Why Safety Decals and Warning Labels are Important to Your Business

If you're an industrial business, the risk of an employee injuring themselves is elevated simply because of the nature of their jobs or their work environment. You want to protect your employees and your business, and you can help negate any risks by having properly placed safety decals and warning labels.

1. Reduce the Risk of Injury

New employees or people who are not familiar with the business' layout have an increased risk of injuring themselves simply because they're not fully aware of the risks. If you take the initiative and install bright, clear safety decals and warning labels, you're decreasing the chances of someone injuring themselves. This risk reduction is good for your employee's health as well as good for your business's bottom line because you won't have to pay out workman's compensation payments or try to scramble to find people to cover the injured employee's shifts.

2. Stay in Compliance

OSHA regulates and requires businesses to have warning labels and safety decals on certain things to stay in compliance with state and national standards. For example, if your business manufactures or ships hazardous chemicals, you're required to label them all properly by industry standards.

3. Quickly Locating Safety Equipment

Most of your employees won't think about specific safety equipment or where you keep it until they need it or you're conducting a drill. This can lead to slower response times, and if it's an actual emergency, this could be disastrous. Attaching safety labels onto your specific safety equipment, and using the labels to direct your employees to said equipment can increase response times. This is also an easy and cost-effective way to get your business more organized.

4. Orientation and Training Benefits

If you have safety decals and warning labels in the appropriate places, your employees that are orienting and training can quickly look at or read them and know what they are. This can also act as a deterrent if someone isn't supposed to be around a piece of machinery or an unsafe area in your business.

Types of Safety Labels and Warning Decals

There are several different types of safety labels and warning decals for industrial businesses to use today, but they all fall into three general categories.

• Building and Facility Labels. This type of safety sign is one of the most common, and chances are you've seen them. They're put in place to remind people of everyday hazards they may encounter in and around the property. You may see safety labels warning of sudden steps, closing doors, wet floors, icy patches of sidewalk, or to wear proper clothing or footwear.

• Fire and Emergency Exits. Your local fire department will monitor your business at least once a year to ensure all of your fire prevention equipment and safety signs are current and up to code. These particular safety labels should always have capitalized text in bold red color, with a small picture to indicate direction or proper use. Your business should also have back-lit EXIT signs above all of the doorways that lead outside.
• Machinery. Any equipment that you have in your business that has even the slightest potential for injury should have clear warning decals or safety labels. This includes electric, heavy, or mechanical equipment and machinery. Your warning decal or safety label should inform your employees or visitors of any specific risks that come with operating that piece of machinery. These labels should be durable, resilient to wear and tear, and frequently updated to prevent them from wearing out.

You want to protect your business and your employees and visitors from being injured while they're on your premises, and safety labels or warning decals can go a long way in accomplishing this goal. Always make sure they're easy to understand, bright, and in an obvious spot where people will see them. This will reduce your chances of an accident or injury.