Health And Safety Signs - Helping Prevent Accidents
Health and safety signs act as a means of communicating with respect to a specific object, situation that needs to be avoided or a specific activity. Safety signs also provide information or special instructions for ensuring safety at a particular site by the means of posters, products, banners, or signboards.
Health and safety warning signs can come in many shapes, colors and forms. Many safety signs are illuminated to catch the eye, and many even come with pre-recorded sounds. These mechanism help create aware and convey the safety message to a larger number of people. Of course the placement of these caution signs are very important.
In this article we will understand in some more depth about the types, and requirements of health and safety signs. Let's begin by knowing more about the types of safety signage available and their use.
Types & Usage of Safety Signs While just one safety sign is effective in a particular situation, there can be circumstances when a combination of warning signs may have to be used to increase effectiveness. Health and safety warning signs are of the following types: · Signboard - used to give instructions and information. Ex. Neon lit Notice
· Illuminated or Lighted Sign - also used to give instructions and information. Ex. Notice lit from the back
· Acoustic Signal - Used to warn people of an emergency. Ex. Fire Alarm
· Verbal or Pre-recorded or Predetermined Spoken Message - Used to add a human touch to the warnings. Ex. Departure and arrival messages in airplanes or PA instructions during evacuation of buildings etc
· Fire Safety Signs - can be used in any of the forms mentioned above
· Hand Signal - Recognized signals including motions with hands are used to assist in those who are carrying out dangerous activities. Ex. Guiding an aircraft pilot
· Labels - these health and safety warning signs are commonly used. Ex. Skull and cross bones warning about electricity etc
· Surface Markings - these indicate obstacles or dangers. Ex. Traffic routes or continuous white or yellow lines Now health and safety signs are also known as warnings of temporary or permanent hazards at locations where these dangerous lurk. Warning, danger, cautions, and special signs are the categories that safety signs are known for. Usually danger signs are marked in red, black and white colors. Orange and black combination is used to signify warning signs, while caution signs in yellow and black combinations are used for the provision of general health and safety at workplaces. When it comes to caution signs or safety signs, the law also has its say. According to the Health and Safety Regulations Act of 1996, employers need to provide specific caution and warning signs at workplaces where risks could not be avoided or controlled by means of safety systems or engineering controls. But the bottom-line is that health and safety warning signs are by no means substitutes for following necessary safety procedures and undergoing safety trainings. These signs just signal potential danger but can't help avoiding them altogether!
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