Trip hazards
Trips and falls are one of the most common personal injury cases. So, to keep people safe and legal action minimal, it’s important to draw attention to trip hazards in the workplace, awkwardly placed steps and low ceilings.
- Hazard warnings are usually yellow with black writing
- Should be placed adjacent to the hazard where they can be easily seen
- Consider hazard tape on low door mantels or hidden steps