When you think of workplace dangers, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
If you’re like us, you think of warehouses, factories and petroleum companies – they are our main clients, after all.
However, they aren’t the only ones. If you remember high school chemistry, you’ll also remember that labs present many dangers, owing to the equipment and chemicals you’ll find in them.
And with these hazards, comes a need for workplace safety signs!
Whether it’s hazchem signs, mandatory PPE signs or any other type of sign, good signage is a crucial part of lab safety.
Laboratory hazards and risks (and what types of workplace safety signs you need)
Biological hazards (and how to protect your team with signs)
And it isn’t just medical labs, either!
Many laboratories test and store samples from plants, animals and humans. If these samples are carriers of bacteria and other viruses, lab personnel may be at risk of biological hazards.
Given current circumstances, this particular risk is looming large in many people’s minds!
The best way to protect against this risk?
- Mandatory PPE
- Decontamination and sanitising procedures
How do you communicate these? With lab signs, of course.
Mandatory signs are some of our biggest sellers here at Signsmart. Many workplaces have procedures or rules that their employees MUST follow, so no wonder we sell so many of these signs.
These signs can mandate gloves, goggles, face masks and more.
As for decontamination procedures, each lab has a different process. Luckily, our team also produces custom safety signs for situations just like this.
Tell us what needs to be done to keep the lab safe, as well as the proper response in the event of exposure – we’ll create a custom sign that outlines and clearly communicates all of this information to your lab workers.
Chemical hazards (and how hazchem signs keep your workplace safe)
When you think of the word “lab”, you often start thinking of chemicals and acid, bubbling away in beakers and test tubes.
In many cases, these chemicals are hazardous!
In addition to taking care while handling them, your lab should also ensure that they’re stored and transported safely as well.
Enter, hazchem signs and emergency information panel.
These signs are a crucial part of chemical safety, warning your lab workers about:
- The characteristics of your chemicals
- How to clean up a spill
- Your fire risk
- The risks associated with each substance
- Proper storage requirements
Hazchem signs should be installed primarily near your chemical storage areas. This ensures that they are properly stored and handled outside of the lab.
However, it doesn’t end there – you should also put up hazchem signs near the front entrance of your lab, as well as on the containers themselves and fences if your storage area is outdoors.
Your hazchem signs can be enhanced by GHS signs that outline the specific hazard posed, as well as signs that help locate spill kits and first aid.
Learn more about where your hazchem signs should go.
Physical hazards (and how signs can prevent accidents)
So far, we’ve focused exclusively on things that can go wrong with the substances your lab specialises in.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can forget about slips, falls and accidents!
Labs aren’t immune from accidents. In fact, when accidents happen at a lab, the consequences can be dire – what if someone trips WHILE holding a beaker of acid?
Accidents happen anytime. That’s why they should be prevented.
And signs can help.
In particular, caution signs can be used to warn workers about the hazards present, as well as against environmental hazards.
For example, you might fit your lab out with signs warning about:
- An unexpected step
- Congested areas
- Wet floors
- Stairways and low door frames
Another good idea is to set up prohibition signs that ban any especially dangerous items or behaviour. Obviously, you don’t want open flames – however, these signs can also be extended to include phones, or open-toed shoes.
Equipment-related hazards
Lab hazards aren’t just chemical in nature. In many cases, they are the result of lab equipment.
We’re talking about things like:
- Bunsen burners
- Sterilisers
- Ovens
- Test chambers
- Lasers
Many of these come with inherent risk and danger, and thus they need safety signs to warn against them.
You’ll want to ensure that the piece of equipment in question or its storage area has an appropriate caution sign and dangerous goods signs and labels in a highly visible location.
Say there’s a small chance of radiation exposure with one of your ovens for example. In this case, that means a radiation sign hung up right next to it.
Do you need laboratory signs? Contact Signsmart today
Whether it’s hazchem signs, caution signs or any other type of sign, we’ve got the range to keep your lab covered!
When it comes to lab safety, emergency safety signs are essential. If you’ve only just realised you don’t have all the signs you need, you need to act, fast.
Luckily for you, Signsmart’s industry-leading turnaround ensures that your lab doesn’t have to go long without proper sign coverage.
We stock a huge range of pre-made signs that minimise waiting time. In many cases, we’re able to get signs to you by the following day (and sometimes, even sooner).
Even our custom-made signs don’t take too long to arrive at your front door!
For signage that keeps your lab safe and compliant (and which doesn’t take forever to turn up), call Signsmart today on (03) 9687 3050 or fill in the form today.
