Having the correct signs and labels on machinery is crucial to creating a safe work environment, especially when working around dangerous machinery. Health and safety signs, remind employees/ visitors of what action or precautions they need to follow to remain safe in the work place and what particular hazards may be involved with working in, or visiting a hazardous area. 

Having health and safety signs around the work place is proven to keep your workforce safe, and when there are no signs or safety precautions employed by the company this is when fatal accidents can, and often do occur. 

At a pellet making factory in Nottinghamshire, George Major was cleaning materials that were causing a blockage from an industrial blender when the machine unexpectedly started up. 

Investigation into the incident found that the safety guard had been removed from the blender and the machine had not been isolated and locked off from the electricity supply, it was also found that there was no clear line of sight the from the controls station into the machine itself. And that there was no system of work or instructions for isolation or instructions to lock off isolators, when the machine was not in use. 

Unfortunately, George Major’s accident was fatal but could have been avoided quite easily with the correct training and signs in place. 

Here at label source we have a range of Safety Lockout labels, Tags and Signs specifically targeting the prevention of a fatal accident like at the Nottinghamshires Pellet factor. Our range of safety lockout signs ensures the safe maintenance, servicing or overhaul of working machinery, plant and equipment. 

For more information about our Lockout products you can get in contact with us by telephoning 0800 3761 693 or emailing us on info@labelsource.co.uk 

For many years, Label Source has supplied a diverse selection of labels, signs and tags for healthcare equipment and devices for medical, bioscience and clinical applications.

They include labels for function, safety and electrical (PAT) testing, calibration, validation, and asset management. Many are used for preventive maintenance,  and servicing to provide safe and effective utilisation of healthcare patient monitoring equipment, including; infusion pumps; dialysis machines; x-ray equipment; PACS (MRI, CT scanners, ultrasound etc.); blood pressure monitors; ECG machines; capnography products; spirometers; pulse oximeters; cardiac and vital sign monitors; defibrillators; microscopes; powered wheelchairs;  and treadmills.

Customers include NHS hospitals, private hospitals, care homes, dental practices, GP surgeries, clinics, laboratories and clinical research facilities for applications including monitoring, diagnostic and therapy equipment for medical electronics and electrical engineering or biomedical engineering.

Some of these labels include standard label ranges such as write and seal labels and calibration labels. Others are designed to customer specification and comply with user applications, and can combine a diverse range of information including customer details, contact information, use and safety instructions, and in the case of inventory management incorporating serial numbers or barcodes. Labels can be created to provide scratch and chemical (swab) resistant, and adhesion on many surfaces including low energy plastics and stippled finishes.

For further information contact us by e-mail at sales@labelsource.co.uk or by telephone using 0800 3761693 (Freephone) or +44 (0) 1443 842769.

The biological hazard sign was first created by Charles Baldwin in 1996 for the Dow Chemical company. It is now the world recognised symbol for a biological threat and used on signs and packages worldwide.

The purpose of a biohazard sign is to alert people of a potential threat to the health of the employee or a visitor. However, you need to ensure you apply these signs properly.

Discover all you need to know about biohazards signs in our guide below.

Biohazard Signs, Explained

As mentioned, biohazard signs help to protect people from biological agents and pathogens. They are used on packages, volatile areas and to cordon off places like labs.

Examples of a biological threat, or biohazard, include: viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi and other microorganisms. Some examples of viral biohazards include:

• Influenza
• SARS
• COVID
• Tuberculosis
• Hepatitis
• MRSA
• AIDS
• Waterborne infections
• Food poisoning

To signpost these biological risks, the biohazard symbol is used. Biohazard signs always include the biohazard symbol in a yellow triangle with a black graphic for heightened visibility. Sometimes you will see the word “biohazard” along with the words “Danger”, “Warning,” or “Caution”:

These should be used correctly to inform the person of the level of infection.

Caution Signs

If the biological risk is small, and will only cause a minor illness, or if the agents are not associated with disease in healthy adults, then the caution sign should be used.

Warning Signs

If the hazard is mid-level, or if the disease is rarely serious, then the warning sign should be employed.

Danger Signs

If the risk is high-level, serious or lethal, then danger signs should be used. 

Where Are Biohazards Typically Found?

Biological hazards are commonly found in places such as hospitals. You will find biohazard symbols around their medical waste areas, and even some of their more specialist departments, if they are considered biologically hazardous.

There is a wide range of biological hazards, from bodily fluids to animal carcasses to dangerous viruses and pathogens. You may find biohazard signs and hazards at veterinary practices, zoos, health centres and research laboratories.

What Jobs Are At Risk of Encountering Biohazards?

Certain jobs are, naturally, more likely to encounter biohazards than others. Examples of vocations that are most likely to encounter biohazard risks include:

• Agriculture workers
• Vets
• Doctors and medical workers
• Zookeepers
• Sportspeople
• Waste management roles
• Fishermen
• Miners
• Hunters
• Scientists and laboratory personnel
• Forensics and policing

As you can see, biohazards can affect numerous industries to different degrees, meaning biohazard signs have a multitude of uses.

