When dealing with any hazardous material, it is always important that they are stored, handled and disposed of with great care. Neglecting to install the correct hazardous waste signs can be dangerous for people, animals, and the environment as someone may unknowingly allow the hazardous waste to be mishandled.  

By using hazardous waste signs, you allow for the correct handling of the waste, ensuring everyone’s safety. Here at Label Source, we provide a range of signs for all your hazardous waste signs, here are some we have on offer:

Hazardous Waste Sign 

A part of our environmental management sign range, this sign is a hazardous waste segregation sign. This gives an appropriate warning that people are in the presence of a substance that is hazardous. 

Danger Hazardous Waste, Handle With Care Safety Sign

Part of our asbestos and chemical multi purpose safety sign range. This sign makes it clear that there is hazardous waste which creates occupational risks when handling, processing or storing the material.

COSHH Hazardous Waste Contents, Handle With Care Sign

Part of our Control of Substances Hazardous to Health range, this sign allows you to add the content details or the hazardous waste. This ensures that all handlers can take the right safety measures when handling. 

If you need any advice on what sign best suits your requirements we are happy to advise. To talk to us about hazardous waste signs or any other query call us on, 0800 3761 693.

Quarries can be dangerous places, at the best of times, and the potential hazards are manifold, even if the site is operational or dis-used. Many of these hazards may exist where rock or aggregate is being extracted by a combination of drilling, boring, blasting or crushing. Some of these hazards for working quarries are outlined below, with links to Label Source products to create awareness of these occupational health and safety dangers.

Breathing hazards can be caused by airborne dust particles, which are a natural consequence of the quarrying process, and these can be combined with inhalation of engine exhaust fumes or fumes from welding  can lead to respiratory problems, particularly silicosis (from exposure to silicon particles).

Eye hazards can be caused by contact with dust, stone fragments or from on-site arc welding can damage the retina.

Ionising radiation hazards can occur from naturally released radon gas, and from the use of radioactive substances within instrumentation.

Non-ionising radiation hazards stem from over exposure to the UV in direct sunlight, and from the infrared and ultraviolet effects from arc welding which can affect those welding and others in the proximity.

Hearing hazards from excessive noise levels from plant, equipment, vehicles and blasting can lead to deterioration in hearing to deafness, or the onset of the hearing sensation tinnitus.

Vibration hazards can include HAVS (Hand arm vibration syndrome) from the continual handling of equipment such as road breaking hammer drills, angle grinders, chain saws and disc cutters, resulting in complaints such as finger blanching, pain, and permanent loss of sensation. In addition, whole body vibration symptoms can be caused from operating quarry vehicles and fixed plant, which can cause back and neck pain.

Skin complaints can lead to skin cancer for exposure to excessive ultraviolet light, and dermatitis from contact with oil lubricants, grease, solvents and bitumen.

Manual handling injuries can be caused by operating heavy quarry equipment, the manual shovelling of earth, clay and shales, and the lifting and carrying of heavy stones.

Weather hazards include operating in high or low temperatures, in excessive humidity, heavy rain or snow, and skin exposure to sunlight as covered above.

Other hazards can cover: Injuries from falling rocks; accidents to drivers and pedestrians from vehicle collisions, or overturning vehicles ; confined space incidents; injuries from slips, trips and falls; crush, entrapment, pinch and finger trap, punch or blade injuries can be caused during machine maintenance; explosion and fire hazards from explosives, primers and detonators, from flammable materials such as paint, thinners and cleaning fluids); and COSHH issues from chemical hazards, such as battery and hydrochloric acids etc.).

At the end of quarrying operations, while many of the above cease to be relevant, that does not mean that all safety threats end. Rather the type of risks change. Many result from unauthorised access to the quarry by children, bikers and quadbikers which can lead to safety issues from falling objects, entrapment from digging, falls from climbing, and injuries from slips and falls down steep surfaces or from cliff edges, and overturned vehicles. Flooded quarries can pose dangers from swimming or diving in deep, cold water, with strong under-currents and with the possibility of collisions with underwater obstacles.

