Employee safety isn’t a choice, in fact, OSHA and ANSI identify three classifications of mandatory signs in the workplace:
1. Danger Signs
2. Caution Signs
3. General Safety Information Signs
Regardless of what industry you’re in, it is important to avoid OSHA violations, and is ultimately beneficial to be compliant with mandatory signage and environmental control regulations. Your workplace must be using clear signage designating hazards that are likely to cause serious injury and/or death. When you use workplace signage, employees are more alert to workplace hazards and can respond promptly and appropriately when incidents do occur, reducing on-premise injuries such as slips, falls, or electrocution.
Another reason to include signage in your workplace is to show that you convey integrity and safety not only for you but for your employees. By staying up-to-date and in full compliance with OSHA and ANSI signage standards, your business communicates its value for the very people that make it a business.
Let’s discuss some examples of signage needed in the workplace:
Prohibition Signs
- Common symbols: Red slashed circle, central pictograms
- Prohibition signs relay an action, item, or behavior that is not permitted within the sign’s vicinity
- Common examples:
- “No Smoking”
- “No food or drink"
- “Do not open”
Danger Signs
- Common Symbols: “Danger” command text, exclamation marks (safety alert signal)
- Danger signs are to be installed in areas where immediate hazards and
risk is present - Common examples:
- “High Voltage”
- “Dangerous Chemicals”
- “Radiation Risk”
- “Electric Shock Risk”
Warning Signs
- Common Symbols: Exclamation marks (safety alert symbol), 45 degree-rotated square border, inverted triangle border
- Warning signs signal workplace hazard levels that require extra awareness and could result in a serious injury or death but do not pose an immediate threat to the degree of a danger zone
- Warning signs also come in yellow, with additional black-lined pictograms indicating the behavior, object, or activity requiring precautions
Caution Signs
- Common Symbols: Exclamation marks (safety alert symbol), inverted triangle border
- Caution signs are the second OSHA-official sign category and the least severe of its danger-level indicators. This regulatory sign type is an accident prevention tag, one indicating situations that may result in minor to moderate injuries if proper attention isn't maintained
- Common examples:
- “Wet floor”
- “Trip hazard”
- “Low headroom”
- “Forklift trucks operating”
Fire Signs
- Common Symbols: Fire emblem, fire extinguisher
- Prohibitory fire signs: A specific type of prohibition sign denoting no open flames — including smoking and vaping — allowed
- Emergency firefighting equipment: As the name suggests, these signs designate where fire-fighting equipment is stored, such as fire extinguishers, fire blankets, smoke masks, and hoses
General Safety/Emergency Information Signs
- Common Symbols: Green command text or green panel background
- They serve as reminders for workplace safety rules and best practices as well as direct employees to emergency equipment if needed
- Workplaces should install general safety signage when any of the following are present:
- First aid kits
- Sanitation stations for hand, eye-washing, and more
- Emergency phones
- Safety shutdown procedure manual
- Safety apparel required
-
Wayfinding Signage
- Common Symbols: Arrows, room numbers, Braille, or similar tactile text
- Is an important functional inclusion in buildings, offices, and commercial spaces
- Is mandatory to designate both regular and emergency egress routes
Notice Signs
- Common Symbols: Blue command text OR blue panel background
- Notice signs are used to draw attention to critical information regarding behaviors, expectations, and activities in a designated area
- Use notice signs in any of the following areas:
- Handwashing stations
- Waste disposal and recycling bins
- Food storage areas
- Room or facility housekeeping rules
Construction Signs
- Common Symbols: Orange background, centered worker pictograms
- One out of every five workplace injuries (20%) occur on a construction site. This classifies construction as the most accident-prone sector of the private industry
- Construction signage directly addresses these “fatal four” in the construction industry
- Falls
- Struck-by-object
- Electrocution
- Caught in between
- Safety signs should be stationed clearly and unobstructed both within and around construction work zones, notifying workers of relevant hazards and reminding them of proper safety procedures to reduce on-premise accidents. Examples:
- “Danger: High Voltage”
- “Danger: Open Hole”
- “Falling Rocks/Debris”
- “Hard Hat Area”
Ritz Safety also gives you the advantage of customizing your own signage, whether that be a specific color, saying, or even adding your company logo. Not sure what you want? Choose from hundreds of existing sign templates that can be purchased online or in-store. Our process allows you to quickly identify the message you need to communicate, and the right design to meet your goals. Our capabilities span a wide range of customization and sign types, making Ritz Safety your one-stop shop for safety signs. Contact us to learn more about Custom Sign Options!
VARIOUS SIZES & MATERIALS
We produce custom signs in various sizes and materials including plastic, aluminum, magnetic co-poly vinyl, and many other materials to meet the needs and use case of your facility or job site.
800+ SAFETY SIGN ICONS
Utilize our icon library of over 800+ safety-oriented icons to help your sign communicate a bold message. Many sign companies do not carry unique safety icons but our library is full of safety-specific icons to perfect your custom sign
CUSTOM LOGOS
Align your company with safety by adding a logo to your signs. Great for re-instilling the company's commitment to safety and for keeping track of sign ownership by attaching the logo at the bottom of every sign.
ENDLESS OPTIONS
Templates for OSHA or ANSI standard signs with the exact message you want or create bilingual signs to communicate messages clearly to a diverse workforce no matter your needs we can provide a custom sign for you.
ACCUFORM is a leader in safety sign production. We are proud to partner with a company that is so passionate about ensuring that workers are always aware of their surroundings to keep them safe.
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