The no smoking debate and legislative battles around banning smoking in public areas is thought to be a modern construct, but funnily enough, this debate has run for over 500 years.

The first recorded example of smoking being banned came in 1575, where the Roman Catholic Church barred smoking tobacco in Mexican churches. In the UK, King James I signed an anti-smoking treatise in 1604, A Counterblaste to Tobacco, raising taxes on tobacco to prevent the rise of smoking. What is seen as a modern health and safety scare is, really, a battle that has been fought for hundreds of years.

However, the science behind the dangers of second-hand smoke in public places and the workplace is much more recent. With the rise of advertisement and tobacco lobbyists in the early twentieth century, the dangers behind smoking were concealed for many years. Nowadays, in Britain, smoking is banned in all public workspaces, as a consequence of several laws: Health & Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005, The Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, Smoke-free premises (Wales) Regulations 2007, and 2006 Health Act for England. But why is smoking banned in these spaces and why are no smoking signs so important?

The Dangers behind Second-Hand Smoke

The research behind second-hand smoke suggests that it is more dangerous than direct smoking. Non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke in the workplace see their risk of lung cancer increase by 16-19%.

Employers have been held liable for exposing workers to unnecessary second-hand smoke; exposing workers to this type of smoke puts their long-term health and your long-term finances at risk.

Thankfully, there is overwhelming proof that smoking signposting and segregation measures work. A report in September 2018 by the University of Stirling found that there has been a 97% reduction in second-hand smoke over the past 20 years in Scotland. This reduction is as a direct consequence of the smoking ban, which required much more diligent uses of the “No Smoking” sign than ever before.

This hasn’t been a long-term effect, either. Immediately following the ban in 2007, bar workers – those who were most likely to be exposed to second-hand smoke, saw an immediate decrease in respiratory-related illnesses. In a review commissioned by the Department of Health in 2011, a 27% decrease in these illnesses post-ban, were recorded.

In essence, if your workplace does not have clearly signposted “No Smoking” signs and a segregated smoking area, then you are putting workers at risk. If your business is a public place, then there is a significant risk of exposure to your customers. It is illegal and liable to a fine or loss of licence for your business.

The Law

The no smoking ban was introduced on July 1^st 2007, making it illegal to smoke in all public enclosed or substantially enclosed spaces, areas and workplaces. This ban includes public transport, along with train station platforms.

In order to comply with the law, businesses must “display ‘no smoking’ signs in all workplaces and vehicles”.  As a result, it is the business’s responsibility to ensure appropriate ‘No Smoking’ signs are put up, as well as signposting the designated smoking area, preferably away from any doors and windows.

Local councils are responsible for enforcing this law, usually dishing out fixed penalties for those found breaking the ban. These bans extend to both the individual and the business:

• Businesses can be fined up to £2,500 for not preventing people from smoking or up to £1,000 if they don’t display appropriate No Smoking signs.
• Managers are responsible for smoke-related incidents on the premises.
• Individuals and workers can be fined up to £200 for not adhering to the ban.

Where to Place a No Smoking Sign

The law is pretty clear-cut on where to place a No Smoking sign. Following the Smoke-free (Signs) Regulations legislation of 2012, at least one legible “No Smoking” sign must be displayed in public premises, workplaces and vehicles.

However, it is up to the business to ensure these signs are placed in the right places. Generally, businesses will need more than one No Smoking sign up and fit specific specifications. Typically, signs must follow these specifications:

• At least the same size as an A5 piece of paper (21cm x 14.8cm)
• Must have the internationally-recognised No Smoking symbol in the centre, complete with the red circle and bar.
• The text “[no] smoking in this premises” must be somewhere on the sign. “Premises” can be replaced for the name of the premises in question (bar, café, factory, etc.)

In addition to the above, businesses are encouraged to have a smoking area clearly labelled with a “Smoking is permitted” sign, ensuring any on-site smoking occurs in this area.

Smaller secondary signs may be used to supplement this main one, too, but the minimum specifications can be easily met by our range of No Smoking signs at Label Source.

Label Source has a 25-year pedigree in the industry, alongside our No Smoking signs, be sure to check out our extensive range of warning signs and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest health and safety news.

Warning signs – commonly referred to as caution or danger signs - fall under specific categories, namely electrical, hazardous materials, environmental dangers and dangerous environments. As a result, these signs are immensely important as they warn against workplace risks that have a direct impact on human life. When proper warning sign protocols are not followed, the costs are immensely high in both cost and human life.

