Health and safety signage is a necessary part of any work environment. It helps you stay safe, and it keeps your employees on the right side of the law. But what if you're new to this whole health and safety thing? How do you know which visible signs to use, where to place them, or even how they're supposed to look?

That's where we come in. As seasoned professionals in the field of health and safety signage, we've worked with just about every kind of industry where sign visibility is important, meaning we can advise you on which signs are best for your situation and business. 

Health and safety signage is a crucial part of any business, whether you're a construction worker, a supermarket worker, or an office worker. But what if you've become so used to the signs that they stop registering? You could be putting yourself, and others, at risk of injury.

How Does Sign Blindness Work?

Sign blindness can affect anyone, in everyday life or the workplace. It's caused by the way our brains process information: when we see something every day, we stop paying attention to it. Studies have shown that people who are exposed to health and safety signage actually take longer to notice it than people who aren't as accustomed to seeing it. Sign blindness is especially dangerous in areas like construction sites or warehouses because those places often have numerous hazards: forklifts and heavy equipment, slippery floors from spilled liquids, etc. If you're not paying attention to those safety signs, you could hurt yourself.

Factory sign blindness occurs when people read signs but stop paying attention to them after seeing them regularly. This is especially common in a fast paced warehouse with forklift trucks and other heavy machinery. And it's not just an issue with safety signs; it can also be an issue with labels on equipment, containers of hazardous materials, or fading floor markings.

It can be easy to miss something because you're focused on getting things done quickly. Which is why it is important to ensure your employees are aware of the dangers they could face, with highly visible safety signage.

So how do we break this cycle? The answer is simple: projectedimage.com. Our services include custom projected signage for outdoor and indoor environments as well as a range of applications. We can also scale your virtual signage for your workspace, ensuring they look great no matter where you view them from.

Forklift Safety

In the United Kingdom, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for regulating and enforcing health and safety laws in the workplace. Here are some statistics on forklift-related accidents and injuries in the UK:

• According to the HSE, there were approximately 2,000 accidents involving forklifts reported to the HSE and local authorities in Great Britain in 2018/19.
• Of these accidents, about 1,500 resulted in injuries, including 63 fatalities.
• The most common types of forklift-related accidents in the UK are overturns, pedestrians being struck by forklifts, and collisions with other vehicles or objects.
• The HSE estimates that about 10% of all forklift accidents result in major injuries, such as fractures, amputations, or crushing injuries.

It's important for employers to provide training and supervision for workers who operate forklifts but also clear signage and high vis signs in warehouse and factory environments, ensuring forklifts are used in a safe manner. The HSE has published a number of resources on forklift safety, including guidance on training, risk assessments, and safe operating procedures. You can find more information on the HSE's website.

The Visual Stimulation of Projected Signs

Light is more visually stimulating to the eyes because it is able to activate the photoreceptors in the retina, which are responsible for converting light energy into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the brain. These photoreceptors, known as rods and cones, are sensitive to different wavelengths of light and are responsible for detecting features such as colour, brightness, and contrast. When light enters the eye, it is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina. Light is detected by photoreceptors and processed by the brain into the images we see.

With all of these facts put together, our virtual signage solutions can not only provide more high visibility signs and clear signage in warehouse and factory environments, but help to reduce accidents. If you would like high visibility safety signage in your factory or warehouse, then get in touch with our expert team who can help find the correct solution for your business’ needs.