Each year thousands of people die or are injured in safety-related accidents. Many more are injured needlessly. The tragedy is that many of these accidents could have been prevented with better signs and labels.

The traditional designs have changed little since 1914 but are finally undergoing an important shift. More information is being put onto a sign, symbols are more and more prevalent and the consequences of not avoiding the hazard should be added.

The reasons for the change are many, and can be summarized as follows:

• More than 40 million Americans cannot read this paragraph. And, it is the illiterate workers that are most likely to work in environments with a greater risk of injury or illness Americans are increasingly culturally diverse and English is not a first language.

• The vast majority of accidents occur in the first weeks at work and Americans now average seven jobs in their career.

• More and more signs are viewed outside of the factory floor. Substations, buried gas lines, medical labs all have signs. These signs are not just for trained factory employees but are being viewed by children, lab technicians, recent immigrants or service workers.

• An increasing number of hazards are hidden or have a delayed impact. Electrocution, asphyxiation, toxic gas are all hidden hazards; and, cancer, infertility, HIV, birth defects all have a delayed impact. Warning signs are more important than ever, but the message becomes more complex.

• The inside of today's factory is also much more complex than the factory of 40 years ago. Mechanical processes have given way to remote, electronic controls. The crash of a computer system can interrupt emergency responsiveness. Substation switches are radio controlled at a remote site. Traditional or stock signs and tags cannot convey this inevitable complexity.

• Warning signs are likely to be part of numerous other procedures: emergency response procedures, safety training systems, wayfinding systems, HazCom procedures, fire protection drills, etc. As such, warning signs are part of a complex system of postings that should not be unplanned or managed independently. They must fit into an overall communication scheme of a plant.

Also see:
    Case Studies
    Seven Secrets for Highly Effective Signs
    Sign Frequently Asked Questions
    Article on How Warning Signs Work
    Article on Legal Issues for Warnings
    White Paper on Warning Sign Design