Before deep-diving into the costs of warning signs, it’s important to be clear on each type of sign and their meanings:

• Warning signs – may result in injury or death
• Caution signs – tends to be damage to a product
• Danger signs – a major threat to life

The costs of improper electrical signs

There was a 15% increase in workplace electrical fatalities in 2015-16, a major sign of a worrying trend: ignorance of proper warning signs. The majority of these injuries – 53% - took place in the construction industry, with younger workers 2.3x more likely to be the victims of this type of injury.

Electrical injuries can fall under a wide umbrella of terms, including electrical shock, thermal burns, muscle injury and electrical burns. These injuries can be properly circumvented by proper use of workplace danger signs and a firm understanding of their meanings.

On average, those who suffer from electrical injuries take 5 days off work. When extrapolated over the working population, this equates to hundreds of thousands of days lost in sick pay and manpower. In essence, signage pays.

The costs of improper hazardous signs

Hazardous materials account for a significant portion of workplace injuries in the UK. Usually, these are long-term injuries, with the HSE estimating that, yearly, around 13,000 deaths from occupational lung disease and cancer are caused by past exposure, primarily to chemicals and dust, at work.

Much of this exposure is via accidental spills, usually from human error and materials not being labelled properly. The result is a cost in the millions for NHS treatment. Whenever a hazardous material or chemical solution is spilled, it must be properly signposted and quarantined. There should be a process in place for safe cleaning and removal should be strictly followed.

Biohazard information is difficult to obtain given its place in geopolitical politics and public safety. Labs, though, despite their strict protocols, had 400 accidents with dangerous pathogens over a 7-year period, with 196 of these cases coming from a “loss of containment” with 77 spills.

Spills and accidental losses of containment usually come from incorrect signposting and a lack of training, potentially costing a lot of money, lives and, in the case of biohazards, a nation’s safety.  

The costs of improper environmental signs

Properly signposting and labelling hazards in the environment is of paramount importance for workplaces, especially where working at height is common. In 2013-2018, 26% of all fatal injuries in the workplace came from falls from height, most of which could have been avoided with proper environmental warning signs.

The second-highest cause of workplace fatalities is being struck by a moving vehicle. Again, these injuries could have been avoided through proper environmental signage, particularly on factory floors where workers need to be made aware of forklift traffic channels and loading bays.

Label Source has a number of warning signs suited to environmental hazards which can, when augmented with proper training and re-training, help prevent this number of fatalities from growing.

Workplaces must ensure warning signs are used if they are required; an employer simply cannot avoid putting labels in place.

These types of consequences are not short-term, either. Asbestos, for example, is still a major issue in the modern world, with its effects coming from both improper signage of asbestos areas, as well as poor safety equipment or removal.

Asbestos should always, without excuse, be labelled with an appropriate asbestos sign. We stock plenty of these at Label Source in a variety of sizes and designs.

Label Source has a 25-year pedigree in the industry, so browse our extensive range of hazard warning signs and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest health and safety news.

Workplace Health and Safety Signs Stop the Most Common Workplace Accidents

Injuries at work can happen for a multitude of reasons, but there are some commonalities in workplace accidents in the West. Workplace health and safety signs are put in place to combat the most probable causes of workplace injury; despite this, businesses often still follow improper practice, leading to injuries occurring often.

Having the correct variations of labels and tapes is an important first step in ensuring your workplace is following HSE standards. Otherwise, you or your workers could fall foul to one of these common, sometimes career-threatening, risks. Find out how to identify and control these risks below:

Working at Height

Working at height accounts for 20% of fatalities in the workplace. When working at height, there is always a risk, but this can be reduced by using proper safety protocols, labelling and due care. While the impact to employee health is paramount to a business’s concerns, falls from height can put significant strain on finances and manpower; falls from height account for 230 cases of over-3-day sick leave per year which equates to a lot of money wasted.

Ladders are the largest culprit, accounting for 40% of accidents. Ladders should be regularly inspected by an appropriate ladder inspection record label, but this will not eradicate all possibilities of height-related accidents. Risk factors such as the flooring, positioning ladders near exits and carrying heavy loads contribute, also.

Signs to notify the need for a safety harness, fall arrest equipment or to signpost sudden drops need to be displayed when necessary. 

Ideally, limiting the frequency and requirements for working at height should take priority. Unfortunately, this isn’t a luxury afforded to all workplaces, but making small steps such as cleaning high areas with a foam jet cleaner or moving stock to ground level can make a big difference.  

To supplement proper training and re-training, your employees can stay brushed-up on ladder and height safety via well-placed work at height guides.  These health and safety signs and symbols simply cannot be absent in a modern workplace.

Electrical Risks

Even in workplaces where electrical hazards aren’t obvious, injuries can still occur. A voltage as small as 50V can cause significant consequences to a worker, especially those with pre-existing conditions. 

