When promoting safety, the use of signage is often not the best choice. Ideally workplaces should eliminate or guard against hazards, instead of relying on a worker to see, understand, and apply a safety message.
If signs are to be used in the workplace, some factors which may influence the effectiveness of signs include:
Viewing distance (Is the worker close enough to the sign to read it?)
Illumination (Is there enough light on the sign?)
Legibility (Are the words and images readable? Are they obscured in any way?)
Clarity of the message (Can the worker understand what the words mean?)
Conspicuity and placement (Does the sign capture the workers attention?)
Image details (Do the images clearly show the danger of certain actions?)
Reading time (How long will it take the worker to read the sign?)
Visual acuity (Is the worker's eyesight good enough to read the sign?)
Perception factors (Does the worker have the background knowledge to understand the sign?)
Below are the two examples of ineffective signage involved in two fatal incidences.
What happened?
In a recent incident, an operator was troubleshooting on a brake pod. He moved underneath the elevated box of the truck to work on the brake pod located in the midsection of the truck. The elevated box then proceeded to slowly lower, crushing the worker, who was unaware of the changing location of the box.
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