Signs are an important part of any health and safety initiative, and one police officer has been demonstrating just how much difference a few safety signs can make with an inspirational safety campaign in Cambridgeshire.

Photograph from www.huntspost.co.uk

Sergeant Mike Jackman was one of the first officers on the scene when a 15-year-old boy named Rony John drowned in the River Great Ouse in July 2014. Sgt Jackman's first-hand experience of this tragedy prompted him to come up with a means of making Cambridgeshire's waterways safer, particularly for young people - when accidents do happen around large bodies of water, children and teenagers are the most common victims.

One year on from the drowning incident that claimed Rony John's young life, Mike Jackman has unveiled a new safety sign scheme of his own devising that makes it easy for people to get help in the event of an accident. The usual water safety signs are in place, of course...

...but Sgt Jackman has also added some signs of his own. These signs are positioned underneath the standard safety signs, and each one provides instructions on what to do in an emergency. For example:

In an emergency, dial 999 and say you are at site K

The thinking behind this system is quite simple: if a young person is drowning in a river or another large body of water, their friends are frequently unable to accurately identify their location to the 999 operator. Mike Jackman's signs make it easy for youngsters to specify exactly where they are when phoning for help, allowing emergency services to get there quicker and save the person or people in danger.

Every second counts in an emergency situation, and we think that Sergeant Jackman's signage system is quite ingenious. With summer now upon us, the temperature is high throughout the UK, and more and more people will be tempted to use rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and other large bodies of water to cool off. It is at this time of year that water safety is most crucial, so please obey safety signs at all times and, if you are responsible for public health and safety, consider going above and beyond with your signage system like the Cambridgeshire Police have!

Visit our Water Safety Signs page to browse and buy our comprehensive range of signs and notices for potentially hazardous bodies of water.

Slips, trips and falls are all too common in the modern workplace. The Health and Safety Executive has stated that they are "the single most common cause of major injury in UK workplaces", and that's not a not difficult claim to believe; not only can the fall itself result in severe injuries, it can lead to even more serious accidents if, for example, the victim falls into a piece of machinery or another hazard.

Here are some more statistics from the HSE:

• In 2013/14, slips, trips and falls were to blame for 29% of fatal workplace injuries
• Slips, trips and falls were responsible for 57% of all major/specified injuries to workers in 2013/14
• Over this period, a total of roughly 1.5 million working days were lost due to slips, trips and falls.

(Note that the phrase 'slips, trips and falls' covers a variety of different incidents, ranging from slipping on a wet floor or tripping over a loose floorboard to falling from height.)

So how can I prevent slips, trips and falls in my workplace?

We're glad you asked! With so many UK workers getting injured (or worse) by slips, trips and falls, employers need to everything they can to minimise the risk of a serious accident occurring. Here are some things that you can do to protect your employees:

• Use the correct hazard warning signs to make people aware of any potential risks (such as slippery surfaces, sudden drops, or trip hazards)
   
• Keep an eye out for any obstacles that could cause someone to trip over; common examples include bins, furniture, cables/wires, and desk drawers that have been left open
   
• Clean up any spills ASAP to prevent slips
   
• Always use a wet floor sign when cleaning is in progress
   
• If your employees are working at height, ensure that they are using the correct fall prevention equipment
   
• Train your staff to work safely and avoid slips, trips and falls (for example, do your employees know how to safely use a ladder?)

Visit our Slips, Trips & Falls department for more information and to purchase fall prevention signs for your workplace.