Preventing electrical injuries is easy with correct labelling. Voltage labels should display the correct measurement on all electrical equipment, instructions for use and risk labels. If workers are notified of these dangers and trained, the potentially fatal consequences of this workplace injury can be prevented.

Forklift and Transit Accidents

In 2017, it was estimated that 25% of workplace transport injuries are a direct result of forklift truck accidents. Usually, accidents occur from improper walkways, poor storage of goods at height, overworked drivers and improper labelling.

Many transit-related accidents can be avoided by correctly labelling how to stack goods with a forklift and identifying clear walkways, as well as being vigilant of transit and forklift speed.

In order to properly signpost areas of the warehouse check out our range of shipping labels, forklift hazard signs and sound horn labels.

Slips, Trips and Spills

Accidental slips and trips in the workplace seem inevitable, but the majority of these cases are not down to human error, but human oversight. On average, they cause 40% of all major injuries in the workplace, the majority of which are avoidable.

Fall prevention signs should be displayed in all places of employment, even ones that aren’t immediately at risk of fall injuries. Non-signposted wet and polished floors, poor lighting, uneven steps, loose carpeting and trailing wires all contribute to this constant t cause of workplace accidents. Our comprehensive stock of signs and labels relating to slips, trips and falls covers all the bases of this ever-growing workplace concern. 

All workplaces have a duty of care for their employees, so don’t skimp out on high-quality labels and signs. Label Source has a 25-year pedigree in the industry, so browse our extensive range and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest health & safety news.

The “Digital Age” is reliant on speedy access to data, and lots of it. A key part of the infrastructure network needed to transfer this information is via optical fibre cables.

These cables use light pulses generated by lasers or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to transfer data that support telecommunications, the internet and cable television.

The cables are formed of a glass core and have distinct advantages over traditional copper wiring. They have a considerably wider bandwidth, their smaller diameter allows more fibres to be fitted in each cable diameter, and there is no interference between the glass-stranded fibres located in the same cable.

Thus, fibre optic cables provide not only a higher quantity of information transfer but also retained high quality.

On the downside, fibre optic cables are much more fragile and need to be protected from accidental damage. Figuring out how to work with fibre cables is essential for preventing damage to equipment and yourself. More...

Unlike most modern inventions, we can track the history of warning signs all the way back to the prehistoric era. Many cave drawings, hieroglyphics and druidic symbols can all be traced back to some sort of warning sign, similar to warning and hazard labels today. While health and safety seems like a modern construct, labelling and signalling dangers has been present in all of human history.

The Romans, for example, were the first to adopt warning signs for roads, using stonework to measure road distances and hazards. Medieval times had them too - tradesmen of all descriptions required stone tablets outside of their businesses in order to qualify for a licence. It turns out warning and caution signs have carried the same meaning since our earliest days, it’s just easier to understand now!  

Warning Signs in the Early Twentieth Century

Warning and hazard signs, though, truly entered the public consciousness with the invention of cars and the increase in transport. As the world began to be interconnected by the modern transport network, the need for easily-recognisable and standardised labels and signs became essential. This standardisation of road signs had a domino effect which changed the warning sign world as a whole.

As the years went on, signs and labels in the UK began to mimic the standardisation and uniformity of roadside signs, given their success in preventing accidents and managing traffic. As the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) matured, more and more acts were passed, pushing a variety of standardised signs and labels into the workplace.

Acts such as the Agriculture (Safety, Health and Welfare Provisions) Act 1956 and Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 lay the foundation for proper labelling and health and safety in agricultural and industrial industries.

The HSE continued work well into the latter half of the twentieth century, with one of the most famous signs, the green fire exit sign, invented in 1980, which speaks volumes about how fast warning signs change, adapt and interweave with popular culture.

Modern Warning and Caution Signs

The set of regulations we follow today are the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals Regulations) 1996. This is to be followed by all European Union member states, entrusting all businesses to have recognisable warning signs and symbols and ensuring signs have the same meanings across each member state. Brexit is set not to affect these in any significant way.

For warning signs, the regulations define the purpose of warning and caution signs as signs used to make people aware of dangers. These signs may need to follow specifications outset by the Dangerous Substances (Notification and Marking of Sites) Regulations 1990.

All warning signs, in accordance with the 1996 regulations, must have a black band in a triangular shape and a yellow background. The centre of the sign must be filled with a standardised image of the type of hazard in black.

All of Label Source’s products are in line with these 1996 Safety Signs and Signals Regulations and ISO 1710 specifications. Ensuring your workplace is up to date on safety warnings signs and their meanings is paramount.

We’re sure to have a suitable sign or label in our extensive range of warning signs here at Label Source. “Do as the Romans do” and put warning signs to the forefront.