Effective Safety Signs
One truly fundamental component of warehouse and industrial safety is the usage of safety signs. Safety signs can be found virtually everywhere from your local grocery store to a high-end mall department store all the way to a large warehouse facility. The intent of safety signs is to convey an important message regarding safety or to alert people that some sort of hazard may be present in the area. Safety signs not only share important information with customers and employees, but may also serve as a warning regarding a potentially unsafe condition.
View our “10 Tips for Safety Signage” Slideshare Presentation
Types of Safety Signs
There are many different types of safety signs. Among some of the most popular are wall signs, floor signs, and standing signs. Each type of sign serves a specific purpose; the goal of each safety sign is to be visible and easily read and interpreted by anyone in the area, which is why placement and type of sign is so important. Let’s review the three main types of safety signs.
· Wall Signs: Wall signs are signs that are affixed to the wall and are often placed at eye-level for maximum visibility. Wall signs are fairly popular and often convey a wide array of messages. Some common messages displayed on wall safety signs include the identification of emergency exits, the need for personal protective equipment when entering a specific area, or to indicate danger and restrict people from entering certain areas.
· Floor Signs: Floor signs are signs that are attached to the floor surface, almost like a sticker. Just like wall safety signs, floor safety signs also convey a safety message but in a different manner. Some typical floor safety signs include signs for forklift traffic or forklift parking, glow in the dark signs to follow if there is a power delay or outage, and signs marking an area for pallet jack parking.
· Standing Signs: Standing signs are safety signs that stand upward and can often be put up or taken down easily. Standing signs are often used to convey temporary safety messages such as warnings about wet floors or warnings regarding areas undergoing maintenance checks.
What Makes a Safety Sign Effective?
Sure, the use of safety signs is helpful; however, are all signs truly effective? When it comes to the effectiveness of safety signs, not all signs are created equal. A truly effective safety sign must be able to be interpreted by just a glance and by anyone. Safety signs that require a lot of reading or feature too much text are not effective as many people will just walk by them without even reading them. However, safety signs that utilize a visual depiction such as a picture along with a slight amount of text are the most effective. People automatically respond better to pictures versus text. Furthermore, the color of the safety signs is also important. The most effective safety signs utilize high contrast colorings, such as black and yellow, white and red, green and white, etc.
When it comes to the safety of your work environment, choosing the most effective signs is vital for employee and visitor safety. Furthermore, make sure your safety signage can be easily and quickly interpreted, and that the colors upon the sign are high contrast to grab attention. Don’t be a victim of inefficient safety signage; make sure your safety signs convey the right message quickly and efficiently to keep employees and visitors safe.
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