Besides the above health and safety products, Label Source has supplied many asset tags for equipment, conveyor belts and rollers, electrical warning labels, maintenance labels and tags, traffic signs, and contaminated land signs. For further information on any of these products, please contact Label Source by e-mail (sales@labelsource.co.uk) or by telephone (0800 3761693 in UK, or + 44 1443 842769 if outside the UK).

It goes without saying that sharp objects can be very dangerous. Cuts and scrapes aren't merely painful; they can have serious consequences, including infection, blood loss, and even traumatic amputation (the loss of a limb or other body part because of an accident or injury).

For this reason, it is extremely important to clearly telegraph any sharps hazards on your premises. Sharps hazards come in a variety of different forms, and we at Label Source have a safety sign / label for just about every conceivable one - see below for examples.

'CAUTION - Sharp Blades' Sign

If your premises house a machine with sharp blades, this sign should be placed close to the equipment in question to warn workers and others of the safety risk. We also stock safety signs for machinery with rotating cutters or blades.

'CAUTION - SHARP OBJECTS INSIDE' Label

These self-adhesive dispatch labels can be placed on packages, bags, and cartons containing sharp objects (e.g. needles, blades) that might cause injury if handled improperly. The labels are made of flourescent paper for extra visibility.

Sharps Disposal & Needlestick Injuries Poster

In the unfortunate event of a needlestick injury (or an accident involving another type of sharp object), it's important to know how to react. Displaying this poster on your premises will ensure that the key information is always close at hand; the poster also features instructions for the safe disposal of sharp objects.

Click here to browse Label Source's full range of safety signs.

PP Construction Safety has reported that Martin Baker Aircraft Company Ltd - an ejector seat manufacturer - have been fined £800,000 after three workers developed debilitating lung conditions. The three engineering operators developed extrinsic allergic alveolitis after being exposed to the mist of working metal fluid for a large number of years.  The lung condition, also known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, is the body's allergic reaction to breathing in a substance and symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath and joint pain.

The workers had served for the company for more than 20 years, and were exposed to the working metal fluid mist for at least three years. The fluid is used as a lubricant and coolant in engineering processes. During these processes the fluid creates a mist, which in this particular case it has been inhaled by roughly 60 workers. One of the workers has been seriously affected by this incident, and he is now virtually paralysed by this illness. Another will never be able to work with the fluid again - a key material in the engineering industry. And the final worker must have measures in place to ensure he never comes into contact with the substance again.

HSE investigators found that the measures in place within the factory to control the exposure of the mist were inadequate. The company had failed to put in place a system of clearing away the excess fluid or providing extraction to prevent the build-up of the mist. There were also failings in the provision of health surveillance, which should have identified the issue early enough to ensure the company were able to put in place and monitor any appropriate safety measures. 

The company have pleaded guilty and were fined £800,000 and ordered to pay costs of up to £36,912.36. 

To ensure a similar incident doesn't happen to your company, ensure that there are suitable COSHH Signs have been put in place. To view our range of COSHH labels, click here.

Punch hazard signs are used to alert users to the risks and dangers of using industrial equipment such as punch presses and metal forming machines. The slide ram action on these machines can cause injuries to your hands when you're inserting the metal or other materials. Another way an injury can be caused is when a metal or other material is held or removed during blanking, stamping or during drawing production processes. These hazard signs are vitally important for preventing accidents!

We have two punch hazard signs available on our website; both are both available in either self-adhesive vinyl or rigid plastic, and they come in a variety of sizes. If you would like to view our choice of punch hazard signs, please click here. 

If you cannot find a sign that meets your requirements, please don't hesitate to contact us. You can get in touch with a member of staff by calling 0800 3761 693 or emailing info@labelsource.co.uk - we will try to solve any problems or troubles you may be experiencing.