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In 1996 regulations were brought in to force in the UK which requires all businesses to have the relevant health and safety signs in place where there is a possible risk to people. But at no time should businesses use these signs as a substitute for putting the relevant safety systems and engineering controls in place. There are a wide variety of health and safety signs that employers need to be aware of along with how they should be used. In this article we take a look at some of the signs that businesses should be displaying at all times and which comply with the Health and Safety (Signs and Signals) Regulations that were brought into force on the 1st April 1996. 1. First Aid Signs - These should show where either first aid or rescue facilities are located if required. Where the first aid signs are situated should also show where a first aid kit has been placed to be used for small emergencies. Also these signs should explain what needs to be done in the event of an emergency along with any emergency contact numbers. 2. Fire Safety Sign - These will be located at various points around a building and will provide information as to where escape routes are for evacuating the building in the event of a fire. These signs should also provide details of where any equipment to fight fires with is located and how the equipment must be used. 3. Prohibition Sign - These signs show what behaviours are prohibited as they may not only put the person at risk doing them but also those around them. 4. Mandatory Sign - These ones require people to follow certain procedures and there are many different types of signs that fit into this group. Some of the more common kinds you will see is the request that hard hats must be worn at all times on construction sites. 5. Warning Sign - Such health and safety signs are designed to show that there is a clear risk to a person's health and safety. These signs will be used in many different places and again most likely on construction sites, factories or science facilities. In this article we have taken a look at the kinds of health and safety signs that must be displayed today in the UK. Should these signs be displayed incorrectly or not at all a business is at risk of being fined quite substantially. Also all such signs must be maintained. As you can see there are a number of things to think about when it comes to health and safety issues in the workplace. You must also display the various health and safety signs to ensure that you are compliant with UK law. One of the main ones is fire signs which also have their own laws to cover.
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