Did you know that construction is the sector with the second-highest rate of self-reported workplace injuries? In a survey of 100,000 workers, 2,640 reported receiving an injury in a construction job during 2022/23, with only the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors reporting a higher number of injuries.
This should come as little surprise, as construction sites are notoriously hazardous due to the volume of heavy machinery, building materials and unfinished surfaces that are commonly present. When it comes to potential risks, there are few worksites with as many present as there are in a construction setting.
Mitigating risk is therefore an essential duty of all employers, and safety signs are one of the main tools at their disposal in creating a safer work environment.
The cost of not implementing safety signs
All employers in the UK are bound by the Health and Safety (Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, which established that safety signs must be provided if there is a significant risk that can’t be avoided or controlled in another way.
Wherever there are potential risks in the workplace – such as moving objects or falling hazards – an appropriate safety sign should be prominently displayed. These signs should be placed at eye level, be large enough to be readable and be properly illuminated if in a poorly lit area.
Where safety signage is not present the risk of potential workplace accidents rises sharply, as does the liability of the employer.
The annual estimated cost of workplace injury rose to £20.7 billion in the 2021/22 business year, a 10% increase on the previous year’s figure. If that trend continues then the UK economy looks set to lose a significant sum, even without taking into account the loss of productivity that comes with injury.
Individual employers also stand to lose significantly if they fail to take the appropriate measures to prevent workplace accidents and injuries. 124,000 workers who suffered workplace injuries in 2022/23 were absent for more than seven days in the wake of their accident – absences that could have potentially been avoided with proper signage.
The importance of construction safety signs
In both business and personal terms, it’s clear that safety signs have the potential to prevent significant disruption. Installing and maintaining construction signs is a small investment compared to the costs these safety measures have the ability to save.
There are four major types of safety signs, all of which have a place on construction sites. Yellow signs highlight causes for caution, blue inform workers of mandatory actions they must take, red signifies danger or prohibited actions and green brings attention to emergency equipment.
Each of these areas is important for promoting safety within the workplace, with yellow and red warning signs in particular calling attention to things which have the potential to cause injury.
The effectiveness of safety signs is enhanced by taking measures to educate all staff on their meanings, ensuring that the message of each sign is properly understood when they enter the workplace.
While construction sites will always be hazardous working environments, there’s no excuse for employers not taking steps like installing and maintaining safety signs in 2024, knowing the high cost of workplace injuries.
