According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), there were 555,000 estimated non-fatal injuries to workers in 2017/2018 and 71,062 reported by employers during the same period. 420,000 of these led to injuries which required up to seven days of absence from work, and 135,000 required more than a week off.

HSE also reports, under RIDDOR in 2017/2018, slips, trips and falls on the same level accounted for 31% of reported accidents, handling, lifting and carrying 21% and 10% were caused by being struck by a moving object. Falls from height and acts of violence were also key causes.

A year previous, the total cost of workplace injuries and ill-health was reported to be £15billion, with injury contributing towards 35% of this at £5.2billion. The majority of these costs fell on individuals, but both employers and the government also felt the effect.

Overall, there has been a general downward trend in the number of self-reported non-fatal injuries over the last two decades, which is great news for health and safety and everyone affected. However, we believe these numbers could be decreased further with appropriate safety signage.

How to Prevent Slips, Trips and Falls

If you’d like to learn how to prevent slips and falls, then we have some top tips for you:

1. Run a risk assessment – ask employees about known hazards and identify problem areas through hazard-spotting.

2. Clearly mark hazards using appropriate signage and labels.

3. Keep your premises clean and well-kept, clearing spillages asap.

4. Ensure the correct protective clothing and safety footwear is worn.

5. Make a record of hazards and what you have done to rectify them. Also, encourage staff to report near misses.

Please note: We always recommend referring to The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 for legal guidance.

The Importance of Appropriate Signage

You may be surprised at how much impact a sign can make; in some cases, it can save a life.

In November 2018 a construction company was fined when a chauffeur fell to his death at a home that was under construction. The chauffeur stepped onto a blue tarpaulin that was placed over a void to prevent water leaking in and fell.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive said that the company had failed to use adequate construction site fencing and there had been no warning signs.

HSE inspector Rauf Ahmed added:

“This tragic incident could easily have been prevented. Builders need to take adequate measures to prevent unauthorised access into construction sites and prevent persons falling into open basements.”

A danger, deep excavation symbol and text safety sign could have certainly notified the deceased of the basement excavation in this case, and possibly prevented his fatal fall.

Avoid the Consequences by Utilising Safety Signage

Whether you want to notify passers-by of a wet floor or workers of excavation, we’re sure to have a suitable sign or label in our extensive range here at Label Source. Do your bit to prevent accident and injury occurring by investing in warning signs for slips, trips and falls.

You probably see warning symbols like the ones pictured above practically every day. Granted, some people - such as those who work in labs or hospitals - will see them more often than others, but even if your job seldom exposes you to hazardous substances and situations, it's still important to know what these symbols mean. You never know when that knowledge might come in handy!

So how well do you know your warning symbols? Below, you'll find 10 standard warning symbols (all of which can be found in our Warning Symbol Labels department) - all you have to do is name the hazard that each symbol identifies. We bet you can't get them all!

1) Can you guess what this big black cross means? Click here to find out! 

2) This warning symbol is commonly seen in certain films and video games - if you don't already know what it means, find out here!

3) Come on - this one's easy, right? Answer here.

3) Reckon you know what this warning symbol means? Click here to find out whether or not you're correct. 

4) Exploding hot dogs? Something to do with cricket bats? Find out the true meaning of this symbol here. 

5) Three wavy lines. What are they warning us about? Find out here. 

6) Right, we've been going easy on you so far. Here's a tricky one - find out what it means here! 

7) Confused? Click here to learn the meaning behind this assemblage of lines, arrows and fingers. 

8) Slightly easier, this one - you've almost certainly seen it before, but what does it mean? Find out here.

9) More wavy lines! What do they mean? Answer here. 

10) We'll end with a nice easy one. We're really hoping you know what this means - check your answer here!

So...how did you do?

0-3 points: Oh dear! Perhaps you need a warning symbol of your own?

4-7 points: Must try harder!

8-9 points: Good work!

 10 points: Safety superstar!

Need to brush up your knowledge? Head over to our Warning Symbols department and do some revision for next time!

Warning symbols are everywhere. Those black-and-yellow triangles can be found in offices, on construction sites, at your child's school, and sometimes even in seemingly gentler places like parks and swimming pools.

But do you know what those symbols mean?  The ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) strive to ensure that the imagery used on warning signs and labels is as simple and as straightforward as possible, and yet you'd be flabbergasted by the number of people who can't name a common hazard from its corresponding warning symbol.

With that in mind, let's have a quick health and safety lesson - all of the following symbols are used internationally, and each one can be found in Label Source's Warning Symbol Labels department. Would you have known what they all meant?

Here's an easy one to start with - this is an electrical warning symbol, used to warn of hazards that may cause electric shocks or electrocution.

This hot surface warning symbol is somewhat less common, but it's just as important - used correctly, it will help to prevent burns and other injuries.

Do you know what this one this? It's a harmful hazard warning symbol, specifically for chemical hazards.

You may never have seen this particular symbol, but it is quite common in hospitals and laboratories. It's a laser hazard warning symbol, and given how dangerous laser radiation can be, it's another one that's very important in many cases.

Did you know all of these? There are plenty of others in our Warning Symbol Labels department - click here to expand your knowledge further!

You might think that electrical warning labels are only used in power stations and other industrial environments, but electrical hazards are all around us, and they all need to be properly labelled. By using the standardised black-and-yellow labels to identify potential electrical hazards, you are greatly reducing the risk of electrocution and injury by electric shock. This alone should be incentive enough, but consider also that unauthorised tampering with your electrical installations could severely damage your crucial equipment.

With all of this in mind, you need to stock up on electrical hazard labels if your electrical supplies aren't yet properly marked. Here are some of the relevant products that we supply:

 Voltage Labels

These laminated, self-adhesive labels are used to denote specific voltages (e.g. 240 volts), or simply to warn of non-specifc high voltage

Equipment Labels

These labels are used for individual items, such as computers and other electrical appliances. They gives specific instructions for the safe use of these items.

Electrical Warning Labels

We also sell a range of electrical hazard labels for general use around potential threats.

Click here to browse Label Source's entire range of electrical hazard labels and signs.

When you need to mark hazardous goods or dangerous substances, to ensure safety in the workplace, and protection of the environment, choose from our extensive product range. Label Source has numerous, suitable health and safety signs and labels, complying with the latest legislation, international regulations and best practice.

Whether you handle, process, store or transport hazardous materials in either solid, liquid or gaseous form, it is essential to clearly identify the contents, to protect workers, the emergency services and the general public.

Spills, incidents or accidents can result in injuries, ranging from minor to death, from explosions, fire and chemical burns from dangerous goods. These substances have been classified by the United Nations, and appear in a range of legislation including COSHH (Control of substances hazardous to health), GHS (Global harmonised system of classification) and CLP (Classifying, labelling and packaging regulations).

Therefore, our ranges of labels and signs are suitable for marking chemicals stored in bulk containers, pressure receptacles, tanks, drums, canisters and dispensing equipment, as well as production, storage and handling areas. Workers can be made aware of the risks from the hazardous goods and dangerous substances, such as toxic, corrosive, explosive, oxidising, flammable, irritants and hazards to human health and the environment.