If this is your slow season, now is the time to make sure your facility is in order and prepared!

 Signs can be an omen of things good or bad about to come or a form of communication delivering information quickly whether by hand for the hearing impaired or a catcher putting down fingers for a curve inside or flags signaling the fleet. Cities use signs to indicate parking days, hours or detours, while frazzled commuters use one finger as a sign of endearment.  In your facility signs alert staff to many hazards and dangers from wet floors to emergency routes. Signs need to be clear and too the point.  DANGER!  Pretty clear, yes?  However, when was the last time you walked your building to make sure the signs in your facility are updated and correct?

  Do you have old fire extinguisher signs in places where there is no longer an extinguisher? Remove them right away as this can cost you during a fire inspection.

Exit signs, are they above the correct doors?  Just because it’s a door doesn’t mean it’s an emergency exit.  Where does it go and then test the signs to make sure they’ll light up in the even of a power failure.

 

Have you recently done or in the process of making any renovations or added any new equipment in your facility?  Make sure the emergency evacuation maps & signs posted on the wall still make sense and are free and  clear of any obstructions?

These are only a few examples of signs and as you walk the facility check each area, battery room, dock area, cooler, freezer and the shop area that there are appropriate signs and check that the message is still accurate. Eye wash station and high voltage warning signs for the battery room. Maximum weight loads posted on the racking.  What are other areas that will benefit from a sign or are required to be posted?   The best way to avoid the writing on the wall in your facility is by being proactive this summer.