SYMBOLIC SAFETY SIGNS

Symbolic safety signs play a major role in ensuring the safety of employees and visitors in a workplace. They assure that there is minimal risk, hazards or incidents. However, such security is certain only if these signs are properly, clearly and correctly displayed in the right positions and places.

The advantage of symbolic safety signs is that they are standardized in all organisations. This ensures that even visitors from outside the region can familiarise themselves with them. A risk assessment should see to it that the signs are placed in a correct manner and also assess risk associated with incorrect placement of signs.

Safety signs serve a lot of purposes, for both obvious and unforeseen reasons. A risk assessment would establish if signs draw attention to health and safety hazards or point out hazards that may not be immediately visible. Signs serve the purpose of giving directions and information to avoid congestion and disorder. If signs do not serve the above purpose, in case of emergency, disorder could cause a stampede and result in further damages and injuries. With proper given information, employees would be able to exit to a safe place in an orderly manner.

Certain signs serve as reminders to employees about the location of safety equipment. An assessment would establish if signs are placed adjacent to the equipment and if the equipment is easily accessible in times of danger. It would be a risk to locate safety equipment further away from an area where incidents are likely to happen.

Safety signs are divided into three categories, namely, 'regulatory ?�, 'information ?� and 'warning. ?� A circle represents an order which is in force and it instructs on an action to be taken in a situation for example, a red circle prohibits an action while a green circle allows an action. A square is used to provide information. A triangle symbolises the need to be cautious or if there is danger in an area. Employers should make it a point that awareness is raised regularly as reminders to employees about the means and the importance of taking these signs.

An inspector should visit premises to assess if employees understand these signs. It would be dangerous for employees not to understand the signs as they would walk into a danger zone and risk their lives for example, into an electrical substation. An assessment should assess if employee understand the importance of wearing safety wear in designated areas.

It is important that safety signs are placed visibly high where they cannot be distracted by doors and moving objects. This ensures that anyone can easily locate or see them when an emergency strikes. . It will be pointless to mount a sign that employees can't read or understand. The print should be bold at all times. Employers have the duty to ensure old and eroded signs are replaced immediately. An assessment at a premise should specifically check if the signs meet the SANS requirements and are standardized. If signs are not of required standard, they may cause incidents as employees and visitors could misinterpret them end endanger their lives by not taking the correct action at the correct time.

A risk assessment should be conducted to ensure that symbolic signs are placed in places where there is proper lighting so that they are not obscured. Employees could find themselves entering areas where there are prohibited to because they didn't see the sign. Employers would be liable for an injuries or death that may be caused to an employee in such an incident.

During an assessment, a survey should be conducted to determine how much signs are required for a certain premise depending on its size. Large areas should have adequate signs because confining signs in one area would pose a safety risk for those employees working on an area which has no signs.

Although safety symbols and signs may not be rocket science for many as they are familiar in public facilities like malls, not everyone can read and understand them. Employers should consider that they might be illiterate employees. It is vital to provide training to educate employees on the meaning of signs, shapes and colour codes and also about safety measures to take in an emergency situation.

It is not just a combination of shapes, colours and art, symbolic safety signs are an important security tool that, when correctly implemented, can ensure that employees have a safe and accident free working place.