STANDARD OPERATING

PROCEDURE
SAFETY SIGNAGE DOC ID MAT012 VERSION 2

DOC Dan ACTIVE

19/01/2020
OWNER Foster DATE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. SMS DOCUMENT HIERARCHY ............................................................................................................... 2
2. PURPOSE ................................................................................................................................................ 2
3. SCOPE 2
4. DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS............................................................................................................. 2
5. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ............................................................................................................... 3
5.1 MAT Health Clinic EXECUTIVE................................................................................................... 3
5.2 MANAGER ................................................................................................................................. 3
5.3 SUPERVISOR ............................................................................................................................... 3
5.4 WORKER ..................................................................................................................................... 3
5.5 CONTRACTORS .......................................................................................................................... 3
5.6 MAT HEALTH CLINIC SAFETY TEAM ........................................................................................... 3
6. MAT HEALTH CLINIC RELATED DOCUMENTS......................................................................................... 4
7. PROCEDURE ........................................................................................................................................... 4
7.1 GENERAL .................................................................................................................................... 4
7.2 DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF SIGNS ............................................................................................... 5
7.3 INSTALLATION OF SIGNS ........................................................................................................... 5
7.4 REMOVAL OF SIGNS .................................................................................................................. 6
8. TRAINING AND COMPETENCY .............................................................................................................. 6
9. REVIEW................................................................................................................................................... 6
10. FURTHER INFORMATION ............................................................................................................ 6
11. APPENDIX A – EXAMPLES OF RELEVANT SIGNAGE USED ......................................................... 7
1. SMS DOCUMENT HIERARCHY

2. PURPOSE
This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) documents MAT Health Clinic’s approach to the management
of safety signage. The purpose of this procedure is to outline the requirements of selection, installation,
placement and maintenance of safety signage to adequately manage and minimise the risk of injury or
harm to workers and contractors.

3. SCOPE
This SOP provides practical guidance on the installation, placement and maintenance of safety signage
within MAT Health Clinic workplaces. This procedure applies to all MAT Health Clinic employees and
contractors when undertaking work on behalf of MAT Health Clinic.

4. DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS

Danger Sign – used in a situation that is likely to be life threatening if the message is ignored.
HSR – Health and Safety Representative.
Manager – as per MAT Health Clinic naming conventions, the Manager who has direct responsibility
for the activity being performed or the area the activity is occurring in.
PPE – acronym used for personal protective equipment.
Sign – inscribed board, plaque or other delineated space on which a combination of legend and
symbolic shape is used to convey a message.
Supervisor – term used for any MAT Health Clinic employee who acts or is appointed as a
Supervisor, Coordinator or Team Leader within MAT Health Clinic.
Warning Sign – used in a situation which is likely to be hazardous but not likely to be life-threating if the
message is ignored.
WHS – acronym used for Work Health and Safety.
Worker – employees, contractors, subcontractors, outworkers, apprentices and trainees, work experience
students, volunteers and PCBUs who are individuals if they perform work for the business.
5. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Outlined below are responsibilities specific to safety signage requirements at thel MAT Health Clinic
practice.
5.1 MAT Health Clinic EXECUTIVE
MAT Health Clinic Practice Principal and Senior Management are responsible for overseeing and
ensuring the implementation of the requirements of this SOP and related procedures within their
respective functional areas. This includes:
 Ensuring all tasks are assessed to identify required safety signage;
 Ensuring appropriate management practices are implemented;
 Ensuring safety signage is installed, suitable and maintained;
 Ensuring safety signage is regularly monitored and reviewed to ensure its effectiveness.
5.2 MANAGER
Managers in all operational areas are responsible for ensuring the implementation of this SOP. This
includes:
 Providing adequate resources to facilitate the provision of all necessary safety signage
and associated maintenance; and
 Providing awareness to all employees of this procedure.
5.3 SUPERVISOR
Supervisors and Team Leaders in all operational areas are responsible for ensuring that the following is
undertaken to minimise exposure to hazards and risks, including:
 Ensuring adequate signage has been installed, maintained and removed where necessary;
 Ensuring all workers are familiarised with the relevant parts of this SOP;
 Documenting and retaining records of inspections; and
 Providing appropriate training, instruction and supervision for workers.
5.4 WORKER
All workers shall ensure that they:
 Follow the requirements detailed in this SOP and associated documents;
 Adhere to all signage requirements; and
 Report any incidents/injuries immediately to their supervisor; and complete a MAT Health Clinic
WHS Incident Report in accordance with MAT Health Clinic WHS incident reporting procedures.
5.5 CONTRACTORS
At all times when performing work at the practice or for/on behalf of MAT Health Clinic, contractors
must meet and comply with MAT Health Clinic’s signage requirements detailed in this and related
procedures. This includes satisfying the roles and responsibilities detailed in this section (i.e. as a worker)
and:
 Where required, install adequate signage to ensure implementation of the requirements of this
SOP in a timely and effective manner in all areas where work is undertaken; and
 Comply with this SOP and all relevant legislation, codes of practice, standards and licensing
requirements that apply to their respective scope of work.
5.6 MAT HEALTH CLINIC SAFETY TEAM
MAT Health Clinic Safety Team will work with the business to ensure:
 The establishment, review and continual improvement of management systems, arrangements
and related procedures relating to the management and use of signage.
  The provision of advice to assist in the active management and resolution of hazards and risks
that require safety signage and to ensure these are managed in accordance with MAT Health
Clinic SMS and relevant legislative requirements.

