A simple “wet floor” safety sign can mean the difference between a normal day at your Post and a trip to the emergency room.
While the primary purpose of safety signage is keeping people safe, there are other benefits, too:
- Reducing accidents
- Promoting a culture of safety
- Minimizing legal risks
Facilities that have clear and consistent safety signage see a reduction in accidents and injuries. They also minimize their risk of legal action should an accident occur.
Read on to learn about the signs your organization should have in place and how to make improvements to your existing signs.
Types of Safety Signage for Posts
There are three primary categories of safety signage:
- Danger signs—These red signs with white lettering warn about the most serious risks of bodily injury or death, such as high voltage or flammable materials areas, moving equipment or serious fall hazards.
- Warning signs—These orange signs with black lettering warn about a moderate level of risk of bodily harm or fatality and the need to take appropriate precautions, such as wearing hardhats or safety goggles.
- Caution signs—These yellow signs with black lettering indicate a lower-level hazard, such as a wet floor, where unsafe practices or restricted activities could lead to an injury or equipment damage.
Additional signs may also be a good idea:
- Notice signs that give information about equipment, directions and facility information.
- General safety signs that deal with health hazards and housekeeping regulations.
- Admittance signs that identify authorized personnel and restricted access areas.
- Fire safety signs that identify fire safety equipment and escape routes.
- Non-hazard signs that list facility information for offices, meeting rooms and washrooms.
The inclusion of all appropriate safety signage for Posts inform your members and guests about facility features and warns against any hazards that may pose a risk to their safety.
Safety Signage Assessments
Your Post may already have signage that keeps your members and guests safe. Follow these tips to assess your current signage and look for areas to improve:
- Ensure signs are located at point of use and related directly to the hazard at hand.
- Reduce distraction and visual clutter by avoiding multiple signs in one area.
- Place signs in appropriate positions for maximum visibility.
- Remove safety signs that are no longer needed.
- Replace signs that are out-of-date, damaged or missing.
- Replace any taped-up paper signage with professional signage.
Ensure the safety of everyone by evaluating, updating and maintaining safety signage for your Post.
While safety signage should help keep people safe, it’s a good idea to protect your Post with General Liability insurance from Lockton Affinity. This policy covers your organization from claims like bodily injury, property damage and personal injury that can arise from your operations.