Safety Signs Blog

When it comes to ensuring safety and compliance in the workplace, public spaces, and residential areas, safety signs are a fundamental part of the equation. In South Africa, industries like manufacturing, retail, healthcare, education, and transportation must comply with safety regulations to protect employees, customers, and the general public. Whether you’re running a factory, managing a shopping mall, or overseeing a hospital, SANS-approved safety signs are indispensable in preventing accidents, ensuring smooth emergency evacuations, and fostering a safe environment for everyone. Let’s take a closer look at why safety signs are essential in different sectors and how they play a pivotal...

Logistics and warehousing operations are fast-paced and dynamic environments where safety must always come first. With numerous activities taking place, from the handling of heavy equipment to the transportation of goods, the risk of accidents is ever-present. One of the most effective ways to mitigate these risks is through proper safety signage. Safety signs not only communicate essential information but also help prevent injuries, protect workers, and ensure smooth operations. In this blog, we’ll discuss the 5 most critical safety signs every logistics and warehousing facility should have to maintain safety and boost operational success. 1. Warning Signs for Hazardous...

We’ve all been there: you’re walking through a workplace, minding your own business, and then—BAM! A bright, bold safety sign catches your eye. You might think, “Oh, that’s nice, but is it really necessary?” Let’s be honest, we’ve all been tempted to ignore a safety sign or two. After all, how dangerous can a “Wet Floor” really be, right? Well, turns out, quite dangerous. But hey, we’re here to lighten the mood with a little humor while still driving home why safety signs are absolutely essential. 1. The "Wet Floor" Sign: A Classic That Never Goes Out of Style This...

Personal Protective Equipment including safety signs (PPE) is one of the most essential components of workplace safety in the manufacturing industry. Manufacturing environments can be hazardous, with risks such as machinery accidents, exposure to toxic chemicals, falling debris, and more. Ensuring that employees comply with PPE standards is critical in preventing injuries and maintaining a safe, productive environment. But how exactly does PPE compliance influence workplace safety in manufacturing? Let’s dive into the key ways it makes a difference. 1. Reducing Injury and Fatality Risks The primary function of PPE is to protect workers from potential hazards that can cause...

How Emergency Evacuation Plans Can Save Lives in a Healthcare Facility in South Africa In South Africa, where healthcare facilities are vital lifelines for communities, ensuring the safety of patients, visitors, and staff in emergencies is essential. Emergencies such as fires, natural disasters, gas leaks, or infrastructure failures can happen without warning, and hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities must be prepared with comprehensive emergency evacuation plans. An emergency evacuation plan provides clear, structured protocols for ensuring the safe evacuation of all occupants in the event of a crisis. This isn’t just a legal requirement; it’s a moral responsibility to...

At risk of sounding dramatic, it’s safe to state that the humble warning sign saves the lives of road users on a daily basis. Without them, big trucks would become wedged in small tunnels, livestock and large wildlife would end up causing chaos on open roads and unsuspecting road users could find themselves flattened by landslides or worse, t-boned by a train.   Usually triangular in shape with a red border, white background and information displayed in black, these signs are placed on or next to the road to alert road users in a timely manner of potentially dangerous conditions...

With an attention grabbing, bright yellow background, Temporary signs are unique due to the nature of their use and can cover almost any category of road signs. Their purpose is to indicate that whatever information they display is merely temporary whether it be for a few minutes, hours or even months and that normal road conditions are not applicable.   Ignoring temporary signs carries exactly the same penalty as ignoring a permanent road sign. To ignore a temporary sign can be extremely detrimental to your safety. This is because they are most commonly placed to warn of road works, maintenance,...

  Let’s face it, none of us truly like to be told what to do, when to do it and how to do it. However, when you consider how many tons of metal there is racing down highways and winding through cities and suburbs, the only way to keep everyone safe (drivers and pedestrians alike), is to regulate the flow of traffic and the actions of road users. Regulatory signs exist to regulate and control, guiding our actions as road users and the flow of traffic, preventing us from or ordering us to perform certain actions. They thereby remind us...

Guidance signs are an aid to the road user. Their purpose is to help you with your navigation by giving early indications that you will soon reach a particular place. If the message is short, these rectangular signs are small. However, the signs used for guidance as well as directing can be fairly complicated and as such, are relatively big.   Guidance signs of a recreational nature tend to have a brown background with a white informational pictogram.     National Parks Attractions Provincial/Regional/District Parks Attractions Resorts Attractions Scenic Attractions Sports Attractions   Under the category of Guidance signs, there...

There’s no denying it, the past two years have been hard. Awful even. Isolation and loss everywhere we turn.   For many, Valentine’s Day is viewed with jaded skepticism. Twenty-four hours concocted by the retail industry to yet again plunder our wallets and this so soon after the stress of Januworry. The very concept cruelly targets single statuses highlighting loneliness and despair. And I would agree to some extent but if there’s something I’ve learned from 2020 and it’s frightful sibling 2021 it’s time to give back. To ourselves.   We’ve been through the wringer. Exhausted and bloodied by the...

Roads and their accompanying signs date all the way back to the Roman Empire who were the first civilization to build roads. Via Appia, or the Appian Way was the first and constructed in 312BC. Numbered stone markers (the first milestones) were made by the Romans and placed along the roads at specific intervals for travellers to make note of the distance still to be travelled. The first Traffic Regulation Act came into being in Europe in 1686 by the decree of King Peter II of Portugal. It was in the late 1870s and early 1880s that the first road...

Yes, we know, there is nothing aesthetically pleasing about a health and safety poster. No calming country scenery, remarkable retro geometrics or energetic cityscapes. However, if you wish to avoid costly fines and the ensuing legal backlash, displaying the following posters in your workplace is compulsory and will save you a lot of headaches down the road. The Employment Equity Act Summary chart (EEA) and The Basic Conditions of Employment summary (BCEA). and If you have five or more employees, then you also need to display a copy of the Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA) + Regulations.  and If...

The consequences of an unsafe workplace are significant. An employee can die, suffer permanent physical injuries or psychological trauma. The effects of a dangerous work environment affect employers as well. That’s why having the right safety signs throughout the workspace is critical to keep employees safe and employers away from legal cases. In some workspaces, it's clear what kind of safety signs are required. Still, in others, you may need a health and safety professional to help you determine potential harm and the need for a safety sign you may have missed. As an employer, the law requires you to...