Hi everyone

Could anyone please inform me on the effectiveness of safety signs and notice boards? I seem to remember a paper stating that they are only 1% effective in getting the safety message over?

Can I have your comments please?

David T

Hi David, I tend to agree with Ray.

The persuasion of operators to wear PPE does not succeed just through mandatory signs and noticeboard posters, it must be emphasised through team meetings, safety observation walkabouts, supervisors and managers wearing PPE in same situation etc etc.

When it comes to machines like lathes, drills, saws, I usually put quite small mandatory eyewear signs and 'warning moving parts' signs 3" x 4" in a suitable location where they will stay clean but be seen. The main purpose is to remind operators of course, to help reduce injuries, but I say to gaffers that these signs being part of workshop safety awareness training may also help to protect the company by reducing fines for work injuries....

Hi David

As Ray has stated not sure if you could easily determine the effectiveness of safety signs, as their effectiveness can of course be different for different people (individual hazard/risk perception etc etc).

But as also stated The safety Signs and Signals Regs require employers to provide specific safety signs whenever there is a risk that has not been avoided or controlled by other means such as engineering controls and safe systems of work. Where a safety sign would not help to reduce that risk, or where the risk is not significant, then there is no need to provide a sign.

For general safety information posters then I like to change these often; (as the site I work on has many different work areas I move them around and then take one or two out of circulation for a while and introduce new ones. I also introduce new signs relevant to any accident/incident that occurs. This regular changing of general information posters hopefully assists in stopping them just becoming wallpaper.

I also do not condone plastering all available wall space with posters, just a few in very obvious locations.

I agree with JFW, the trick is to change them regular and to target issues that are relevant to your industry. Try creating your own bulletins, get the workforce to buy into these.

David

Warnings sign may not be sufficient in the scenario you have described. I suggest you need to consider other means for keeping unwary members of the public and large vehicles separated and as you have suggested.

It's an interesting one to look at worldwide. We did some work in a far overseas location which featured some critical systems/equipment designed by a Japanese organisation. Their initial plan was in essence that safety critical stuff in public areas would have a sign on it saying "don't touch this". They couldn't understand why we would want it to be in a locked cabinet and the cabinet fenced off. The assumption seemed to be "but we've put a sign on it saying don't touch, so no-one will touch it, so why do we need all that".

I exaggerate slightly, but not terribly much - the original design did have equipment that could have been accessed and 'adjusted' by any member of the public that felt like it

quote=David T]Hi all,

Many thanks for your replies, I've a challenge in trying to prevent members of the public walking into an area where large vehicles operate but I cannot install a auto gate or afford to man the area, so I've been asked to install safety warning notices to prevent access.

I'm not having much success as you can guess.

Regards

Signs are low on the hierarchy of controls, as others say where the public is concerned they have even less effect. I hope you are aware of the consequences of not controlling the hazard of large vehicles when you know the public will access the area.
Sounds like an accident waiting to happen. The HSE will throw the book at you when it does.
There are lots of cases - one involving B&Q springs to mind.

Smurfy.
google it, you lazy sod! ;-)

I act for Solicitors in respect of Slip injury claims. One of the first things I do (before the pendulum comes out of the case)when entering premises is to check for incriminatory signage. I was in Court 3 weeks ago and produced a very nice picture for the Judge - "Caution Slippery Surface", right next to the spot where the elderly lady went flying. A "straight cough" as the Police would say.

Case was done and dusted in 2 mins flat - lady got £7,500