Graphic Products, Inc. — Published Articles
Construction Site Safety and Signage
July 27, 2011
Written By: Steve Stephenson
Industrial Hygiene News
Construction sites are rife with potentially dangerous scenarios. OSHA statistics back this up. For example, scaffolding safety makes OSHA's top 10 list every year with more than 10,000 scaffold-related injuries reported annually. An estimated 2.3 million construction workers, or 65 percent of the construction industry, work on scaffolds frequently. Frightening falls from ladders and scaffolds are generally due to improper construction or negligent maintenance including planks giving way, workers slipping and being struck by falling objects. Protecting these workers from scaffolding accidents would prevent 50 deaths every year.
Other significant areas of concern for injuries are contact with equipment and other objects, a category which includes trucks, cranes, bulldozers and other specialized construction vehicles as well as power tools and hand tools. Back injuries and injuries caused by trenches collapsing are extremely common among construction workers. Often, workers fail to use protective equipment or the equipment itself may break down.
Work-site safety requires that the site itself be adequately lit, stairways must be free of debris and materials and slippery conditions caused by spills must be cleaned up promptly. Workers are required to wear appropriate safety equipment including eye protection, hard hats and boots with steel toes. Weather creates additional hazards. Workers should not be permitted to work on exterior scaffolding when snow, ice or other materials create slick footing.
There are several considerations when deciding about construction zone safety signs and labels – compliance with OSHA and ANSI, the types of risk and hazards present and actual equipment and vehicles used on the construction site.
How and where signs and labels are used is an important step to establish throughout the entire site.
OSHA Compliant Safety Signs and General Construction Zone Safety
OSHA compliant safety signs must have rounded or blunt corners and no sharp edges, burrs, splinters, or other sharp projections. OSHA also specifies that attaching the sign to a wall, post or other supporting material not cause any hazard. For example, the ends or heads of bolts or other fastening devices must be located in such a way that they do not constitute a hazard.
OSHA does not define the size of the sign or of the lettering. They refer to the ANSI Z535.2-2002 standard for these specifications.
"There are specific color combinations for the signs, too," said David Simmons, Diversified Construction Safety. "If the customer decides to print their own, they should be aware of this requirement. I often see homemade signs on the site that are designed incorrectly."
In general, the wording on signs should be easily read and concise. Use as few words as possible. Wording should make a positive, rather than negative statement and should be factually accurate. Give people information to quickly understand dangers and take appropriate action.
OSHA Compliant Danger signs
When making danger signs, a design standard must be established. There cannot be any variation in the design of signs used to warn of specific dangers or radiation hazards, according to OSHA.
Red, black, and white are used for danger signs. There are two styles – the older style which had an oval circle containing the word "DANGER" or the newer standard referred to in ANSI Z535.2-2007 which states that Danger signs shall have the signal word "DANGER" in white letters on a rectangular safety red background placed at the top of the sign. The safety alert symbol shall precede the signal word. The base of the symbol shall be on the same horizontal line as the base of the letters of the signal word. The height of the safety alert symbol shall be equal to or exceed the signal word letter height. Existing stocks of safety tags procured to meet the previous editions may continue to be used and applied. However, these formats shall not be used for the procurement of new safety tags, safety signs, barricade tapes or labels.
OSHA also states that all employees must be trained so they know that danger signs indicate an immediate danger and that special precautions are required.
OSHA Compliant Caution signs
Caution signs are only used to warn about potential hazards or to caution against unsafe practices. OSHA requires that all employees understand that caution signs indicate a possible hazard exists and that proper precautions must be taken.
OSHA calls for the body of the sign to have a white background with black printing plus a panel at the top that has a yellow background with black lettering.
OSHA Compliant Safety Instruction Signs
The standard colors for safety instruction signs consist of a white background with black printing. A green panel is printed at the top with white letters.
Construction Site Communications
Punch sheets indicating construction defect or repair locations are one way site inspectors and project managers communicate with workers. Alphanumeric legend labels referring to particular areas require no translation and are an aid in bilingual construction sites. The goal is clear communications and order which save time and lead to a safer workplace.
Scaffolding and Ladder Safety Tags
For those in the construction, painting and window washing industries, scaffolding is a part of life. Scaffolds give workers access to elevated heights and stable work surfaces. Ladders are useful, too, when used safely. Basic ladder safety tips include the following:
- Never leave a raised ladder unattended
- Be sure all locks on extension ladders are properly engaged
- Straight, single and extension ladders should be set up at about a 75° angle
Scaffolding and ladder inspection tags indicate inspection due dates. Inspection tags communicate exact inspection requirements to employees. DuraTag custom tags attach directly to scaffolding and ladders for a secure display. Scaffold lockout tags protect workers from inoperable scaffolding. Red tags warn workers to not use scaffolds. Green and yellow tags show that the scaffold meets OSHA standards.
Scaffolding and ladder tags help ensure safety by indicating the condition of the equipment and potential dangers.
Advances in Printer Technology
The new mobile, battery-powered DuraLabel Toro four inch printer is an appropriate choice for construction site managers on the go who need to create and print labels and large signs which may need to adhere to metal, plastic, concrete or wood surfaces.
In construction zones where high visibility and critical communication are important, look for printers that can deliver the following:
- Ability to print on a wide range of durable and highly visible materials
- Labels longer than 22 inches
- Multi-part signs and tiling for signs and labels larger than 4 inches
- Ease of use and built-in operating instructions
More About Signs and Labels
There are occasions when printing your own messages requires adhering vinyl tape to a variety of surfaces found on construction sites. DuraLabel offers more than 50 types of supplies including a vinyl tape that's especially designed to survive longer in outdoor temperatures. This ½" to 4" width tape works well in temperatures from -22° Fahrenheit to 212°. Signs and labels must perform outside – in the freezing cold, in the rain and snow, under natural light, when splattered by mud.
Plastic sign blanks are a preferred backing medium for labels — offering strong and lightweight backing where appropriate labeling surfaces may be absent. Aluminum sign blanks also provide a strong and rigid surface for reliable sign mounting. Made of thick 0.025" aluminum, these blanks provide a clean and flat surface. Holes come predrilled at ¼" radius through each corner for easy attachment with nails, screws or pull-ties. Sign blanks are used to increase visual communication on chain-link fences and at other locations where sufficient sign mounting space may be limited. Temporary label and sign placement are another option in areas where work will take place for just a short time.
Warranties
DuraLabel, a leading global manufacturer of facility safety labels and printers, has released a new 5-year supply warranty to pro-actively address the importance of product longevity and reliability in the marketplace. The warranty states:
If labels made with DuraLabel Premium Vinyl fail within five years of purchase, we will provide a one-time replacement roll of the same supply.
The warranty applies to DuraLabel Premium Vinyl Tapes and DuraLabel XPressPeel Vinyl Tapes – the most popular vinyl labeling material used for applications such as construction safety, pipe marking, safety signage, arc flash, 5S labeling, and OSHA required labeling.
Conclusion
Everyone agrees that more safety training and other precautions are needed. Greater awareness of construction site dangers, increased access to training and clear, concise visual communications all add up to increased safety in construction site areas. The following websites will provide more information:
- www.DuraLabel.com for information about DuraLabel supplies and printers
- http://bit.ly/mSTICN for construction safety information
