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A digital safety sign shows the messages that change, such as today’s speed limit on site, a new hazard, the muster point for a drill or clear directions when something goes wrong. It works alongside fixed safety signs, such as exit signs, which stay where they are for good reason. Here is how workplaces and public places use digital signs for safety.
A partner for your fixed signs
A digital safety sign can show a speed limit one day and a muster point the next. Messages can change during the day as well: “walk, don’t run” for a school’s morning rush, then “queue here for your flu shot” for an evening clinic in the same hall.
Indoors or out, the sign stands out because it is bright and it changes, and that is what makes people read it.
Where are digital safety signs used?
- schools
- offices, warehouses and work sites
- events, festivals and concerts
- sports grounds, clubs and gyms
- churches
- pubs, restaurants and cafes
- shops and shopping centres
- council and government buildings
- roads, car parks and anywhere with heavy foot or vehicle traffic
How does a digital sign help in an emergency?
Every organisation needs a plan for emergencies such as fire, flood, a power failure or a security alert. A digital sign helps put that plan into action. Write clear messages in advance, such as directions to exits and muster points, and save them so they are ready to go. When something happens, switch the sign over from a phone or computer in seconds, then update it as the situation changes. Keep the instructions specific: which exit to use, where the muster point is and what people should do next.
At big events, signs can also be scheduled to change at set times, for example to show exit directions when a concert finishes and thousands of people leave at once.
Weather and public alerts
Heatwaves, storms, bushfires and floods all call for clear, fast information. A sign at a school, a council office or a sports ground can tell people what is happening and what to do, and it can be changed without anyone going near the sign. On the road into town, a portable sign can warn drivers of a fire, flood or closure ahead.
On roads and work sites
Our hire trailer signs are used on roadworks for speed, detour and warning messages. They run on solar power, so they can stand on a verge or beside the road with no power nearby, and they work as variable message signs (VMS). On a site that changes week to week, a portable sign can move with the work. Our projects include roadworks safety signs, an LED stop sign and speed limit trailer signs.
Compliance reminders
Use the same signs for reminders: training that is due, inspections, permits, PPE for a certain area or a deadline coming up. A message on a screen at the entrance is much harder to miss than an email.
What does the sign show the rest of the time?
A sign set aside for alerts doesn’t have to sit idle. Most days it can show events, notices, staff news or reminders, then switch to safety messages when needed. At venues, sponsor messages on the same screen can help cover the cost of the sign.
Short messages that work
- SLOW DOWN: 10 KM/H ON SITE
- HARD HATS BEYOND THIS POINT
- MUSTER POINT: NORTH CAR PARK
- HEAT ALERT: DRINK WATER, TAKE BREAKS
- ROAD CLOSED AHEAD, DETOUR LEFT
Which safety sign do you need?
A fixed sign suits a site entry, a car park or a building foyer. A portable or trailer sign suits roadworks and sites that move. For roadside use, check the sign is bright enough for direct sun and big enough to read at the speed traffic travels. For reception areas and break rooms, a screen on the wall does the job. We build fixed signs at our workshop in Welshpool and hire portable signs anywhere in Australia.
Tips for safety messages
- Keep each message to one instruction.
- Use plain words and big, high-contrast text.
- Write emergency messages before you need them, and test them.
- Decide who can change the sign, and make sure more than one person knows how.
See LED safety signs and LED sign hire, or our outdoor LED signs for a fixed sign. For schools, read how schools use digital signs. Get in touch, or call Aaron on 0416 053 335 or the office on (08) 9335 7944.
