Construction site safety is one of the most important nowadays. There are about 10000 fatal work injuries reported annually in the past few years. This might not seem like too grim a number, but even one fatal injury on your worksite is enough to cripple your finances in legal and compensation expenses. One of the best options for your site is the installation of safety signs and labels. These give a clear visual message on the best practices in your workplace for increased efficiency and safety.
Fire hazard warnings and safety signs and other construction site signs will nonetheless only do so much if they are not as visible. Most contractors will assume that so long as they have the signs somewhere on their site, this is enough. The following are some tips for guaranteeing the visibility of your safety signage.
Stick To OSHA Requirements on Signage
Construction site signs to some people sound like something they can make with a board and some paint. Getting a knowledgeable supplier for your signage is nevertheless essential to guarantee it meets the OSHA requirements of site safety signage. These professional signs come with the right colours and size of their wordings along with the required pictograms to convey a clear message. Moreover, OSHA keeps updating the requirements for safety signage. With a professional sign supplier, you can keep up with these updates.
Place the Signs in the Right Places
There are three types of construction safety signs. These include notices, admittance and non-hazard signs. Notices encompass rules and instructions that should be observed to reduce the risk of accidents while admittance signs explain the dangers of entering restricted zones. Non-hazard signs, in general, will convey safety messages like the assembly points and nearest exits. To guarantee your notice and admittance signs are visible, place them at least five feet away from the hazard. This way, people will respond appropriately when exposed to risk. Moreover, the non-hazard signs should not block the paths of escape or people’s views.
Customise Your Signs
Construction sites are different, and you might need to customise yours to reflect the issues in your site. There are several OSHA rules on the customisation of safety signs. The sign should have a header signalling the level of alertness, a graphic safety symbol and a message panel. You can, for instance, customise your sign with reflective strips to enable their visibility in underground sites and dim places.
Maintain the Signs
The visibility of your sign will be reduced as it fades over time. Furthermore, the sign might be scratched or covered by various elements in your construction site. Investing in periodic sign maintenance is essential to address any issues that reduce their visibility and replace them if need be.
Few contractors have signs among their inventory for building supplies. While your building materials and supplies will form a significant portion of your list, do not forget your signs. Provided you stick to the above visibility guidelines and get the signs from the right supplier, accidents on your site will be significantly reduced. You are thus assured of minimal downtimes, and you will avoid costly OSHA fines and legal expenses.