CA Concepts & Signs aims to provide you all the information you need to ensure the safety and well being of your employees in your workplace. Here, you’ll learn about the safety signs you need to meet WHS requirements and keep people safe in your workplace.
The standard Safety Signs in Australia are divided into 6 main categories. This is done in order to provide a consistent design for signs that have similar functions. Armed with the knowledge of what each sign category means and what it does will help you determine which ones you will need in your workplace as well as where they should be placed.
It is worth noting that while these regulations are standards set in place for safety signs made for use by businesses and workplaces in Australia, the option to use custom made safety signs by custom safety sign creation service providers is not prohibited.
Provided of course, that the standards set by the regulation are being met.
The Australian Standard AS1319:1994 Safety Signs for the Occupational Environment developed by Standards Australia classifies the first 2 categories of safety signs in Australia as “Regulatory Signs”.
Instructions on what CAN’T be done or MUST be done are clearly displayed on these signages:
Prohibition Signs or Signs that State What Things Can’t Be Done
You will need a standard Prohibition Sign for instances when you need to tell your people that they can’t or are not allowed to, do something. The common feature of these signs is the universally recognisable red circle that has a diagonal line across it.
For example, you can prevent people from entering private properties using a NO ENTRY sign telling people that they are not allowed to smoke in a certain area with a NO SMOKING sign.
Mandatory Signs or Signs that State What Things Must Be Done
When you have an instruction that has to be followed, then you need to use a Mandatory Sign. These signs are easily recognizable by the white pictogram or symbol that is situated within a blue circle on a white background. For example: Your workplace requires protective equipment like clothing or gloves, then you’ll need signs that say: Hand Protection Must Be Worn In This Area or Hazard Suit Must Be Worn In This Area.
Some Mandatory signs can also have just a clearly worded message without images. Usually with the words in black on a white background.
From Prohibition signs, we’ll now move into Hazard Signs. These two types of signs are all about dangers in your workplace that could cause death or hurt your employees severely if they have not been forewarned:
Danger Signs for Factors that Can Cause Death
These are signs that are standardised for workplaces that deem the need to warn people about potential hazards that are life-threatening as well as conditions that are considered extremely dangerous.
These signs are recognisable from the familiar red oval inside a prominent black rectangle with the word DANGER written in bold, capital letters, and servers to alert your people to the hazard. Some of the most common Danger Signs you will see around the workplace include HIGH VOLTAGE and DO NOT ENTER signs.
Warning Signs for Factors that Can Cause Extreme Bodily Harm or Injury
Warning Sign informs your people that they could still get hurt even if dangerous or critical conditions aren’t exactly life-threatening.
These signs are easily identifiable by their yellow background and black triangle around the hazard symbol. A commonly recognisable Warning Sign is SLIPPERY WHEN WET floor signs.
Lastly, we have Informative Signs. And as the name suggests, these signs are placed in your workplace to keep your people informed.
Emergency Information Signs or Simply, Emergency Signs to Ensure Safety First
Emergency Information Signs aim to assist people in finding the location of and even directions to emergency related facilities, emergency exits, first aid sections or safety equipment in the event of an emergency.
These signs are Easily identified by its standard green background that is typically fronted by white writing and symbols for safety. Common Emergency Sign examples are FIRST AID KIT signs or EMERGENCY PHONE signs.
Fire Signs to Indicate Equipment Designated to Respond to Fire Related Emergencies
Fire Signs are very easy to spot in close proximity to fire alarms and other fire-fighting equipment with their bright red signs giving them away.
Texts and imagery will always be in white in order for it to stand out against its equally bright red background. These Fire Signs are placed strategically to indicate the location of your fire equipment in case of emergency.
Conclusion
The categories aligned by the standards shows the importance of compliance when it comes to safety signages. This means that all workplace safety signs, even custom made safety signs should meet the colour and design principles laid out in the Australian Regulations.
Complying consistently with the regulations for safety signs in Australia ensures that you can increase awareness with your people in the workplace in order to keep them safe at all times.
For all your workplace safety sign needs, contact us at CA Concepts & Signs, the top custom safety sign creation service provider in Perth and Western Australia.
