OSHA lists 5,283 fatal workplace injuries in the United States in 2023, underlining the need for comprehensive safety standards throughout the US workforce. These dangers include the possibility of being a victim of a workplace fire. Still, you can avoid many such incidents by communicating key information about flammable materials or other dangers before a situation occurs.

However, many employees would be unable to tell you what needs to be on fire prevention signs despite them being a vital component of safety compliance and accident prevention. So, what should you do to mitigate these risks effectively?

​Below, we outline some of the essential fire prevention signs for many industries, as well as:

So, stay ahead of compliance audits and protect your workforce with these best practices for fire safety signage today.

With the National Safety Council reporting over 4 million preventable workplace injuries already occurring in one year, it is clear that the United States needs to have clear and easily followed steps to prevent that number from growing.

However, fires can occur unexpectedly in any industry, as such clear signage is one of the best tools available to help prevent escalation, allowing you to:

With high-quality signage, you can expect to reduce panic and confusion during emergencies, potentially saving lives or reducing injuries. These signs should also reduce the likelihood that a fire occurs in the first place, preventing the danger in the first place.

One of the first things you should do is perform an audit and reduce fire risks before you create signs to reinforce this. Start by determining where industry-specific and location-specific fire risks exist on your properties. You can then use signage to denote these hazardous areas, informing people of potential flammable materials or ignition sources.

Make sure to also leverage workplace fire prevention signs to:

You should inspect such safety compliance signs regularly to ensure they do not suffer from damage or fading over time. So long as they remain visible, even in low light, they should be appropriate for use.

​If you find any signs that do not match the requirements, replace them. As regulations change, you may need to do this multiple times.

Ensuring your signs meet legal safety requirements can help you avoid fines and penalties from groups like OSHA. As OHS Online reports, OSHA's penalties for willful violations can increase to $165,514. Such a penalty is a significant potential financial outgoing that you need to take action to avoid.

​Compliant signs will not only handle general potential danger but also respond to unique or industry-specific hazards, reducing your liability risks by demonstrating how employees can take proactive steps to remain safe.

If you are unsure how to produce compliant signage, OSHA explicitly describes several signs you need to use under standard 29 CFR 1910. The same standards also discuss many other fire safety protocols you must follow, including the placement and use of alarms or extinguishers, to ensure signs are part of a holistic safety plan.

​Some examples of the signs you should use to ensure you follow this standard include displaying information on:

Please note, however, that this list is not exhaustive. If you have unique dangers, you should have signs to match. In addition, general danger signs, such as "DANGER: FIRE HAZARD," can inform people in an area of the broad existence of danger so they can respond appropriately.

It is also important to note that the design of signs impacts how visible they are. As such, the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations clarifies the methods by which you should warn employees of potential danger, including different colorings and styles of signage. For example:

These signs should be "predominantly" that color. However, any letters or symbols used on them must be in a contrasting color, such as white or black, depending on the specific color used, to ensure clear visibility of the words printed on them. Test these with employees, especially those with worse eyesight, to ensure they remain readable.

Correctly placing your signs means ensuring those in an area can see them when needed. They must remain effective when a location is relatively full of people and at an appropriate height so anyone can read them easily. As such, place them 5-7 feet off the floor, aligning with most people's eye level.

Also, consider their visibility during power outages or when locations get smoky. You can even use glow-in-the-dark coatings or LED lighting to ensure they remain visible for longer.

​When performing drills, try to get feedback on the signage placement. Make sure people can see the signs as they move toward the assembly points, and if not, move them appropriately.

Safety in the workplace starts with following appropriate best practices, including using reliable fire prevention signs tailored to your workplace. As such, it may benefit you to partner with an expert like Durable Safety Signs, who can guarantee that you receive signs made by experts.

​Contact Durable Safety Signs to learn how we can help you danger-proof your workplace and meet workplace safety requirements today.