We’ve got public holidays commemorating Christmas. Some of our public holidays commemorate major historical moments. Here in Victoria, we even have public holidays for sporting events!
If you ask us, there’d also be a public holiday commemorating the leaps and bounds we’ve made in workplace safety. We still celebrate Labour Day, after all (which as we all know commemorates the 8-hour workday) – why not celebrate workplace safety?
Unfortunately, we aren’t the ones calling the shots here, so for the time being, we’ll have to make do with World Safety and Health Day.
Taking place on the 28th of April, this day aims to raise awareness of workplace health and safety, and the measures that workplaces have since implemented that have helped save lives, as well as how workplaces around the world can improve.
In addition to things like OHS laws, that includes minor things like dangerous goods signs, emergency information panels, hazchem signs and other types of workplace safety signs!
World Health and Safety Day
While it may not be a public holiday exactly, if you work in a high-risk workplace, we suggest doing something to celebrate the leaps and bounds we’ve made since the days of working without PPE or any safety equipment at all (just take a look at these photos from the construction of the Empire State Building!)
Every year on the 28th of April, national authorities, trade unions, safety and health practitioners, as well as workplaces like yours come together to celebrate World Safety Day.
And with that date rapidly approaching once more, what better time to review your workplace safety measures than now?
Celebrating World Health and Safety Day in 2020
There’s no rule saying you need to celebrate World Health and Safety Day a certain way. You might choose to set up a lunch, make a speech or send out small gifts to your team.
Of course, celebrating World Safety Day this year is going to look a tad different owing to current social distancing measures.
If you’re still operating, respecting social distancing rules is probably the best way of celebrating workplace safety in 2020 – remember, illness is part of the workplace safety equation as well!
There’s never been a better time to review your workplace safety than today
If you ask us, you should be constantly reviewing your workplace safety measures. Policies should be updated, changes communicated and workplace safety signs kept clean and visible.
This should be an ongoing process – of course, that isn’t always possible. We know you have a lot on your plate, and sometimes, these things can slip through the cracks.
If there was ever a day to look them over however, it’s this one!
We suggest setting aside an hour or two of your time to inspect your site and go over your current workplace safety policies, as well as identifying ways to further improve workplace safety, such as…
Being mindful of your work environment
Every workplace has potential risk for danger and injuries. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a factory or an office – whatever it is, workers must be well aware of the nature of their work as well as the precautionary measures that they should keep in mind.
For example, an office might have to worry about tripping hazards, whereas a factory might be more worried about safety around heavy machinery.
Whatever hazards are present in your workplace, we suggest mulling it over and thinking about them.
Identifying these common workplace hazards can help business owners and employees evaluate their risk and take precautionary measures to avoid them:
- Physical hazards
- Chemical hazards
- Biological hazards
For example, say you run a factory, and part of the manufacturing process involves using hazardous chemicals. Part of your safety equation may involve hazchem signs, both around storage areas and loading areas.
Look at your tools and equipment
It’s the pride and joy of your workplace, responsible for your best work.
In some cases however, they can also be extremely dangerous!
To keep your workplace safe, look at the type of equipment on-site, as well as the associated risks and hazards associated with them.
Ideally, each staff member should learn how to follow manuals and observe safety practices when using tools and pieces of equipment required for the job.
Once you’ve taken stock of this, you’ll want to review your safety and operational policies regarding these specific pieces of equipment to determine if they’re adequate.
Look at safety equipment
Wearing the right protective equipment while working is a must for every worker. You don’t need us to tell you that such equipment lessens the risk of accident-related incidents that can put lives at risk of dealing with hazardous materials, situations and substances.
And we don’t just mean what types of PPE are mandatory at your workplace, either – if you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to build up a stockpile of PPE on-site, just in case workers forget to bring their own.
That can mean spare:
- Ear protection
- Hard hats
- Gloves
- Hi-vis vests
- Safety gloves
- Face equipment
In addition to PPE, it’s also important you consider your stock of safety equipment like fire extinguishers and first aid kits.
And while you’re there, does your workplace have enough mandatory signs in place to communicate the need for protective equipment? If not, our online sign shop stocks a huge range of workplace safety signs!
When was the last time you performed a safety brief?
Was it a fortnight ago? A month? A year?
Whenever it was, it was probably too long ago!
What better way to kick off World Safety and Health Day than by holding a morning safety brief? After all, there’s nothing wrong with giving your team the occasional refresher about workplace safety.
Don’t have time for the morning safety brief? Consider putting up a sign with all the most important points on it.
Our ability to print custom safety signs for your workplace extends to signs outlining workplace policy. Just tell us what steps your team needs to follow – we’ll do the rest.
Are you up-to-date with your workplace safety signs?
One of the most basic – and important – parts of the workplace safety equation? Workplace safety signs.
- Hazchem signs
- Dangerous goods signs
- Machinery signs
- Mandatory signs
- Emergency information panels
- Emergency safety signs
When seconds count, these signs tell people valuable information in a fraction of a second – something that can make all the difference in an emergency.
Of course, it isn’t just enough to ensure that your workplace is covered with appropriate workplace safety signs. There are many other things you’ll have to consider.
For example, location. Say you need dangerous goods signs for some of your stock. Just one question: where should these signs go up? Should they only go up outside storage areas? Or are they required elsewhere?
Another question is size. If you have long lines of sight in your workplace, you’ll need to ensure that your signs are visible (and more importantly, legible) from every different point.
Finally, are your signs in a suitable condition? After all, if the message is completely faded, they aren’t going to do much to keep your workplace safe!
These are just some things you’ll have to keep in mind when upgrading your workplace safety signs. Don’t forget that certain types of signs have their very own special requirements.
For an example, look no better than our bread and butter: emergency information panels.
EIPs follow a standard form that includes information such as:
- Substance name
- Appropriate class diamond
- UN number
- Hazchem code
- Emergency contacts
- Contacts for specialist advice
Whatever your requirements, Signsmart’s online sign shop has the sign for you. With a range of different signs available, you can trust us to keep you safe!
Keep your business safe with Signsmart’s range of workplace safety signs
With April 28th fast approaching, there’s never been a better time to give your workplace safety a review. After all, that’s the entire point of World Safety and Health Day!
And you can’t have a safe workplace without workplace safety signs.
Whether it’s hazchem signs, dangerous goods labels, emergency information panels or another type of sign, our team can help.
Signsmart works for all workplaces and industries, delivering high-quality signs that lessen the risk of accidents and legal action that can arise from an unsafe work environment.
Contact Signsmart today on (03) 9687 3050 or click here to flip through our catalogue.
You can also visit us for safety signage in Melbourne: pop into our office at 122 Whitehall Street, Footscray, VIC 3011.