WASHINGTON, DC - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a ruling today requiring all warning signs to carry warning labels, effective immediately. The requirements apply to all warning signs placed since 1974, and call for stiff fines for non-compliance. The Administration hopes the move will help stem the growing warning sign injury crisis.
Several thousand people are injured on the job by warning signs each year, according to statistics from the Labor Department. While most incidents occur during installation, experts say there are many unseen dangers from warning signs in the workplace. "They can be very dangerous if a worker has not been properly educated." said Marion Jacobs, founder of the Workplace Warning Sign Safety Coalition. "We think these new precautions will raise awareness of the dangers and help prevent further tragedies."
Ms. Jacobs founded the Coalition after her husband, Bill, was injured falling from a ladder while installing a sign prohibiting the use of ladders. "A simple label saying 'Do not carry this sign up a ladder' may have prevented my husband's accident." said Jacobs. "It definitely couldn't have hurt."
All warning signs will be required to have the labels 'Do not stand under this sign', 'Do not remove this sign' and 'Do not read this sign while driving'. Other labels will be application specific, to be approved by OSHA's Warning Sign Warning Label Oversight Committee. OSHA will offer special training for the installation of the labels, consisting of a six week classroom study followed by three months of on-the-job training.
|
