Making Your Safety Signs Relatable
Why do you need to post safety signs in your workplace? There are a number of reasons. And good reasons for custom safety signs, too.
First, there are legal requirements for safety signs. If you don’t have the right ones in the right spots, you could be dealt some hefty fines. Second, they serve a real-world purpose. Safety signs alert your employees to hazards and requirements so that they can remain safe in the workplace.
That’s a pretty good reason to have safety signs.
But, many safety signs come in standard shapes and colors and use the same verbiage. After a while, they become so commonplace that employees stop noticing them altogether. Those generic signs are meant to speak to everyone. Custom safety signs can help. There’s a great quote by Meredith Hill that says, “When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one.”
One of the best ways to make your signs effective is to make sure they are relatable for your employees. Here are three ways you can make custom safety signs that will speak to your workforce.
1. Go Custom
You don’t have to settle for the standard signs you’ve seen for decades anymore. With today’s custom safety sign options, you can create your own signs. Why bother?
- Choose your colors – Nothing draws the eye to a sign more than color. Instead of the standard red/white or yellow/black combos your eyes are used to you can choose colors that pop and stand out from the background. It’s a sure way to make your signs more noticeable. However, keep in mind the OSHA and ANSI safety color requirements.
- Choose your shape – Choosing a different shape is another way to draw the eye to a sign. It doesn’t have to be outlandish, just different from the norm. Imagine seeing a triangular stop sign. You’d probably look twice!
- Choose your size – Find the right size to fit the space you have or go as big as you want to get that message across.
2. Get Branded
You stay true to your brand in your marketing. Your website, ads and emails all have the same style and look. Why not your safety signs?
With branded custom safety signs you can use language that your employees are used to and associate with your company. Plus, with your logo and colors on safety signs, you’re sending a powerful message that your company is fully invested in the safety of its employees. That speaks volumes.
3. Be Inclusive
Do you have a significant number of employees that primarily speak a different language other than English? Make sure they can read and understand all of your safety signs by including their language. There’s no clearer way to make your signs relatable than to make sure they speak the same language as those who need to heed their warnings. Custom safety signs can help here, too.
Maximizing Effectiveness of Your Safety Signs
In 2019 a total of 5,333 workers died from work-related injuries in the U.S. That’s the most since 2007. Another 2.8 million workers suffered nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses. Having the proper safety signs in place in your facility reduces your risk as well as keeping you compliant with OSHA regulations.
Finding ways to make sure your signs are relatable to your employees improves the likelihood that your employees will notice, read and comply with the signs’ directives. That’s maximizing your safety signs’ effectiveness.
If your goal is to create a true safety culture in your workplace, leveling up to custom safety signs is a great investment toward that goal.