How Safety Banners & Posters May Mitigate the Risk of Liability

The U.S. Department of Labor states that employers have a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment. This includes implementing measures to prevent accidents and injuries. Employers MUST provide their employees with a workplace that does not have serious hazards and follow all OSHA safety and health standards. In fact, OSHA encourages the use of safety visuals in workplaces as a way to effectively communicate safety procedures and hazards to employees, thereby helping to reduce hazardous work environments by promoting awareness and safe practices; essentially serving as a visual reminder of important safety regulations and guidelines.

How Safety Signs & Banners Impact Liability

The lack or improper use of safety signage can significantly increase a manufacturer’s liability in several ways.

• Inadequate safety signage can be seen as a failure to warn employees of potential hazards. This can lead to negligence claims if an employee is injured due to a hazard, they were not aware of.
• If an accident occurs and safety signage was inadequate, it could be considered a contributing factor. This can increase the manufacturer’s liability, even if the primary cause of the accident was another factor.
• Failure to use safety signage appropriately could lead to violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations resulting in fines, penalties, and negative publicity.

It’s important to note that the specific circumstances of each case would determine liability. Factors such as the nature of the accident, the severity of the injuries, and the company’s overall safety practices would be considered by a court.

To Mitigate the Risk of Liability, Companies Should:

• Conduct regular safety audits: Identify potential hazards and ensure appropriate signage is in place.
• Train employees: Educate employees on the importance of safety signs and how to recognize and respond to hazards.
• Maintain signage: Ensure that safety posters and banners are in good condition, up-to-date, and prominently displayed.
• Document safety efforts: Keep records of safety training, inspections, and corrective actions to demonstrate due diligence.

By following these guidelines, manufacturers can significantly reduce their risk of liability related to safety signage and create a safer working environment for their employees.

Harkins Safety is dedicated to employee and workplace safety and offers a wide range of safety banners and posters covering a wide range of safety hazards and safe awareness themes in durable easily readable text to help keep your facility safety.

Browse our workplace safety banners and posters to help you determine the right safety strategy.