Helping your business to abide by UK laws and legislations, the right safety signs will help to convey important messages. They act as a reinforcement, backing up the training you have provided. And, when used appropriately, they can actively reduce the chance of accidents and injuries. Considering the best type of safety sign for your business should be based on a risk assessment. And, alongside choosing the right sign for your message, it is also vital that you take into account safety sign placement.
Why Is Placement So Important?
There’s no denying that having the right safety signs is the most important consideration. Taking into account the unique hazards in your workplace, you need signs that help to inform, advise and warn onlookers. They should be understandable to everyone – from the employees that you have the tools to train through to the general public. And, they need to pass on an easy-to-understand message that isn’t confused with other directions in the local area.
Ticking all of these boxes will put you on the best footing for reducing the risk of hazards and accidents in the workplace. But, if your signs cannot be seen or easily read, the message will get lost. This is why safety sign placement is so important. The right signs are great – but having them in a clear and easy-to-see location ensures the message gets across.
Things To Consider When Installing Safety Signs
Once your risk assessment has flagged up the messages you need to convey in different environments, you need to consider where to install these signs. Visually assess the surrounding area and ask yourself:
- Can these signs be easily seen, even in an emergency?
- Can they be placed at eye level?
- Are there any regular obstacles or obstructions that may prevent them from being read easily?
- How well illuminated does the current light situation keep these signs?
- Could the signs still be read and seen easily in low light conditions?
- How consistent is your cleaning schedule and will it be adjusted to accommodate your new safety signs?
- What surfaces do you need to install the sign on?
- How exposed will the sign be to elements such as harsh weather conditions or chemicals?
- Can all of the fonts on the signs be easily read from a distance?
Safety signs, while designed to be hardwearing, need to be properly maintained and used in the right environment. They should be easy to see, even if individuals are walking past them in a rush. And, there should be backup lighting considered to help during times of low light or power cuts.
Where Should You Place Your Safety Signs?
Safety sign placement is unique to every working environment. A risk assessment identifies where a hazard exists in the business. Safety signs provide the guidance to reduce or eliminate this.
Therefore, they should be:
- Installed close to the hazard in question.
- Make sense in the surrounding environment.
- Not be conflicting with other safety signs in the area.
Viewing Distance
You need to take into account how easily the font on the signs can be read. To do this, it pays to consider viewing distance. This is the recommended installation height to keep information clear. It relates to the size of the safety sign and the location in which they are fitted.
At Lasting Impressions we recommend the following viewing distances:
- For 300mm x 100mm signs – Up to 10m.
- For 450mm x 150mm signs – Up to 15m.
- For 600mm x 200mm signs – Up to 20m.
In regards to installation height, we recommend:
Above Doors – 2m – 2.5m from the floor level to the base of the sign.
Directional Wall Fixed Signs – 1.4m x 1.7m from the floor level to the base of the sign.
Safety Sign Materials
Taking into account what a safety sign is manufactured out of also helps to dictate where they can be installed.
Here at Lasting Impressions, we use 4 different materials:
- Self-adhesive Vinyl – These flexible gloss signs are best affixed to smooth, clean interior surfaces.
- 1mm Rigid Plastic – These rigid signs are ideal for external use.
- Photoluminescent Plastic – These glow-in-the-dark signs are perfect for low light conditions or environments where blackouts are commonplace.
- Alupanel – These aluminium composite signs are also suited to outdoor use.
Lighting
You need to have the right available lighting to ensure signs can be read. In most working environments and during the daytime, it is easy to assume that information can be readily absorbed and seen. However, during the evenings or even in an emergency, power cuts can cause issues. This may prevent information from being safely read and mean that the existing hazard is less able to be avoided.
There are two ways to prioritise lighting in low light conditions:
- Back-Up Lighting – Choose to have battery-powered or solar-powered lights that work, regardless of drops in mains electricity.
- Glow-In-The-Dark Signs – Alternatively, opt for photoluminescent signs that absorb the energy from natural light during the day. When the light drops, they emit a strong glow that makes the information easy to read and highlights the locations of signs at the same time.
How Lasting Impressions Can Help?
Here at Lasting Impressions, we are leaders in the design, manufacture and supply of quality safety signs for businesses. Our extensive range includes everything from fire safety signs and construction safety signs to workplace safety signs and first aid safety signs. We also provide the option to design your own sign, choosing the logos, colours and wording that best conveys your message. And, our specialist team is on hand to support you throughout your entire process, ensuring you have the right tools at your disposal.
If you would like to speak to one of us, cannot find the sign you’re looking for or simply need advice, please do get in contact with us here today.
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