How to Locate Safety Signs Properly in the Workplace
There are many safety signs that should be installed in your business to make the premises safer for everyone in the building. There are certain regulations that you need to stick to when it comes to safety signs such as having the right combination of colours and proper visibility. But you should also place them at the right location so that there is a higher chance of more people seeing it.
As different workplaces can have different layouts and building plans, it can be difficult to have a basic guideline of where to locate the signs. Only you will know the nature of high risk areas. Anywhere that you think is a hazard or danger, there should be a safety sign. There are also mandatory signs such as the first aid sign or signs to show the fire exits. When you are locating a safety sign in your workplace, the first thing you need to think of is visibility. The message on the sign and the placement have a big impact on the effectiveness of the sign. You have to think about the lighting conditions of the location. Some signs can be illuminated with LED such as fire safety signs. But when it comes to other signage, you have to locate them where enough light falls on it to make it visible and readable. Think about the viewing distance. People should be able to see what the sign says at a certain distance. And then there can be obstructions blocking the view of the sign. You need to view the sign from different vantages to see if it is visible to a larger number of people.
Not every visible location is the right place for a sign. The sign should not be placed in a low area where it can impede the movement of people or activities. You also have to see if the sign itself can become a hazard! They should be hung or mounted high enough that it doesn’t become an obstruction or is in danger of being knocked down. A good rule of thumb is to have hanging signs above the height of a person so that it people don’t accidentally knock their head on it. The warning sign locations should be permanent. You have to consider these to be permanent fixtures so you have to think about future expansions and modifications to the building and whether the location you have chosen accommodates it. You also need to think about locations where equipment will be installed later on; if there is a sign on this spot, you will have to move it later.
The quality of the sign matters a great deal when it comes to where you are placing them. For example, if you are placing them in an area that is dusty, it is very important to have clear printing on it. Generally, it is best to place them in an area with low exposure to the elements and factors like dust. But in situations where this cannot be avoided such as machinery signage that has to be placed near the machine will cause a lot more wear and tear to the sign. So you have to be careful about the materials you choose.