If you have ever been to a construction site or a mining field, you probably know about many safety signs for general awareness. However, the usage of such notices is not only limited to outdoor workplaces.
Indoor work premises like restaurants or hospitals are also prone to danger. Therefore, such areas include various safety signs and notices for the benefit of employees and visitors.
Some standard signage you will observe in public places includes different categories like prohibition, mandatory, warning signs, and much more.
Continue reading more about six different types of workplace signs with their examples.
Prohibition Signs
You can use a prohibition sign when you want to indicate certain activities and behaviour not allowed or banned inside the work premises. You can also consider it a danger sign with a bright red circle and a diagonal marked across it to prohibit the specific activity. For example, restaurants can place a NO SMOKING sign for safety purposes or a NO PARKING or NO ENTRY sign for areas out of reach of customers.
Mandatory Signs
The mandatory circular sign indicates something everyone in the area must obey without fail. Unlike prohibition or danger signs, it is blue and includes the pictogram of must-do activity in white. For example, construction sites can put up a Must Wear Eye and Head Protection in This Area sign.
Warning Signs
These safety signs are not meant to advise people on what to do or not. Instead, they are used to spread awareness about the potential danger in the area. Warning signs are placed in a triangular shape with a black-coloured pictogram on a yellow background. For example, you can use SLIPPERY WHEN WET or WET PAINT signs to indicate a mild hazard that doesn’t threaten life or pose a significant danger to the surroundings.
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Fire Signs
Strategically placed around the workplace to minimise rush and panic in a potential fire situation, these signs dictate the placement of fire equipment. Fire signs are bright red with white text and pictogram for high visibility and also mention information like fire blankets, hoses, alarms, control panels, safety valves, etc.
Emergency Information Signs
If you want to direct your employees toward the emergency facilities or safe exit options, you can use emergency information signs. Here, white text and pictogram are placed on a green background, thus making the character easily identifiable. Some common examples of emergency information notices can be EMERGENCY PHONE or FIRST AID KIT.
General Information Signs
You can use such signs to inform any visitors or employees about common enquiries or activities. General information signs also help new individuals in the area navigate better. These notices are marked on a blue background with white text and symbols. Some common examples are OUT OF ORDER, MEN’s RESTROOM, BABY CHANGING ROOM, etc.
Wrapping Up
Did you know more than 4.1 million people suffer from job-related injuries every year? Therefore, every employer must make some necessary changes in the workplace.
You can post different types of safety signs and notices to communicate better with your employees and make the office space easy to navigate. These signs are primarily circular or triangular and have symbols or text printed on solid colour background.
Some standard safety signs are prohibition, mandatory, warning, fire, emergency information, and general information signs.
