Safety Signs are found throughout industrial, workplace, and public places. They are a type of visual signage to help indicate actions to prevent harm from hazards. Safety Signs do save lives, so are an inexpensive and effective form of risk management.
Below are some typical types of signs and how you can get them on display.
Make holes!
If your signs don't already come pre-drilled, no problem! A wide range of Safety Sign materials can be easily drilled, from foam, to plastic, through to metal signs. Any old drill will work but for best results use a sharp drill bit. Mark out where you need the holes to go (leaving enough material from the edge to retain corner strength), put some tape on the area of the sign you are going to drill (so the drill bit doesnt slip and mark the sign), mark the spot and make your holes. Its a good idea when drilling holes to drill onto a hard surface like a workbence or sacrificial scrap of wood.
Using Screws
Screws are a common method for fixing plastic and metal signs to walls. They are easy to put up and offer a strong but removable solution. The wall material will dictate what type of fixing is best to use, for example a rawl-type plug may be required for concrete or hard surfaces, screws can usually go directly into wood joists, or plaster-board fixings may be required.
Be sure to not over-tighten screws as the head can pressurise and crack the sign material.
Cable Ties
If you have or can make holes in your sign then Cable Ties are a quick and easy way to fix signage to a range of objects.
Ideal for posts and various types of fencing - you often see Plastic, Foamboard or Fluted plastic type temporary signage displayed using Cable Ties.
Use Adhesives
Glues and Adhesives are a great easy way to put up signs for a smart clean finish. Ideally the location needs a clean and smooth-ish surface to adhere to. No drilling required and will provide a solid permanent solution. There are many types of adhesive glues you could use, here are a few ideas;
Self-Adhesive Vinyl Stickers
This option is available on a large range of Safety Signage. They are an easy quick-fit solution to fit signs onto many smooth surfaces.
Adhesive backed Signs can usually easily be removed (that may depend on the surface and quality of adhesive), making them a good option.. espeically for smaller sized signs and in-door environments.
Double Sided Tape/Pads
Double sided sticky tape or sticky pads come in different shapes and sizes.
They provide an easy-fit solution that works well on smooth surfaces. If your sign is of a certain size or heavier metal material you might want to consider a stronger fixing-type, but they are ideal for indoor signage that takes just minutes to put in place.
Stick them on the back, get the sign lined-up and bingo!
Silicone
You may not associate a tube of clear silicone with fitting Safety Signs - however it is a time-tested method to attach signage on a range of surfaces. Silicone adhesive provides strong fleible adhesion properties and is a great way to fix signage to all types of wall surfaces - even those not that smooth.
Works great in-doors and shines outdoors where the flexibility can handle various weather temps (and no rusty screws!).
Sign Clips/Sign Hangers
Some indoor signage (depending on your sign location) may require specific fixing kits to best locate the signs. Examples may be from ceiling-hangers, signs on link-chains, suspended ceiling grids (requiring clips), or domed-spacers to off-set a sign from the wall.
These sign fixings are usually easily available and provide a professional solution for fixing a sign in specific environments.
Sign Posts
External car parking or other signs may require a sign fixed onto a sign posts. Such signs are often sold with, and held in place using channeling on the back of the sign - which works in-conjunction with a metal post clip.
The fixing offers a strong wind-resistant external sign display. Posts are typically concreted into the ground or held using a form of post-plate.
Freestanding
These types of Safety Signs are hopefully self-explanatory. Fold-out or A-board floor signs are freestanding under their own design, and often used for temporary signage on the floor level - For example a "Cleaning - Wet Floor" sign.
They are self-contained temporary type signage that can be folded and stored for the next use.
Magnetic
Magnetic Signs consist of a magnetic base material with UV protective printed layer. They are often used for vehicle signage but can equally work on Fridges, office cabinets of other metal based surfaces.
Magnetic signs are weatherproof and can offer smart flat signage that can be easily removed again without damge to the fixing surface.
Sign Frames
Sign frames can vary - with wall and freestanding versions of numerous types. There are the smart indoor-wall display frames where the sign frame gets fixed (usually screwed) to a solid wall and inside it you can locate all types of display signs or posters.
To pavement type fold-out signs, to heavy-duty freestanding frames holding temporary traffic signage for road-works (Stanchion Frames).
