Signs are essential for a business to promote itself and encourage customers to enter the establishment. In fact, 70% of consumers indicated that the quality of a company’s sign actually reflects the quality of the business itself, as well as its products and services. Great signs aren’t just for marketing purposes, however, there are a few other important uses. When it comes to welding and manufacturing, for instance, they can actually help ensure safety.
More than 50% of all the products constructed across the U.S. require welding. Additionally, according to the American Welding Society, there are more than 500,000 welders currently employees throughout the United States.
“A safety sign is an information or instruction pertaining to safety and health in workplace or commercial space. It is conveyed by means of a signboard, a distinguishable color, an illuminated or an acoustic signage, a verbal communication, or a hand sign. Safety signs are installed in adherence to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards. The OSHA Specifications for Accident Prevention Signs (1910.145) states the requirement for using safety signs that prevent accidental injuries to workers and property.”
According to the Redfield Herald, the global safety signs market is increasing at a Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 3.17%.
Since today’s workplace is more demanding than ever before, especially pertaining to welding and fields involving manual labor, proper safety signage is imperative across businesses.
Despite the market success for the safety signage industry, OSHA violations and serious injuries still occur year and year. Thanks to some innovative technology, continuous testing, and design and printing research, the future of safety signage and labels will likely prevent plenty of significant injuries.
According to Safety and Health Magazine, it’s not just administrations like OSHA that are responsible for improving the signage utilized throughout welding and similar fields, employers have to pull their own weight, as well.
Employers across all fields have a responsibility to provide a comfortable and safe workplace for its employees. The use of color-coded signs, posters, labels, and additional safety tags is required in order to warm employees, customers, and anyone walking by of potential safety hazards.
In order to determine whether a sign or safety label will be the best option for your organization’s safety needs, consider the following aspects:
- Will the safety message be given inside or outside.
- What kind of environment will the message be in? Determine whether or not there will be industrial and environmental exposures; as well as nearby contact with light, moisture, chemicals, moisture, and other materials.
- How durable can the message be?
- Who needs to see the message the most? Consider the amount of information you need to simply convey. Be sure to provide all the necessary information and keep it clear and legible at all times.
Here are some OSHA-approved safety signs that are required across various industries:
- Machine safety signs
- Electrical safety signs and labels
- Roadside and job site safety signs
- Chemical and HazMat signs
- Forklift traffic area
- Bilingual and universal signs
- No trespassing and restricted access signs
- Lockout signs
- Confined space signs
- Food industry safety signs
- HazCom signs
- Forklift safety signs
- SDS signs
- Custom and blank OSHA caution signs
