Car Blog

If you’re an employer, it’s your responsibility to ensure the safety of your employees. Failing to do this can result in costly insurance premiums and workplace injuries.

One way to avoid these issues is to ensure your signs are easily understood. It can be achieved by using simple symbols that communicate the intended message effectively without needing words.

Mandatory

Signs in the workplace help reduce accidents and injuries while promoting a safer environment for all. It is because they serve as easily recognizable indicators of hazards, so people know when to take precautions or follow specific procedures.

There are many various styles and colors available for safety signs Washington. Every type has a specific function and significance, yet many are required in the job.

Danger signs are the most severe warnings that indicate an immediate hazard that requires special precautions. If the trouble is not avoided, it can result in death or severe injury.

Businesses must adhere to a library of safety signs and sign regulations to protect workers and maintain workplace safety. Organizations like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) exist. These agencies and others offer guidelines, sign classifications, and safety symbols to help you make the best safety signage decisions for your business.

Prohibition

Prohibition safety signs are designed to inform employees that they CAN’T do something in the workplace. They feature a universally recognizable red circle and diagonal line.

Signs of this type are used to restrict smoking, alcohol, and cell phone use in the workplace, as these activities, distract workers and could cause accidents. They also prevent employees from entering private property and keep food, drinks, or open flames out of the work area to reduce damage to equipment.

Although prohibition halted the production and sales of intoxicating liquor, it had little impact on the amount of alcohol consumed in America. Instead, it led drinkers to switch to opium, marijuana, and other dangerous substances. The law also increased crime and strained the court and prison systems. It squandered federal tax revenue and raised government spending. It was also riddled with the corruption of police, judges, and officials. The result was that the United States entered a period of unprecedented economic decline.

Colors

Colors are an essential part of communicating safety information. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration have developed standards to assign meaning to specific colors, which helps keep workplaces safe.

Red is the universally recognized color for identifying severe hazards. It is used for danger signs, emergency stop switches, flammable liquids, fire equipment, and construction hazards.

Orange is another safety color that can designate moderate risks of injury. It can also identify confined spaces, fast-paced work zones, and electrical shock hazards.

Blue is the base or background color for mandatory instructions to be followed or general information of a non-safety nature. Lettering and symbols must be in contrasting coloring.

Dimensions

Safety signs ensure employees and visitors get information about hazards and safe practices. Without them, people would be left to learn how to keep themselves and others safe.

Signs can come in several sizes, shapes, and materials. They must be large enough for workers to view them clearly and easily. Pictograms must be at least 15mm for every meter of viewing distance, while uppercase letters should be a minimum of 5mm.

In addition, they must be illuminated appropriately if natural light is unavailable. In situations with a problem with lighting, signs should be increased in size by 50 percent to increase their visibility.