With the OSHA charging up to $16,131 per violation, not to mention the potential harm that could come to your workers, making sure that you pursue all safety standards in the right place is crucial. For this reason, a high-voltage sign is an important safety tool for workplaces with significant electrical hazards. However, what is the right way to use them to ensure you follow all relevant regulations and maintenance standards?

​The following article provides all the information you need to ensure you continue complying with sign regulations. It details practical methods for using high-voltage warning signs in the workplace. Read on to learn the best use of high-voltage signs for your facility and how Durable Safety Signs can help you leverage them.

High-voltage signs are visual warnings you can place in areas where high electrical currents may run through materials employees can access. They alert both employees and visitors to the possibility of danger, especially when it is unexpected. After all, between 2011 and 2022, 70% of all workplace electrical fatalities occurred to those working in non-electric occupations.

OSHA expects employers to follow a series of standards to help them understand their obligations. Signs that follow these standards inform employees of their obligations and boost the overall workplace safety culture. They also help promote proactive hazard recognition, helping employees resolve issues quickly and before they escalate.

With electrical fatalities accounting for 6% of all workplace deaths, leveraging both clear and unambiguous visuals as well as bold warnings will mean that you can:

It can also reduce complacency in the workplace, ensuring people do not forget the purpose of electrical safety signage in potentially hazardous areas.

OSHA 1910.145 specifies specific standards for safety signs, including high-voltage warnings and similar dangers. However, this definition does not include posters or employee education collateral. To comply with OSHA standards, you must ensure that all your signs comply with these requirements.

​For example, the signs must:

These ensure visibility and effectiveness and can streamline workplace safety inspections, allowing you to quickly demonstrate your efforts to follow OSHA requirements.

​Following these is a crucial step for any employer, as failure to comply with these standards can potentially lead to:

OSHA requires that you not only meet standards but also audit your adherence to them, so ensure you keep meticulous records to provide OSHA with when they ask you about your processes.

When considering when and how to use signage, understand that OSHA has already established several guidelines that define when and how to highlight electrical safety issues. These guidelines will ensure that the steps you have taken to ensure your safety and those of others in your workplace will continue to work long into the future.

Place signs at eye level for most of your team to ensure they are clearly noticeable. Doing this will give the signs the best chance of being noticed. If you change out one sign for another, move it enough that people notice the new placement. Avoid replacing signs in the same place when possible, as people may believe they have already seen and understood them.

If you oversee a large enough space, use several signs instead of only one. This step can be crucial if a location has several obstructed views, and you are likely to miss the fact that a sign is there. It can also increase the likelihood that people will see at least one sign, no matter where they potentially interact with electricity.

​When choosing locations for your signs, ensure you do so in places that are not likely to change. For example, you want to avoid:

Each of these may make it difficult to ascertain precisely what the signage states when the sign is affected by them, posing an additional danger to workers.

When creating the signs internally, or working with a high-quality provider with access to high-quality materials, opt for highly contrasting colors. Examples might be black text on a yellow background or white text on a green background. These will ensure the sign is clearer to read, even in low-visibility situations.

​Also, use a large enough font that people can read it from a long enough distance to easily change their behavior before entering the area. When placed in dimly lit environments, signs should also be made of reflective material, leveraging illumination to reduce workers' difficulties seeing them in emergencies.

After installing the signs, schedule regular maintenance inspections to:

In many cases, it may be beneficial to keep a supply of replacement signs if specific installations need replacing more often.

​If you are having trouble standardizing each inspection, use a checklist. A straightforward set of maintenance instructions will ensure that employees complete all steps in the test and offer reassurance that they reliably perform them.

A high-voltage sign is a crucial tool for preventing electrical accidents, which can often otherwise lead to employee fatalities. OSHA has even provided regulations to ensure you effectively comply with minimum standards.

​Durable Safety Signs can help you further with this, offering high-quality signs tailored to your specific industry. We understand the requirements of OSHA and other groups and can ensure you receive a product that matches their needs. Shop our extensive collection of signs today so Durable Safety Signs can keep you compliant.