As an employer, health and safety has to be at the forefront of everything you do. All employees must be kept away from potentially dangerous situations in the workplace, and one of the most important ways in which any company can do this is through appropriate signage.

Think about your workplace. How many signs do you pass daily, be it directing you towards one area of the building, prohibiting entry from other areas, or instructing you on how to avoid injuring yourself?  There can be literally hundreds, but as an employer, which ones do you need to use in order to protect yourself from potential health and safety breaches?

Warning Signs

Although the name seems self explanatory, warning signs can encompass anything that makes employees aware of possibly dangerous or hazardous equipment. This can include high voltage electrical equipment, flammable items, trip warnings, asbestos danger, and low ceilings. Essentially anything that might cause injury needs to be pointed out to safeguard the well-being of employees.

Access Signs

In the workplace access signs can be very important in ensuring safety. Be it a No Entry sign, a Pedestrian walkway sign, or a Keep Clear sign. They are paramount to minimizing potentially dangerous situations and confusion in order to uphold general health and safety practice.

Fire Safety Signs

One of the biggest dangers in the home or in the workplace comes in the form of fire. Fire can strike at any time, and without proper procedures in place, and the proper signage to indicate where employees should go or not go in order to stay safe in the event of a fire, the consequences can be fatal. As such signs indicating where fire exits can be found, indicating that fire doors are to remain shut, and detailing general fire safety regulations are a legal requirement in any place of employment. There are also no smoking signs, which are of course essential inside buildings but also in the proximity of flammable substances to prevent potential combustion.

Other Safety Signs

Aside from the obvious there are a number of other signs that are an absolute must to safeguard the well-being of employees. Any area that requires specific protective headgear, eye-wear, or hearing protection should be indicated, as well as the location of first aid kits, non smoking areas, and recycling or waste disposal areas.

In general, signage can make a big difference in the workplace, and protect employees. However, correct signage also operates as protection to employers from any potential legal action owing to injuries incurred, and removing possible liability for those injuries. As such the importance of having the correct safety signs cannot be underestimated.

Guest post provided by UK Safety Store.