Too much sign noise can have an adverse affect on WH&S culture

Last week I was having a coffee at a café when I noticed that there were lots of signs.  They were everywhere.  A sign of the times maybe.

These signs were of the passive aggressive, all capitals, lecturing variety.  I wondered about the staff working there, how many similar (or worse) signs were out the back, and what sort of authoritarian rule the staff must work under.

I think most people at some stage have encountered this in their workplace.  Whether it is the kitchen or toilet hygiene police, the frugal use of lights and stationary or stating the obvious in the name of health and safety – signs are everywhere. By ‘over-signing’ our workplaces I wonder if we are creating a work environment where the signs are basically visual noise, with so much of it that we cannot receive the important messages.  If this happens, what does it mean for an organisation’s workplace health and safety culture?

When it comes to safety, signs have an important role.  A well designed sign can provide a visual cue which has the capacity to remind or alert experienced and inexperienced workers and visitors to the existence of a potential hazard. Signs save lives, there can be no doubt of this.

When a workplace has an abundance of signs I am concerned that the following negative impacts could occur:

All the sign ‘noise’ prevents the important (safety) messages from being received due to the sheer number of communications.

  1.  People receive the messages but choose to ignore them as they are jaded and fail to appreciate the importance of the communication.
  2. A reliance on using signs to communicate simple process or actions rather than other methods implies laziness or that those employees are incapable of using their own skills and or judgment.
  3. Communicating in an aggressive or passive-aggressive manner via signs negatively affects the morale of employees working in that environment or even amounts to harassment or bullying.

Any combination of the above impacts could have the ability to adversely affect an organisation’s workplace health and safety culture.  In addition to this, customers, clients and/or visitors may make positive or negative judgements (like I did) about the organization based on the tone  and content of signs.

Perhaps less really is more- as far as signs are concerned anyway.

At HR Business Direction we can assist with identifying and managing risks in the workplace.  Contact us here.

Christina Willcox MHSc; PostGradDip OHS; BBus(HRM)
Workplace Health & Safety Specialist
christina.willcox@hrbd.com.au
07 3890 2066
www.hrbd.com.au