Health and Safety posters are common
place in many work situations.
However, many employers are confused
as to whether the law says that a
poster has to be displayed or
whether it is just an option.
Q.
We still have a poster displaying a
summary of the Factories Act 1961.
Is this necessary?
A. The requirements under the
Factories Act 1961 and the Offices,
Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963
to put up posters of abstracts of
those Acts were revoked by the
Health and Safety (Information for
Employees) Regulations 1989.
Instead, the Regulations require a
poster of general health and safety
law to be displayed, ie Health and
Safety Law: What You Should Know
(available from HSE Books).
Alternatively, leaflets containing
the same information may be given to
each employee. The old posters on
the 1961 and 1963 Acts should be
taken down.
Q. Do we have to put a poster up
on treatment of electric shock?
A. The Electricity at Work
Regulations 1989 replace earlier
legislation on electrical safety.
This earlier legislation required
employers to display posters on how
to treat electric shock. However,
the 1989 Regulations do not require
this, and so there is no longer a
specific requirement for electric
shock posters.
Remember though that you are
responsible for providing a safe
system of work with electricity.
Consider what would happen if
someone did receive an electric
shock - would anyone in the area
know what to do? If at any time when
people are at work the answer may be
no, a poster which is easy to see
and follow, giving instructions on
what to do, may save someone's life.
Q. What is the difference between
a poster and a safety sign?
A. A poster is a notice, which is
usually large, rectangular and
sometimes laminated, which gives
instructions or conveys a message
using pictures on how to do
something safely, etc. There are no
rules governing the content of
posters, other than those
specifically required by legislation
and available from HSE Books.
Safety signs, on the other hand,
are basic signboards, safety colours
or illuminated signs which convey
information or instructions by their
shape, colour and an appropriate
symbol or pictogram. The format of
safety signs are strictly controlled
by the Health and Safety (Safety
Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996.
They usually do not contain words,
as the message should be clear
without them, although sometimes
they may be accompanied by key words
underneath the sign, such as "No
Smoking" or "Wear Your Hard Hat".
The shape, colour, symbol and size,
etc are all governed by the 1996
Regulations.
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