On all Australian construction sites, workplace safety signage is a requirement. Highly noticeable safety signs can help prevent accidents and guarantee that all employees and guests are aware of potentially harmful situations. The absence of signage might leave workers uninformed of hazards, and put employers in legal and workplace health and safety difficulties.
Why Do You Need Safety Signs on Construction Sites?
Construction signs are a requirement to guarantee that your company complies with workplace occupational health and safety laws. Australian construction sites have a wide variety of signage, each with a unique style and purpose. They address any hazard, risk, or other information that employees and visitors to the workplace need to be aware of.
It’s crucial to remember that you shouldn’t depend on safety indicators exclusively, and that properly trained employees are a need. The objective of signs is to act as a reminder, and to be helpful to people unfamiliar with your building site or its procedures.
The chosen safety warning signs must be simple to interpret because of this. When it comes to enabling someone to make a decision right away, simple pictures or phrases are significantly more effective than elaborate instructions. Many are easily recognisable, like the red circular prohibition sign, but others may require more specificity, depending on the circumstance.
There is a law in effect in Australia that mandates the use of signage in all work environments, including office buildings besides the construction sites. As a result, following these laws is both necessary and advantageous.
What Are the Different Safety Sign Types Used on Construction Sites?
A few of the most common construction site safety signs used by Australian companies to comply with occupational health and safety regulations are as follows:
Mandatory Signs
In various locations on your building site, these signs indicate a specific activity that needs to be taken. These might include directives like “headgear must be worn,” “high visibility vests must be worn,” “foot protection must be worn in this area,” and so forth. Typically, these signs feature a white backdrop, black writing, and a blue circle that shows the required activity.
Prohibition Signs
Specific to prohibited behaviours, you have the prohibition signs. These restrictions might include things like “you cannot enter,” “you cannot use your mobile phone,” “you cannot smoke in this location,” and so on. Typically, prohibition safety signs feature a red circle with a line through an image depicting a specific behaviour and black writing on a white background.
Warning Signs
The purpose of warning construction site safety signs (usually referred to as hazard signs) is to alert people of actual or possible hazards and increase safety. Most warning signs in Australia include a triangle addressing the danger and black lettering on a yellow background. A warning label that reads “slippery when wet” is one example.
Fire Safety Signs
In the event of a fire, fire safety signs direct employees and guests to fire extinguishers and other safety equipment. Typically, fire safety signs have red backgrounds with white writing.
Emergency Information Signs
These signs aid employees in locating emergency equipment and facilities. These could be amenities such as first aid kits, emergency exits, and so on. Typically, an emergency information sign has a green backdrop with white writing.
Danger Signs
These signs alert people to dangers, possible dangers, or dangerous objects that could endanger their lives. On danger signs, the word “DANGER” is written in white inside a red oval with black writing.
What to Consider when Choosing Safety Signs?
When you search for construction site safety signs online you’ll come across various custom signs used to improve safety in many workplaces. How to choose the best one for your business? Consider the following aspects:
- Compliance with OSHA regulations: Make sure the signs you choose comply with OSHA regulations for safety signs in the construction industry.
- Sign material: Choose a durable material that can withstand the harsh conditions of a construction site, such as aluminium or plastic. Look for cost-effective, lightweight, weather-resistant, and durable materials.
- Visibility: The signs should be highly visible, with contrasting colours and large, easy-to-read text.
- Placement: Make sure you place the signs in locations that are easy to see and understand, such as at the entrance to a construction site or near hazards.
- Customisation: Consider customising the signs to include specific information relevant to your construction site, such as the site’s name, or the contact information for the site supervisor. Many suppliers offer customisation on all types of safety signage, including mandatory signs, prohibition signs, warning signs, fire safety signs, emergency information signs and danger signs.
- Size: Most safety signs are available in standard sizes, such as 1200mm x 900mm and 900mm x 600mm, but there are also custom shapes and sizes up to 2.7m x 1.2m that can join panels together to make larger-scale signage.
