subject: The signs are that every business will work safely with the right warnings in place [print this page] Wherever we work, there is a good chance that there are safety signs all around. We may at time take them for granted, but they play a vitally important role.
They remind everyone who is on any business premises, be they a member of staff or a visitor, that they have a key responsibility to act in a way which ensures the safety of themselves and all those working there.
There is considerable legal power behind all the regulation too, which places an important onus on both a company and any individual it employs to observe any signs warning of specific dangers, as well as to alert others of any possible hazards which they spot.
A company is obliged to carry out a risk assessment on every employee, and subsequently explain how any risks identified in the process will be controlled. Health and safety training must also be given, free of charge, to all workers, along with any protective clothing and safety equipment which is required to do the job.
A certificate of insurance which covers staff and visitors in the event of them being injured while on a business's premises must also be prominently displayed.
There is an equal obligation on employers to look after the safety of any temporary or contract workers, especially as they are likely to be less familiar with the layout of a workplace, and the location of the required warning signs.
Safety equipment, such as fire extinguishers, also have to be clearly signposted, as does the recognised safe escape route from every business premises. A good test for any business manager is to imagine that he or she is totally unfamiliar with their premises, and to ask whether they would be able to get out of the building safely, using the correct exit, in the event of an incident, being guided only by the safety signs which are in place.
After all, in the event of a fire, that may well be the scenario. Power is likely to be isolated as soon as the outbreak is discovered, so it could be that staff have to find their way out in darkness. That is why, although in normal conditions they may seem obtrusive, safety signs are usually so brightly coloured and designed in a way which makes them easy for everyone to understand.
So it is in everyone's interest to note the location of, and even more importantly, read any safety notice. They contain information which is vital, and knowing it and being able to follow any instructions instinctively could be the difference between life and death.
Going online to find all the necessary health and safety signs is likely to save any business considerable time and expense. Safety bollards are also useful for cordoning off areas within the workplace, either temporarily or permanently.
The signs are that every business will work safely with the right warnings in place
By: Jamie Francis
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