Safety in Compliance: Why OSHA Signage Requirements Matter
Clear communication with safety allows everyone to be accountable within a workplace. We unpack the role of OSHA signage in preventing negligence and liability.
Over 2.8 million people will be injured at work in a single year. This does not include the 5000 or more fatalities that happen across American workplaces. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) works to prevent these figures from rising while decreasing the chances of incidents through compliance regulations.
Here, we’re going to discuss OSHA signage requirements and why they’re important in the workplace. Read on to learn the ins and outs of accident prevention signs and how you can enhance workplace safety.
The Basics of OSHA Signage Requirements
OSHA is committed to keeping employees safe while on the job. For this reason, they require businesses to have specific, pre-determined types of safety signs within workspaces. These signs tell workers where hazards are, what the dangers are, and how they can avoid facing injury.
There are four main categories of OSHA signs. They use universal pictogram symbols to communicate hazards. The globally harmonized system makes safety information accessible via signage regardless of what languages employees speak.
Emergency Signs
Emergency signs denote doors, exits, and escape routes within the workspace. They tend to be above doors or near passageways. These signs have a rectangular shape, green background, and white pictograms.
In addition to exits, emergency signs can help employees meet medical needs if someone is injured. They denote first aid kits and eyewash stations around the facility.
Warning Signs
Warning signs are yellow and triangular with black pictograms. These signs denote that a hazard is nearby (such as an electric shock, magnetic field, or biological/chemical hazard.) They tell workers that they should take precautions and be careful in the designated area.
Mandatory Signs
A mandatory sign is round and features white pictograms on a blue background. They denote that employees must take a specific action while in the facility or while using specific pieces of equipment.
For example, they may tell workers to wash their hands while in a certain area. They also may instruct people on when they need safety goggles or harnesses.
Prohibition Signs
Prohibition signs show workers what is not allowed in the workspace. These signs are circular and have an image with a red slash through them. Most people are familiar with the ‘no smoking’ symbol, which is a type of prohibition sign.
Fines for Non-Compliance
Workplaces that do not comply with OSHA signage requirements will be subject to fines upon inspection.
The maximum penalty for a first violation is $16,131. If there are repeated violations after this, fines can get up to $161,323 per violation.
While not all businesses will be subject to such hefty penalties, the prospect is definitely jarring and sobering.
If you think that these penalties are unlikely, note that OSHA performs frequent inspections for businesses across multiple industries. In a one-year recording period, their team performed 31,820 inspections. This included 17,739 unplanned visits, so it’s important to be compliant at all times to avoid penalties.
Complying with signage requirements means that you can have peace of mind. You won’t need to worry about fines so high that they can shut your business down. Understanding and adhering to OSHA guidelines can literally save your business.
Fewer Workplace Incidents
Additionally, you will have enhanced workplace safety. You won’t need to worry about a high number of injuries.
This is especially true when you include Safety Instruction Signs around your workplace as well as OSHA-compliant symbol-based signage. Safety Instruction Signs tell people exactly how to safely use a piece of machinery, navigate a confined space, or perform another potentially hazardous task like chemical handling.
In addition to being a net positive on a human ethical level, this can also benefit your business in other ways.
A safe workspace means maintaining your reputation as a good business that cares about visitors and employees. More skilled workers will be happy to work for your company. Consumers will also trust you more, which means you’ll get more business.
You also will have more grounds for defense in a lawsuit if someone sues you after an injury. If you don’t comply with OSHA signage requirements, you won’t have a lot of ground to stand on and may lose a lot of money after landing in legal hot water. If you do have appropriate accident prevention signs, you may have lower levels of liability.
Decreased Environmental Damage
In addition to promoting employee safety, OSHA also works to decrease business-related damage to the environment.
Sometimes, workplaces need to post notices with environment-related information on them. These will usually be rectangular signs with a blue strip at the top that says NOTICE. They have a white background, black text, and the red “prohibited” circular symbol.
Some notices may include things like “keep the area clean,” “fragrance-free environment,” or “contact environmental department if damaged.” Asking people to turn off lights or machinery when not in use can also help preserve electricity and energy.
Of course, these are just a few examples. Consider the hazards your workplace could pose to the environment, research OSHA’s stance on these hazards, and design your own custom safety signs to comply with their requirements.
Adhering to the Requirements
As you can see, adhering to OSHA requirements is critical for many reasons. In addition to following design requirements, you also need to comply with signage placement.
OSHA says that all safety signs need to be constantly visible in the vicinity of the hazard. They need to be large enough to see at a distance and bright enough to see in dim lighting. Businesses also must remove them if the hazard goes away.
OSHA’s signage regulations also are ever-changing. It’s important to stay up to date on modifications and new requirements. The OSHA Safety Signs Instant Action Guide and related online resources can give you this information, so check the official OSHA site regularly.
Access Accident Prevention Signs ASAP
Now that you know the importance of OSHA signage requirements, it’s time to purchase safety signs to denote dangers and hazards in the workplace.
Whether you need pre-made fire or chemical safety signs, electrical signage, or custom-made alternatives, Durable Safety Signs can help prevent workplace injury. See what DSS can do for you, and shop with us.
