Keep signage clear

Modern distribution centres and warehouses need clear and precise identification that can be simply understood by all concerned but arguably it is outside in the yard area where clear and obvious signage is most essential, says Roger Williams, chief executive of UKWA

By law all companies are required to install clear signs to tell drivers and pedestrians about the routes they should use around their facility. But in or around any warehouse or distribution centre facility - where forklifts and lorries are in operation - clear signage is particularly important if the risk of a serious accident is to be minimised.

Road signs used to warn or inform drivers and pedestrians in private workplaces must be the same as those used on public roads, wherever a suitable sign exists. The HSE points out that drivers and pedestrians should be able to expect that the layout, signs, road furniture and markings on site will be similar to those on public roads.

Of course, warehouse operators should place signs where staff and visitors to their facility have time to see and understand them, and take any action to reduce risks before they reach the hazard.

The HSE recommends that signs are: clear and easy to understand; obvious enough to be noticed; clean and well maintained so that they are always visible; and reflective and lit if they need to be visible in darkness.

In addition to clear and easily understood signage that encourages safe vehicle operation, route markings can also help to instruct lorry and truck drivers to drive safely when on site. Route marking is also suitable to show traffic lanes, route edges, no-parking areas and places where pedestrians and order picking staff can safely walk.

It is advisable to renew road markings on site when they fade. 'Road-lining' contractors often charge a call-out fee, so it is usually cheaper to have them lay as much as possible in one go. However, this is not a reason for waiting to refresh dangerously faded markings and local authority highways departments are usually able to provide a list of local contractors capable of carrying out work while there are hosts of firms that specialise in providing interior warehouse floor marking schemes.

Today's increased emphasis on workplace safety extends to ensuring adequate safety precautions regarding warehouse floors. Putting in place such easy-to-achieve site safety measures as adequate signage, line marking and floor marking needn't be expensive, and can make an immediate difference in preventing accidents.