The Importance of Safety Signs on Construction Sites

Safety signs are just one part of your wider health and safety strategy, but they are perhaps one of the most important. The success of safety initiatives in the workplace will depend on the extent to which safety messages are communicated to employees. If the workforce is unaware of organisational health and safety policies, they are less likely to follow the rules and regulations as they should. If you are responsible for workplace health and safety, it is important to consider why safety signs are important and how they can be used to increase standards of health and safety in your organisation. With this in mind, there are several reasons why safety signs are important on construction sites.

Improved Communication

When signage is prominently displayed around a construction site, this serves to increase awareness amongst the construction workers and be more mindful of their working practices. The implementation of health and safety policies will require a lot of time, resources and planning, identifying the right places to display the most suitable signage. Safety signs need to be able to communicate important information using instantly recognisable signage that employees have learned about during health and safety training.

A safety sign is something that includes a clear illustration and a brief instruction to alert an employee about a hazard or to instruct them to do something. The signage will include a combination of pictographic icons and clear, simple instructions communicated through a clear, visual design. The signs are colour coded to communicate certain types of information and it is important that you know these different colours and their meanings so you can provide the right safety messages for construction staff. With the right signage it will help employees instantly recognise the potential hazards that exist and what actions they will need to take to maintain the highest standards of safety in that particular area of the construction site. While safety signs do not replace good safety training, they are designed to compliment the knowledge that staff have and serve as a reminder to staff as they go about their day to day activities. In a workplace where the environment can be loud and dusty, verbal warnings can sometimes be missed or heard incorrectly, but clear visual signage is something that can be clearly seen.

Safety and Hazard Awareness

Safety signs are designed to do much more than offer indicators that a danger may be present. In many instances they serve as a reminder of safe working practices. Safety signs when displayed in the right way can be used to highlight safety routes out of a building, identify first aid kits or provide guidance on how to best use machinery in the safest way possible.

Depending on the nature of the building site and the work that is carried out, some companies opt to have their own safety boards constructed which are built around the specifics of the site. These boards will display a range of information, emphasising the most important safety rules and policies as well as highlighting the location of fire extinguisher and first aid points.

Legal Compliance

One of the most effective ways that businesses can benefit from safety sign printing is the legal and compliance requirements. Many signs are a legal requirement and installing them throughout the site ensures full and consistent regulatory compliance. Under the health and safety signs (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, it makes it compulsory for all organisations to alert employees to risks within the workplace. These signs must be displayed in a prominent location, legible and clear so that they are visible by all employees who need to be alerted to dangerous or prohibited actions. These signs can also provide instructions to employees, encouraging them to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), highlighting nearby hazards or danger or providing direction to suitable safety and fire fighting equipment. If a site manager is found to be in breach of legal regulations because the right signs are not displayed, they could end up with significant financial penalties in addition to reputational damage.

Safeguarding Staff, Visitors and Members of the Public

While most construction sites are closed to members of the public, they can still present a risk. Safety signs can help to reduce the risk to members of the public,  drawing attention to potential hazards such as dangerous machinery, falling objects, loud noises or slippery surfaces. They can also act as a warning to avoid particular areas or provide contact details if they notice anything dangerous.

While many of the construction site safety signs have to be printed in a certain way to comply with industry regulations, bespoke signage such as safety boards can be tailored to the specific dangers of the site. Safety signs for construction can demonstrate an ongoing commitment to health and safety compliance and they can bring multiple benefits not just to construction teams but also visitors and members of the public.