Common Warehouse Safety Signs
Safety signs are a critical visual reminder that actively help prevent errors in the daily operations of warehouses.
Depending on location safety signs are a legal requirement under occupational health and safety laws.
Common safety sign types include:
- Compliance signs
- Danger warning signs
- Hazard warning signs
- Materials handling signs
In this week’s post we briefly explore some of the different types of safety signs that can be used in warehouses.
Exit Signs
To be in compliance with OH&S laws warehouses and facilities must have clearly visible exits with unobstructed routes to get to them in an emergency situation.
Exit signs must be strategically placed throughout a warehouse showing the location of exits and paths staff can use to find the exit in an emergency.
Emergency Assembly Area Signage
In the event of an emergency evacuation it is imperative that a safe assembly point is designated either on or near the warehouse.
The emergency assembly area should be clearly signed so employees know where to meet up in an emergency situation prior to it occurring.
Authorised Personnel Only Signs
There are some areas in warehouses that need to be off-limits to the majority of staff such as workshop areas with tools such as grinders and welding equipment that must only be operated by appropriately trained and PPE clothed employees.
Other examples of areas only open to authorised personnel may include testing labs, hazardous chemicals and goods storage.
Areas of concern need to be clearly marked via signage ‘authorised personnel only’.
Signs need to be posted around the area to allow employees to see and read them before they mistakenly enter the area unauthorised.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Signs
When entering certain warehouses or parts of a facility with potential hazards it may be a safety requirement that staff wear personal protective equipment such as gloves, safety classes, high visibility or steel-cap boots to better protect themselves.
PPE signs are imperative as they not only alert staff to the areas where they must wear PPE But also the exact type of PPE equipment they must wear.
Failure to wear the correct PPE can have devastating consequences and may lead to severe injury or even fatalities.
Danger Flammable Signs
Any area of a warehouse where a potential source of ignition such as gas bottles are used or stored a danger flammable sign must be displayed.
Employees must be alert around sources of ignition that they don’t use tools that may ignite the flammable liquid or gas or even accidently discard a cigarette.
Combustible gases and liquid pose a significant safety threat to employees, the facility and product.
Forklift Safety Signs
Forklifts are large heavy pieces of machinery that can potentially cause significant damage, serious injury or loss of life if involved in an accident.
Workplace safety can be improved significantly by implementing clear forklift warning signage.
Signage should clearly display to employee areas that forklifts operate where they must be extra carefully working around.
It is particularly important to have increased signage in areas where forklifts and employees cannot be segregated and must work in close proximity to each other.
Warning signage can be installed in areas of racking alerting staff to the danger of forklifts operating in racking aisles and that they should always check the way is clear before they move.
Aisle and Row Signs
Displaying aisle and row signs on all racking can greatly improve efficiency when employees are searching for items to pick for orders.
Rather than guessing the items location they can navigate directly to the items racking location via the signage.
Health and Safety Signs
Common health and safety signs that may be displayed in a warehouse or facility include sanitary hand washing reminders in bathrooms.
Other common sign examples include the locations of eye washing stations where employees can immediately treat eye problems that may have occurred through working with dangerous or hazardous goods.
Knowing the exact location of these vital health and safety facilities is imperative in providing the quickest response and limit the potential damage done to an employee.
Rack Loading Capacity Signs
It is crucial that all forklift and materials handling operators know the safe capacity of racking in a warehouse.
Overloading the racking can be extremely dangerous and may lead to the racking breaking, product damage, injury or fatality.
Clearly displaying the racking capacity via signage reduces the likelihood of employees overloading it reducing the likelihood of failure.
Safety signage is an important element of warehouse safety.
It provides clear and concise safety warnings to staff, visitors and contractors who may be operating in a warehouse.
For assistance in installing the correct safety signage in your warehouse contact our team on 13 22 54 or fill-out a contact form and we will be in contact.