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Our priority is always to make sure we care for your signage without putting anyone at risk. But what does this mean when you have signage at height? We take a look at the importance of safety when caring for your retail signs and give an example of the right way to maintain signage at height.
As a retailer it is vital your signage is positioned in the most visible place on your building. A store that wants to hide its signage is a rare brand indeed. And so you will have your sign positioned above head height on the building. Sometimes you will mount your signage higher. The property might have a useful ledge on the second floor, or has a great space on the roof. The aim is to make your signage visible from afar and attract customers. But it can also make maintenance more difficult.
In the cases mentioned above, the signage would be deemed to be ‘at height’. Which means there is a safety issue around working on your signage. So, you have to take the appropriate steps to ensure the risk of injury is minimised.
What is the minimum for being ‘at height’?
The legislation covering working from height is within the Working From Height Regulations 2005. However, this area is also covered by a wide range of other pieces of legislation contained within:
• Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
• Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 (as amended)
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• Work at Height Regulations 2005
• Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007
• Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007
• BS EN 365:2004 Personal Protective Equipment Against Falls from a Height
• HSG/33 Health and Safety in Roofwork
That is a lot of research to minimise any risks. One thing you won’t find though is a measurement to describe a minimum height. That’s because there isn’t one. A fall from step ladders or through a hole in a floor could give you a serious injury. The point is to be aware of the issue and take steps to mitigate against it.
It’s also worth pointing out that falls from height is one of the biggest causes of injuries and fatalities in the workplace. So even when working from step ladders, it really is important to take the potential for injury seriously. Check the area and make sure the risk of an accident is kept to the absolute minimum.
A Safety First Approach
Being safety aware when working from height may sound quite straightforward for jobs needing a short set of ladders. But it becomes more detailed when heights and immediate environment are more challenging. It is common for retail signage to need a more involved approach. Take for example a recent visit to a customer to maintain a sign. The height of the signage would mean a powered lift to safely inspect the unit. But access to the sign is obstructed by trees. The safest way to perform the tasks would be to use a truck mounted platform. This could be parked close by in the car park. Any risk to the public was minimised with the area closed off. But any restrictions were kept to a minimum and traffic access around the car park was largely unaffected.
The end result was the signage was inspected and maintenance completed in safety to both our engineers and the public.
If your signage is difficult to reach and you need expert access to maintain it, contact us now to get advice and support from the UK’s leading signage maintainer.