Signs of Our Times

They are all around us and we follow their instructions every day without even acknowledging it. Signs - on the road, in our workplaces, everywhere we look. We forget that they have an important function in our daily lives; without them, the world as we know it wouldn't function as well.

Road Safety

According to the World Health Organization website:

• Every year, almost 1.25 million people die in road traffic crashes; in fact, they are the leading cause of death for people between 15-29 years of age, and road traffic crashes account for nearly half of the deaths of individuals between 15-44 years of age. Half of these road traffic crash fatalities happen to "vulnerable road users" (pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists).
• Roughly 50 million people are injured or become disabled as a result of road traffic crashes.
• Road traffic crashes most often constitute 3-4 per cent of a country's Gross Domestic Product;
• Road traffic crashes will become the 7th leading cause of death by 2030 if no consistent action is taken to prevent them.
• Statistically, men are more likely to be involved in road traffic crashes than women. Almost 75% of road traffic fatalities are suffered by males under age 25. Young males are nearly 3 times as likely to be killed in a road traffic crash as young females.
• People in Africa have the highest chance of dying in a road traffic crash, at 24.1 deaths in every 100,000 people in the population; the Middle East comes in second with 23.1 deaths per 100,000 people, followed by Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific at 18.5 and North America at 16.1. Europe has the lowest rate, at 16.3 out of 100,000 people.

There is no question that clear signage and lane delineation can help alert drivers and vulnerable road users to hazards and provide valuable direction where needed.

Neighborhood Safety

Neighborhood watch and alarm system signs signal that there is a community willing to look out for each other and that residents are vigilant. They are also great when there are prospective buyers looking around. For tips on setting up an effective neighborhood watch where you live, check out the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council's website.

Workplace Safety

According to the United States Department of Labor website:

• On average, there are more than 13 on-the-job deaths per day in the United States, down from 38 in 1970. 3.4 out of 100,000 full-time workers (or equivalent) are killed in workplace accidents.
• 20 per cent of on-the-job deaths occur in the field of construction.
• One of the top ten most cited workplace infractions is the failure to meet the hazard communication standard set out in the Occupational Safety and Hazard Act (OSHA).

Signage and safety decals can be an extremely effective way of making sure that your workers know how to keep themselves safe and what precautions they must take, not to mention ensuring your company's compliance with workplace safety legislative provisions. Even if not specifically required by law, signs at work are an excellent means of communication.

Did you know that more than 2,500 people suffer from heat stroke at the workplace every year, and between up to 15-20 die from it? Heat illness is preventable. Apart from hazard listings, signs can remind employees of the warning signs of heat stroke so they can take steps to protect themselves and take advantage of the company's heat illness protection program.

Make sure that your signs are up to standard, well made, and do what you need them to do. Take a look at Dornbos Sign and Safety's extensive catalog or contact us for more information. Dornbos can customize your signs while ensuring that they meet OSHA requirements.