Effective Safety Signs for a Safer Workplace 

Effective Safety Signs for a Safer Workplace 

OSHA reports that the second-most common area of violating safety standards occurs when communicating dangers to workers. You can prevent this issue in part through appropriate signage long before people even start working in an area.

It is a very avoidable area of risk and can often lead to liability if not resolved. With this in mind, what are some of the most effective workplace safety signs you could use in your business?

Below, we discuss ten of the most effective safety signage examples you can leverage to ensure a safe workplace. As you read on, learn about recent updates to signage, including symbol changes, and how staying up-to-date can significantly increase an efficient environment while complying with safety standards.

1. Fire Exit Signs

Fire exits are one of the most common safety tools at your disposal, allowing you to guide employees to safety during a fire or any other emergency. Using these signs throughout your facilities and on clearly marked exits can help ensure a swift evacuation for anyone on the site.

The American National Standards Institute recently announced changes to how you should communicate various important safety messages. These include updates to signs for extinguishers and alarms. These new, clearer sign standards can offer a significant boon to employee safety when combined with appropriate fire exit signs.

2. No Smoking Signs

There may be several places where smoking is either discouraged, legally prohibited, or actively dangerous. Different no-smoking signs can offer an appropriate level of seriousness, allowing you to match a location’s warnings with specific warnings.

Place no smoking signs at all entrances and key areas within a facility and areas where smoking would be dangerous, such as:

• Storage areas
• Break rooms and common areas
• Restrooms
• Stairwells
• Waiting rooms
• Manufacturing areas
• Kitchen and food preparation areas

Ensure these signs remain at eye level for easy recognition, and if necessary, place more places where smokers tend to congregate.

3. Hazardous Material Signs

Hazardous material signs allow people to identify and respond to situations when potentially dangerous chemicals are in an area. 

OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standards lay out precisely what you should put on any sign to ensure everyone in an area understands how to handle and store chemicals. They include things like:

• Use clear pictograms to communicate specific dangers
• How to appropriately store materials 
• What extra information should be on safety data sheets (SDS)
• Standardized text to inform people of potential hazards

Like with other safety signs for business use, follow ANSI’s recent updates to hazardous material signage. Their standards make it easier to understand these signs despite linguistic or cultural differences.

4. First Aid Signs

First aid signs can help to guide workers to where they can find medical supplies or first aid kits in case of injuries on your premises. They can also list information on how to seek out medical assistance.

Make sure you position these signs close to the primary workstation areas of any workplace and that they communicate how to find the nearest source of help. 

5. Emergency Evacuation Route Signs

The clarity of an evacuation route can mean the difference between guiding employees to safety and them coming to serious harm. Emergency evacuation route signs can thus help in situations such as:

• Fire
• Chemical spills
• Natural disaster
• Active shooters
• Structural failure
• Gas leaks

Place them along all pathways people may use to find an exit, including hallways and stairwells. 

6. Machine Safety Signs

Prevent accidents by identifying and communicating possible dangerous locations with machinery that could cause them harm. Use them to remind employees to follow safety steps and protect themselves and others.

These compliance safety signs must appear on or near machinery and be visible to both the operator and anyone near the area. For more specific information on what these signs should communicate, read OSHA standards such as 29 CFR 1910 to ensure you convey the appropriate warnings.

7. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Signs

PPE signs should appear wherever anyone requires specific PPE to enter or work in an area. They ensure employees do not forget to don their gear for safety. Use them to inform your workers of the protective gear they need and reduce the risk of injury.

Place these in multiple locations and at eye level to enhance visibility, ensuring they are hard to miss when passing into or through an area. Also, remember to update them to reflect changes to PPE requirements and comply with regulations.

8. Electrical Safety Signs

These signs warn your workers about electrical hazards such as high-voltage equipment or locations where electrical maintenance is common. 

These are useful to inform employees of when the above work is underway but can also instruct people on specific safety protocols they need to follow.

As well as placing up the signs, ensure they follow the recent updates to ISO standards regarding signage. By following these standards, you can give your business the best opportunity to remain safe no matter the work they intend to do.

9. Restricted Area Signs

These signs prevent unauthorized access to sensitive or hazardous areas. They can inform your employees of where they should be and provide a clear boundary that others should not enter. If they notice someone entering a restricted area, they can then take appropriate action to ensure the safety of everyone in the area.

10. Slip, Trip, and Fall Hazard Signs

Effective slip, trip, and fall signs can alert employees or others to potential physical hazards in the workplace. Place them in areas that are likely to be wet or uneven often. You should also provide portable signage for when temporary obstructions or wet surfaces appear.

OSHA requires many of these signs to prevent worker injury, and their presence can contribute to a larger culture of safety.

Elevate Your Workplace Safety with Durable Safety Signs

Using a comprehensive set of safety signs in the workplace can help keep your workers safe and ensure compliance with regulations such as those from ANSI and OSHA. Also, investigate durable safety sign options to ensure they do not lose effectiveness.

Here at Durable Safety Signs, we offer robust and long-lasting signs you can use in various situations. They specialize in ensuring you can trust in the longevity of all their products. So, check out their shop today and learn more about what they offer.