It’s the law for construction companies to display safety signage on

their construction sites; put simply, they reduce accidents.

No matter what your role may be on a construction site, the most important thing is that both you and your co-workers go home uninjured at the end of the day. Construction companies must take the appropriate measures to ensure that their sites are safe places for visitors too. That’s why safety signage is not only necessary, but it is a legal requirement.

Since 1994 Australian Standards cover safety signs on construction sites. Today, Safe Work Australia maintains the national standard for occupational health & safety and ensures that all workers in Australia are qualified to recognise and understand the signage displayed in their workplace. It is so important to eliminate risks that every person employed on a construction site, must pass a practical test to prove their knowledge of each sign and understand why it is relevant. This qualification is called a White Card Certificate.

Because both the White Card qualification and site safety signage are uniform across Australia, this means that workers who hold a White Card can legally work on any construction site within any state in Australia.

AVOIDING HAZARDS AND RISKS

On a work site, it can be easy to become complacent but correct safety should be of the upmost importance.

Signs are important administrative control measures, which along with written procedures and supervision are crucial to maintaining site safety. Well placed signs serve as an important reminder to workers and help them to avoid everyday threats and hazards that can put them at risk.

Different signs have different purposes, and the use of different shapes and colours help identify everything from potential danger to mandatory safety instructions. The colour and design of each sign is stipulated in the Australian Safety Sign Standard or AS 1319-1994 classification and must be used in accordance with their specific function.

Below is a guide to the range of safety signage that provides important messages, notifications and information on construction sites:

INFORMATION SIGNS

Colour – Bespoke

This sign is often forgotten as it is not actually included in the safety signage test for the White Card Certificate. It is however, a legal requirement for construction sites to display the builders name, the name of the principal contractor, a contact telephone number – including an after-hours phone number – and where applicable, there should also be a notice to help visitors locate the site office.

It should be noted that there can only be one principal contractor for a construction project at any one time. A principal contractor is a PCBU. The PCBU is the contractor who commissions the construction project. Under WHS Regulation, each construction project (construction work valued at $250,000 or more) must have a principal contractor assigned.

It is also worth noting that the Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995 places significant responsibilities on principal contractors to ensure the safety of all contractors and visitors to a construction site. There are consequences for failure to display appropriate signage.

In WA, failure to display registration details can result in a fine of up to $25,000 and a non-compliant sign could cost as much as $5,000. In the event of injury or death, liabilities for failing to display the correct signage and non-compliance can amount to fines of up to $2 million and three years in jail for the directors and senior executives. So, it is imperative to take the time to assess and deliver precisely what signage is required on site.

As a leading safety sign service here in Perth, Corsign is happy to work with principal contractors to design any signage required. Our experienced team can help give your business the advice it needs and provide a cost-effective estimate. We will then look after the manufacturing of the signage and can also project manage the installation. For more information on our custom signage, please click here.

DANGER SIGNS

Colour/design – Red oval on a black rectangle with a white background.
Danger Signs are to warn of dangerous hazards or conditions that are likely to be life-threatening. A good example of a Danger Sign is DANGER – DO NOT ENTER or DANGER – HIGH VOLTAGE.

You will notice that on many other signs, such as Warning Signs or Mandatory Signs, symbols may be used to illustrate the notification in the legend. It is important to note that Danger Signs must display words to make the safety signage clear. Symbols may be used in conjunction with the danger sign.

Corsign is happy to assist you in the design and placement of the text and symbols.

EMERGENCY INFORMATION SIGNS

Colour/design – Green background with white text.

Emergency Information Signs will help draw people to a location in the event of an emergency. Highlighting to individuals both emergency related facilities and safety and/first-aid facilities and equipment.

A good example of these are EMERGENCY EXITS or FIRST AID site safety signage. FIRE EMERGENCY SIGNS

Colour/design – Red background with white/yellow text.

Fire Emergency Signs stand out with their vibrant red backgrounds. This is so that in an event of a fire emergency, you will need to find the necessary equipment quickly. As well as drawing your attention to fire safety equipment, Fire Emergency Signs can also indicate if there is a fire hazard associated with any particular materials used on site.

It’s here that the different shaped safety signage will determine the nature of the instruction.
A diamond shaped sign warns of fire hazards, whereas a rectangular shaped sign can indicate fire safety equipment such as fire blankets and extinguishers.

The FIRE EXTINGUISHER sign is perhaps the best and most frequent example of Fire Emergency Signs.

MANDATORY SIGNS

Colour/design – Blue background with white symbol.
Mandatory Signs highlight to workers various instructions that MUST be carried out. In fact, it’s

worth noting that these signs nearly always incorporate the word MUST in the message.

A good example of such Mandatory Signs is the instruction to wear PPE. Blue and white signs may indicate a requirement to wear googles, earmuffs, masks or other personal protective equipment within an environment.

Example – HEAD PROTECTION MUST BE WORN IN THIS AREA

WARNING SIGNS

Colour/design – Black text & triangle on yellow rectangle.

Warning signs should generally be used to display important, but not necessarily life-or-death information.

Designed to notify workers of electrical, chemical or mechanical hazards within a workplace. This might include anything from HOT SURFACE signs to HIGH VOLTAGE signs.

HAZCHEM SIGNS

Colour/design – Black image on a white background inside a red diamond.

Put simply, Hazchem Signs are a warning of HAZardous CHEMicals – hence the name HAZCHEM. Internationally recognised, this signage is prescribed in the “Australian Dangerous Goods Code” and will be displayed on storage containers and vehicles to indicate that dangerous goods, chemicals or substances are present.

PROHIBITION SIGNS

Colour/design – A black symbol within a red circle and bar. Prohibition Signs are commonly referred to as DO NOT signs.

Prohibition Signs indicate the individuals, specific equipment or materials that should not enter an environment.

Symbols on these signs might include a person, mobile phone, cigarettes, turning direction or an electric fence.

A good example is a SMOKING PROHIBITED sign.

RESTRICTION SIGNS

Colour/design – Black text or symbol with a red circle border.
If you are a road user, you will be familiar with Restriction Signs. These signs are used to control speed limits.

SIZE & VISIBILITY

Site safety signage is an important control measure and is best practiced to regularly review control measures, in order to protect health and safety.

It is important that safety signs are clearly seen and visible to everyone on site. Corsign is an expert in producing signs and installing them in accordance with the Australian Standards of signage.

Corsign will also assess the external or internal illumination of signs where the general lighting does not provide adequate visibility. As a rule of thumb, signs in poor lighting conditions that are not going to fall directly into the observer’s line of sight need to be increased in size by approximately 50 per cent. For more information on effective safety signs please take a look here.

At Corsign we work with industrial organisations, civil construction companies, the mining industry and local government and we have extensive experience in designing the right signs for each task. Corsign signs are cost-effective, lightweight, weather-resistant and durable. For more on our product range, please take a look at our safety signage page to assess which sign is the right sign for you on your construction site.

Get in touch with us to receive your customised Corsign quote today and our team will be happy to help.