It's the height of summer, the sun is shining, school is out and life is good. We all love making the most of summer, especially here in the UK, but that doesn't mean letting the heat go to your head! In terms of health and safety, the summer months (especially during the school holidays) are always a tough time for the emergency services. There's just something about the euphoria and freedom of the season, combined with unusually warm weather, that tends to make people neglect common sense, and forget health and safety. 

One of the biggest dangers to the public, vulnerable children and strong swimmers alike, is water. Whether it's an inland waterway, the beach, or even a public swimming pool, each of these spaces present their own unique hazards. To protect the public, it is essential that holidaymakers, day trippers, and even those just looking for a way to cool off, are reminded of the dangers posed by water,  whether it's the open ocean or a pleasure pool.

Here are a few of the water safety signs we stock at Label Source, along with their corresponding hazards:

No Swimming 

For some reason, the combination of heat and too much free time always drives people to swim in places they shouldn't. This is highly dangerous to even the most confident of swimmers, and is especially lethal to more vulnerable individuals, such as children and the elderly. Whether it's the threat of strong currents, thermal sock from exposure to cold water, or even the risk of illness from polluted water, certain areas should be made completely off-bounds to the public, as they are far too hazardous and unpredictable to guarantee a safe swimming experience. 

Do Not Run

Whether it's a poolside walkway or lakeside deck, water presents just as much of a hazard for those of us on dry land, as it does to those actually in the water! Anyone who's ever seen a lifeguard furiously whistling at a group of unruly children legging it to the pool, knows that the risks of slipping are ever-present around damp areas, and are even magnified if the flooring is shinny or covered in alge! To combat this, and reduce the chances of someone falling and injuring themselves, there should always be clear messages to warn individuals against rapid movements in slippery areas.

No Inflatables 

Some spaces just aren't suitable for certain types of aquatic equipment, and if this is the case, signs should be displayed to prevent members of the public from mistakenly taking them into the water. Inflatables, for example, can present a unique set of hazards in both open and enclosed bodies of water. If used in the sea, with the risk of wind and strong tidal changes, swimmers can soon be carried out to open water, where even experienced divers can come unstuck. In relation to small pools, the water may simply be too shallow to accommodate them, leading to accidents if people trip or fall from them. Their use could even cause the crowding and obscuring of water in small areas, which could make it difficult to spot an individual in distress. 

Lifejacket Warning Sign

Watersports are always popular during warmer months, and while enjoyable, they also present a plethora of health and safety hazards that must be addressed. From hitting rocks, to falling in open water, there are many risks to an individual's safety when taking part in water-based activities. This is why participants and activity providers should always be reminded of how important it is to be equipped with a lifejacket, which can act as an invaluable lifeline when things go wrong in unpredictable situations, which can go from fun to fatal in a matter of minutes. 

Don't forget to stay water-safe this season! Browse our full range of water safety signs here.

Arguably, one of the best things about our country, is the fact that we have so many sites of outstanding natural beauty and cultural importance, which the plublic can enjoy for free. It's fantastic that we can offer our tourists and countrymen a taste of our history without commercialisation, but it's also important to remember that without regulation comes risk. 

When a space is beyond the realm of regular monitoring and supervision, it only stands to reason that safety will be compromised, particularly in isolated areas with ageing structures. While some may say that the duty to act sensibly and safely remains with the visitor, this hardly seems like an adequate reason to exclude standard safety procedures from these highly popular sites.

Earlier this month, news broke that there had been disagreements amongst councillors and residents in West Yorkshire, after safety signs were erected on the site of the Top Withens ruins, known for their association with Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. The brightly coloured but not overly large signs were criticised soon after their installation, with many claiming that the addition spoilt the natural view. After much discussion and deliberation, Yorkshire Water came to the decision to remove and replace the signs, and are are currently working on a replacement that will 'blend in' with the landscape.

While I'm sure we can all agree that an appreciation of natural beauty is important, we can't help but feel that making safety signs 'blend in' completely defeats the object. Safety signs are meant to stand out to catch the eye of the reader, they are meant to be prominent in order for the public to comprehend their warnings. When safety signs are simply put in place in order to tick a box, they become completely redundant. Protecting public safety should always be a priority, and without warnings not to climb or deface the structure, this valuable piece of history could well be lost altogether! 

