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PPE Signage
PPE stands for Personal Protective Equipment, and it is integral to protecting people working in dangerous environments. With the outbreak of COVID-19, the term PPE has become a buzzword. However, employees in health and industrial sectors are using the phrase since the early 20th century.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) acts as the first line of defense against pollutants, biological agents, dust, harmful gases, viruses, and much more. To ensure proper usage and maximum protection, using the right PPE at the right place and right time is necessary. Using a sign to show where PPE is located, is one of the best ways to ensure a safe working environment for employees and visitors to your premises.
Depending on protective apparatus types, like hand and hearing protection, eye protection, face mask and body protection, and respiratory protection, safety signs also vary greatly. PPE is required or recommended, depending on the nature of the job. A PPE sign act as a reminder to workers to wear their PPE.
While government regulations about safety signs may differ by state, there is always a need for PPE signs to be present in many workplaces. The most important function of PPE signs is that they remind employees about their safety gear, and encourage them to use it. It is crucial for workers to use PPE at all times when working in a risky environment. This becomes doubly important if they are not trained or experienced enough to work on their own without using PPE equipment.
To ensure compliance, employers can put up a regulation sign with clear instructions about what type of protective gear is required during particular operations. These safety signs can also be customized with specific details like where the items should be kept, inspection intervals, and how often replacement is needed.
Helping Employees Understand the Danger
With various OH&S (Organizational Health and Safety) headers, like: Warning, Caution, Danger, and General Notice; PPE signs can help employees understand where and when they should wear PPE and what type of PPE is needed. Apart from reminding the workers to wear eye protection, their hard hat, and other protective gear, PPE signs remove language barriers. Signage contains essential information which is common in almost all languages, like red for indicating danger.
PPE signs should be placed where they are visible to everyone. Putting them on doors or on front facing walls are often a good choice. PPE signs vary in size, from small to large. Though there are PPE signs for almost any purpose, custom ones are often required for some industries and hazards.
Remind Workers to Wear the Necessary PPE
Use warning signage to show when hazard ear protection, eye protection, head protection, safety shoes respirator, or other protective clothing should be worn. All OH&S signage should include words and colours to make it clean about the warnings and need for caution. Customized personal protective equipment signage can be ideal for particular hazards or special conditions. Hard hat, eye protection and other protection signs are offered in sizes ranging from large to small and in several different materials.
Below are some tips to make custom safety signs more noticeable and effective:
- Prioritize readability
- Use graphics
- Use contrasting colours
- Pick a bold font
- Add a border to the sign (increases read speed by almost 26%)
Mandatory Signs and Stickers
Mandatory signs are used to enforce the mandatory use of protection in the field. These should be placed in areas that are accessible for all employees, especially those who enter a restricted area.
Mandatory policies on using protective clothing and equipment must be clear and easy to understand because it is compulsory for everyone to follow them. You can choose from different types of stickers such as vinyl, PVC, and aluminium-polymer self adhesive sheets.
Manufacturers often sell these compliant stickers with their products so you might find it easier just to purchase one from them rather than creating your own sign. However, if you can get an official sample then printing your logo or emergency contact details onto the sign will show customers that this product was made specifically for your business or job site. If you decide to make your own stickers then test them on the materials that will be used and check their durability and compatibility with other items around them like metal, wood, plastic or glass.
PPE Signage for Different Industries
General safety signage applies across most industries but there are also additional requirements for PPE needed in specific enterprise areas. These include strong chemical warnings and other hazards that may require customised warning signs. For example:
- Chemical and hazardous material labels
- Fire Extinguisher Signs (Warning) – these must meet OH&S standards
- Hazardous Material Warning Labels & Placards – these must also meet OH&S standards
- Equipment Warning Labels & Placards
These signs should be displayed distinctly in the appropriate areas for maximum effectiveness. Whatever your industry, you can use PPE signage to communicate safety messages clearly to employees and visitors. The right type of customised signs for safety apparatus will remind workers about wearing PPE during their work shift or any other hazards they may face while on duty. It is important to check if there are regulatory agencies involved in scrutinising label design, warning statements, and regulated visuals like symbols because differences in sign laws between countries and even states can be quite extensive.
Design Custom Personal Protection Signs
We can help you make their own custom PPE signage, and ensure that it complies with the law you should check your design against regulatory guidelines from Australia and New Zealand. You can choose from different types of stickers such as vinyl, PVC, and aluminium-polymer self adhesive sheets and different sign material too. Stickers designed specifically for safety uses within your company will receive a better response than some others like those which are used on vehicles because people will notice these more quickly in an emergency situation.
Conclusion
PPE signs are a great way to keep people safe on the job. They helps ensure that they wear appropriate safety equipment and reminds them about any hazards or risks. When designing these signs for your company, we focus on creating awareness of how important PPE is because it will save lives. The right type of customised sign for hearing protection, eye protection etc. will remind workers about wearing PPE during their work shift or any other hazards they may face while on duty.
Contact us today and speak to one of our trained staff on how we can assist in bringing your PPE signage into compliance, and get them up on display on site.