Safety tags are a critical element of physical workplace safety. It is a legal necessity to provide custom signs and labels to accompany your machinery and dangerous apparatus. Verbal warnings alone are never enough to encourage cautious usage of your equipment! Even if you’ve never considered safety tags for your workplace before, you’ll be familiar with some of the most popular designs. ‘Out of order’ notices are the most common tag, preventing avoidable accidents with faulty devices. To protect your employees and maintain a healthy workspace, here is your guide to using safety tags.

Appoint A Responsible Person

For cohesion between your safety signage, one person should be responsible for placing and signing off tags. Suppose you leave the role unfilled and try to spread the responsibility between employees. In that case, there is a possibility for confusion. Different departments can assume that other teams will handle errors! Poor communication will lead to problems remaining unrepaired and severe accidents occurring.

Your responsible person:

• Should be full-time, or incidents can occur while they’re not at work.
• Should be recognised by every member of your business as the accountable person.
• Ought to have health and safety training to quickly and correctly identify risks.
• Ought to be in a management position with authority.
• Must display impressive communication skills to keep the team informed and protected.

Buy Suitable Tags For Your Workplace Scenarios

There is a multitude of safety tags available on the market today. You can find electricity warning signs to prevent electrocution, all the way to caution labels informing staff of routine machine maintenance. While it can be tempting to buy every safety tag available ‘just in case’, you won’t need all signs.

The selection of tags you can choose from include:

• ‘Out of order’ or ‘do not switch on’ tags. Suppose machinery isn’t visibly damaged but could cause harm when utilised. In that case, you have a responsibility to inform staff it isn’t working correctly.
• Caution tags during maintenance. If you undertake servicing and repairs while staff are present, you must warn them to be careful. This tag is unnecessary when maintenance is completed after opening hours since staff aren’t present to be at risk.
• Adjustable ‘valve open/valve closed’ or ‘safe to use/do not use’ tags. Suppose your machine doesn’t visibly differ when in operation or waiting for use. In that case, you need to take extra precautions to educate staff on safe opportunities to approach.
• Inspection record tags. When daily inspection of dangerous machinery is necessary before work can begin, you can routinely update inspection record tags to inform staff they’re safe.
• Confined space tags. These tags should be externally displayed when there is a possibility of inhaling hazardous gases in a small space or getting trapped and asphyxiated by material.
• Ladder and scaffolding tags. Tags communicate what your ladders and scaffolding are capable of accommodating. If they can’t manage the weight of staff, they must be made aware.

Be Vigilant With Signatures

Safety tags often include a space for dates and signatures. In the constant possibility of a random health and safety inspection, the responsible person must ensure that all labels are correctly signed and dated. Incorrect dates could lead staff to believe machinery has been inspected more or less recently than it has been. Accurate records of servicing, repairs and maintenance help the workforce to make informed decisions on operating equipment, so it isn’t a matter to be taken lightly.

Documentation of signage, including dates, will keep your business protected in the event of an accident. You’re able to prove you’ve fulfilled your duties as an employer, and you’ve informed your staff of danger. The government can not put the liability for incidents in your hands if you make an evident effort to comply with the law around safety signs and signals.

Contact us at ScreenTec to develop your custom safety signage. Managing and protecting your workforce has never been more straightforward!