We can only hope that when the sign redesign is actioned, those involved will keep in mind that while it doesn't hurt to make it more visually appealing, the ultimate purpose should always be to preserve the important messages it is meant to convey. As far as safety is concerned, substance should always come above style.

When storing gas cylinders, it is important to remember that the cannisters can be extremely volatile due to the substances contained within, and must therefore be handled with the greatest amount of care. To prevent accidents involving gases under pressure, it is vital that these cannisters are correctly labelled and marked-out wherever and whenever present. It is also important t that these notices and instructions are clear and easy to comprehend, to prevent confusion and to give prudent notice of their location. 

Gas Cylinder Storage Signs 

To aid in the identification of designated areas to safely stock and handle gas cylinders, we stock a selection of gas cylinder safety and warning signs to provide instructions. These signs identify the contents of the cylinders and provide warnings regarding the increased risks associated with them, allowing you to alert individuals to possible dangers and guide responsible practice.

Gas Cylinder Tags 

To aid the handling and transportation of these cylinders, we provide gas cylinder safety tags, which indicate the use status of each particular container. This allows users to identify when the cylinder is full and ready to use, as well as highlighting when the cylinder is empty and unsafe for operation. For easy comprehension, these tags are also colour coded to provide a clear signal.

To see our full range of hazardous substances and chemical signs, click here.

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A recent audit revealed that Brenton Park School in Leeds was far from being up to date on their health and safety procedures, with worrying concerns in terms of fire and asbestos safety. Not only was their fire safety risk-assessment found to be unsuitable, but it was also revealed that the asbestos surveys were out of date, putting staff and students at risk.

While the school has since responded to these concerns by appointing a safety and facilities manager, it is worrying to consider the possibility and likelihood that there are many similar cases of neglectful health and safety throughout the country. As is the case with many schools, Breton Park's facilities are ageing, making it even more important to consider health and safety issues on a regular basis. When staff, and particularly students are being put at risk by insufficient health and safety procedures, questions must be asked about the quality of the institution overall.

To ensure that your school is performing to the best of its ability while ensuring the safety of staff and students, read and follow the list of 3 essential steps below:

• Assess: Make sure that all the required internal/external audits and assessments are completed, in order to identify any issues and ensure that policy is up to date.
   
• Inform: Make sure that all staff and students are aware of the fire safety measures, and make all relevant information visible via fire safety signs. If there is asbestos present in certain areas, be sure to use asbestos hazard signs to reduce the risk of someone coming into contact with the material.
   
• Communicate: Report any issues straight away, and encourage others to do the same.

To view our full range of Safety Signs click here, or follow us on Twitter for regular health and safety news and updates!

Christmas is know to be the busiest time of the year for traders, with everyone ordering presents and festive accessories for their homes. It can be a chance to inspire real loyalty in your customers, by providing a reliable service during a time of year when everyone is a little more stressed and eager for things to arrive. On the other side of the coin, it can also be an extremely risky time for retailers, who have to deal with a heightened volume of orders, making the process more time-consuming and problematic to deal with. 

To ensure that your shipping process is as efficient and error-free as it should be this Christmas, it's important that you stock up on the right set of packaging labels, in order to maximize your chances of delivering the best possible service to your customers. Here at Label Source, we have a variety of packaging materials to aid the process, allowing you to advise the correct delivery instructions for the products in a clear and concise way.

At Label Source we stock:

• Instructional Shipping Labels - Our Shipping Transit Labels give clear instructions on how to handle goods, in relation to the movement and storage of the items contained. We also provide Heavy Duty labels to withstand troublesome conditions.

• Visual Handling Instructions - Our Packaging Handling Labels give purely visual instructions, for easy comprehension. Alternatively, we also stock Self-Adhesive Packaging Labels without visual symbols, with short and concise phrasing.

• Dispatch labels - These labels give clear and easy-to-read instructions regarding the contents of a load, as well as its position in the ship cycle.

• Packing Tape - We stock a range of high quality packing tape with a selection of instructional messages to choose from. 

• Packing and Shipping Stencils - These stencils display many of the same messages as the labels, but are reusable and work particularly well for large items such as wooden crates.

To shop out entire range of Packaging Materials, click here.