The Importance of Biohazard Signs

Biohazard signs are important for one key reason: they keep people safe. Sometimes, biohazards aren’t obvious. Most of the time, they can’t be seen with the naked eye. This means signs are of paramount importance to prevent exposure to and inhalation of dangerous materials.

If there is a risk that someone may be exposed to a harmful disease, then signs must be present to alert people of the potential biological danger and to remind people of the correct health and safety precautions to follow.

Biohazard signs label waste, evidence, dangerous areas, labs and other places where biological material, animals or pathogens could be found.

Without signs, people would be walking blindly into potentially dangerous areas.

How to Dispose of Biohazards

Central to managing biohazards is ensuring they are disposed of properly. Signs often help with this by labelling evidence bags and waste bags to ensure they aren’t accidentally opened.

Overall, disposal of biohazards must factor in:

• The necessary PPE to put the hazard in the waste.
• A biohazard container to conceal and protect the waste. Examples include plastic evidence bags and plastic boxes.
• Application of the correct biohazard labels to signify the severity and danger of the biohazard.
• Using the correct waste disposal.
• Partnership with a dedicated biohazard waste disposal professional. General waste should never be used to dispose of biohazardous waste.

Browse High-Quality Biohazard Signs Today

If you’re handling biohazards, then you need reliable Biohazard Safety Signs. Our range of signs displays information quickly and efficiently, all in a high-quality, durable package.

If you have any questions about any of our label ranges then please contact us by emailing info@labelsource.co.uk or telephoning 0800 376 16 93. 

Hazard warning signs are sign that warn us about a potential hazard or danger we should be aware of when we are visiting or working in a certain area i.e. confined spaces, or working with certain gasses, chemicals or harmful materials such as asbestos. 

 The signs used let us know exactly what danger you could be at risk from, for example; 

• Fire hazards 

• Confined space 

• Asbestos 

• Laser hazards

• Radiation 

• Biological hazards

• Slips, trips and falls 

• Overhead hazards. 

Hazard signs play an essential role in protecting your staff and visitors from potential accidents. Hazard signs are used to forewarn people of potential dangers. It is important to us Hazard Warning Signs when you have done everything you can to prevent an incident, but there still is a significant risk of an accident. It is important not to use too many signs as this can cause confusion.

There are 3 different levels of hazard warning signs; 

Danger – should be used to alert the person of the highest level of hazards, if this sign is ignored it could result in serious injury, or in some cases death. 

Warning – These signs should be used to make the person aware of a mid-level hazard, if this sign is ignored is could result in a serious injury, or a possibility of death. 

Caution – the caution sign should be used if there is a low level hazard present in the area, if this sign is ignored it is not likely to cause minor injury. These signs should not be used if there is a risk of serious personal injury or death. 

Here at Label Source we stock a large range of Hazard Warning Signs, including General Hazard warning Signs, Fire hazard warning signs, confined space warning signs, Laser hazard warning signs, Asbestos warning signs  and much more. We produce all our Hazard warning signs to the highest standards meeting UK, EU, ISO EN 7010 and international standards. To view our full range of Hazard Warning Signs click here. 

In the unlikely event you can not find the particular sign you are looking for please contact us by telephone on 0800 3761 693 or email info@labelsouce.co.uk and a member of our specialist customer service team will assist you. 

There are two main forms of labelling where security and product integrity are key application features. The label options tend to be destructible vinyl, often called tamperproof, which fragment on attempted removal, and tamper evident polyesters, where a pattern (void, checkerboard, chainlink etc.) remains if labels are removed.

Destructible vinyl labels have a combination of low tensile strength and high tack pressure sensitive adhesive. If the label is tampered with it will break up into small fragments, thus preventing the label being removed intact and able to be transferred to another object. The adhesive is suitable for use on a variety of surfaces including contoured, lightly textured, powder coated or low energy.

On any visual inspection it is evident that there has been an attempted breach of the product integrity. Therefore this material lends itself suitable for applications covering warranty, service or calibration seals, asset labels and asset tags (including serial numbering, or barcodes) and safety instruction labels. The labels can be manufactured to include company logos, and bespoke details as well as the fore mentioned barcode or number identification.

Tamper evident labels can be used for similar security applications, where the label will divide into a pattern within the material which will remain on the object surface, while the non-patterned section can be removed. Therefore, once again this type of label cannot be removed intact and replaced elsewhere. These self adhesive polyester materials are available with a selection of patterns including the more popular void and checkerboard. Again these can be used for asset labels, asset tags and product integrity and security purposes. The added advantage of custom printed labels using tamper evident polyester is that they can be laminated with a clear laminate to provide extra chemical, UV (ultraviolet) and abrasion resistance.

These labels or markers are used in manufacturing, retail, distribution and commercial sectors. Some of our standard ranges include asset tags and serial number labels, barcode labels, tamperproof calibration labels and tamper evident calibration labels.

Labels can be produced to customer specification in an extensive range of shapes and sizes. For a quotation to produce the most suitable product to meet your needs, contact us on e-mail sales@labelsource.co.uk or by telephone freephone 0800 3761693 or +44 (0) 1443 842769.