Here’s a question: what’s Australia’s most dangerous industry?
Surprisingly, it isn’t construction, mining or manufacturing – rather, it’s transport, postal and warehousing.
According to Safe Work Australia, transport, postal and warehousing accounted for just over 25% of all workplace fatalities between 2007 and 2016, just edging out agriculture.
Taking a deeper dive into the stats, and we find that over the same period, a whopping 38% of workplace fatalities involved vehicle collisions – no wonder warehousing and transport are so overrepresented (and all the more reason to buy traffic signs!)
Australia’s most dangerous industries, revealed!
Number 5: electricity, gas, water and waste services
- Fatalities so far (2019): 3
Clocking in at number 5, we have electricity, gas and water services.
This isn’t terribly surprising, given the potentially hazardous nature of what the industry deals with!
We aren’t talking about cases of electrocution either – sometimes, digging down and accidentally bursting the wrong pipe can result in fatalities (something that pipeline markers can help with).
Number 4: public administration and safety
- Fatalities so far (2019): 7
While the public administration side portion of this industry is relatively risk-free, the safety part comes with significant dangers.
According to the ABS, this sub-sector includes emergency services, private security, prison officers and military – all roles that see workers come into close contact with dangerous situations and individuals.
Number 3: construction
- Fatalities so far (2019): 9
Another result that’s hardly surprising, as construction workers often find themselves working from heights or handling heavy loads and machinery. This is why construction sites are so strict with PPE like helmets, steel-toed boots and safety lines.
If you run a construction site, you’ll need mandatory signs on-site outlining exactly what’s expected of each brickie, subcontractor or visitor. Click here to buy mandatory signs online.
Number 2: agriculture, forestry and fishing
- Fatalities so far (2019): 15
All three of these sectors involve working with heavy machinery such as combine harvesters and woodchippers. As such, each carries a significant risk of injury – or worse.
In particular, forestry workers may suffer head injuries from falling debris, while sheep, beef cattle and grain farming make up two-thirds of all farming-related fatalities.
Number 1: transport, postal and warehousing
- Fatalities so far (2019): 20
As we mentioned above, transport, postal and warehousing workers spend a lot of time either on the road or working near moving vehicles. And as any driver knows, there are many risky and careless motorists out there.
You never know what might happen while you’re out on the road. While you might be driving safely, there’s no accounting for other motorists.
Needless to say, this can be dangerous when large vehicles are involved!
Keeping your transport or warehousing business safe
If you operate a warehouse, transport, delivery or logistics company, you’re no doubt starting to get a bit nervous.
Thankfully, you aren’t helpless – there are several measures you can take to keep your drivers and warehousing staff safe…
Set a speed limit
Depots and warehouses often restrict a driver’s view of potential hazards and bystanders. Not to mention, lanes can be tight.
As such, we recommend setting the speed limit at a low speed – we suggest 5 km/h for inside warehouses and loading bays, and 20 km/h limit for parking and access roads.
This gives drivers more time to react, and reduces damage in the event of accidents.
At Signsmart, we also stock a wide range of traffic signs for direction, traffic flow, crossings and more.
All of these help inform visitors about the traffic rules and conditions at your yard or warehouse, thereby keeping your staff safe.
Mark out traffic direction and lanes
Good signage can do more than make your warehouse or depot safer, however – used properly, signs can also make your operations smoother!
In particular, signs help direct the flow of traffic.
Large warehouses have to worry about traffic jams – by setting up entry and exit queues as well as designated waiting areas (identified with traffic signs, of course), you can keep things running smoothly.
So as you can see, signs are invaluable… and not just from a safety standpoint!
Separate vehicle and foot traffic
Even with a safe speed limit implemented, danger still lurks. The only way to be sure? Keep vehicle and foot traffic separate!
If space allows, we suggest organising your depot or warehouse so that foot traffic and vehicle traffic never share the same space.
For shared spaces, consider installing in-floor bollards and safety barriers around footpaths and entryways to protect pedestrians.
Finally, crossings should be clearly marked with reflective paint, traffic signs and flashing lights.
Ensure your vehicles are fitted with appropriate signs
In addition to mandatory retroreflective markers, transport signs can prevent problems such as tailgating.
At Signsmart, we make a range of transport signs. That includes reflective signs that say “if you can’t see my mirrors, I can’t see you”.
This immediately alerts other drivers and discourages tailgating.
That’s just one example of how buying transport signs keeps your drivers safe while they’re out making a run!
Safety signs for hazardous materials
While the majority of accidents in the transport and warehousing industries occur on the road, they aren’t the only ones.
For businesses that work with hazardous and dangerous materials, ensuring your cargo is handled safely is just as important!
At Signsmart, we produce a range of hazchem labels and dangerous goods signs. These can be applied directly to containers, telling drivers exactly what precautions need to be taken.
Additionally, we also custom-print emergency information panels in the case of a spill or leak.
Tell us your safety procedures and we’ll print a tailored EIP that lays out your emergency procedures – our team can adapt an existing design or creating a 100% custom safety sign.
Click here to buy dangerous goods signs and labels.
Traffic signs and more: how Signsmart helps you create a safer business
We don’t just educate you about traffic signs and their meanings!
At Signsmart, we’re all about safety. Our business is making your business safer for everybody involved.
And we firmly believe that appropriate signage is part of the solution.
Signsmart works with all sorts of businesses – we provide safety and traffic signs for businesses all over Australia.
This has given us an in-depth understanding of workplace safety requirements in a range of industries. We can advise you on your workplace safety procedures, including traffic signs and their meanings.
Not to mention, we manufacture, stock and dispatch safety signs all over Australia – we know a thing or two about warehouse and traffic safety!
Feel free to browse the rest of our site to learn more about traffic signs and their meanings.
Otherwise, you can call our team on (03) 9687 3050, or click here to buy transport and heavy vehicle signs for your warehouse or freight business.
