Safety visuals are an important part of your Safety and Health Management System. They notify individuals of where various things are in the event of an emergency and procedures for handling an emergency situation. OSHA sets standards for these visuals in various procedures, but it is important to have a unified system in place to ensure all visuals are up to code and are properly tracked and updated as needed.

The first step in setting your system is to learn which visuals are needed where. Visuals include everything from detailing where fire escapes and fire extinguishers are to the proper use of emergency doors or stairwells. So you need to evaluate your workspace and determine which standards apply to you, and thus which visuals you need to incorporate into your facility.

Next, you need to find the actual visuals you want to use. To do this, you should find a qualified company who can discuss the visuals you need and how to best display them. Once you order your visuals and place them, it is often a good idea to have a third party safety audit, to both ensure you have all of the visuals you need and to ensure they are properly placed.

Once your audit is complete and you are up to speed, you should keep track of your visuals, make sure they are not damaged, and make sure you change when OSHA standards do. Annual safety audits can help you keep track of changes that you miss, providing an extremely helpful service.

If you have a need for a comprehensive safety visual review, or if you feel it is time to update some old signs, please contact us and we will get you up to code. If you have any suggestions for others on what to look for in safety visuals, please leave a comment.