6. MAT HEALTH CLINIC RELATED DOCUMENTS

 WHS Hazard and Risk Management Standard
 WHS Hazard and Risk Management Procedure
 Hazardous Chemicals SOP

7. PROCEDURE
The purpose of having safety signage in the workplace is to identify and warn workers who may be
exposed to hazards in the workplace. Safety signs can assist in the communication of important
instructions, reinforce safety messages and provide instruction for emergency situations. Workplaces
have an obligation under Health & Safety Legislation to use signs where practicable to highlight a serious
hazard or risk in the workplace.
7.1 GENERAL
Safety signage must be of consistent quality and professional standard. Signage is an administrative
control and must not be chosen as the primary control measure.

Signage is classified into four (4) different categories. These include:

 Regulatory Signs:
o Prohibition Signs (such as Smoking Prohibited, No entry);
o Mandatory Signs (such as Mask Must Be Worn, Gloves Must Be Worn);
o Limitation or Restriction Signs (such as Speed Limit signs); and
o Warning Signs (such as Confined Space and Asbestos warning signs).
 Hazard Signs:
o Danger Signs (such as ); and
 o Warning Signs (such as BioHazard, Sharps Receptacle, and Slippery When Wet).
 Emergency Information Signs (such as First Aid, Emergency Eye Wash).
 Fire Signs (such as Fire Alarm Sign, Fire Fighting Signage – e.g. extinguisher).

7.2 Infection Prevention and Control Signage

Standardised signs are available to all health service organisations wishing to increase the awareness of
healthcare workers, patients and visitors to the necessary precautions to be applied for all patients
(Standard Precautions) and for those patients who require Transmission-based Precautions, due to their
known or suspected diagnosis. To view these signs click here.

7.3 DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF SIGNS

The type of sign used must be suitable for the intended purpose. All signage covered by this SOP must
follow the same format as outlined in AS1319 – Safety Signs for the Occupational Environment. Where no
symbol is available for a required purpose, a worded message sign, in accordance with AS1319, is to be
used.
7.4 INSTALLATION OF SIGNS
Signs other than those painted directly on existing surfaces are to be constructed and erected so that
they do not create a hazard (e.g. signs do not project into walkways or roadways so that persons or
mobile plant including vehicles could strike them).
Signs are to be located where the message(s) are legible and clearly visible and so that they attract the
attention of all workers (e.g. located at eye height, adjacent to plant such as lathes or at entrances to
buildings/facilities). This also includes the installation of placards at the front of the facility, tanks and
buildings where required.
Signs are to be installed in locations where there is limited possibility of them being obscured (e.g.
placing items in front of signs or being overgrown by trees etc.). Placing several signs close together
should be limited wherever practicable, as this may lead to confusion and make it difficult to distinguish
individual messages.
Signs must not be placed on movable objects where a change in position would place the sign out of
sight (e.g. doors or windows).
External or internal signs should be illuminated where it is required under legislation or where there is poor
visibility as determined by a risk assessment.
All signs are to be kept clean and in good condition (e.g. not faded).
7.5 REMOVAL OF SIGNS
The Supervisor must ensure safety signs are removed:
 Immediately after the information they contain is no longer relevant; and/or
 When the hazard ceases to exist.

8. TRAINING AND COMPETENCY

The Supervisor must provide appropriate training, instruction and supervision to ensure workers
understand the site’s safety signage (i.e. explanations of their functions and meanings must be included
in inductions).

9. REVIEW
The Safety Signage SOP is to be reviewed every 2 years or earlier if:
 There is an identified risk to business;
 A significant safety or unplanned event occurs;
 Incident investigation or audit results show that application of the standard fails to deliver the
required outcomes;
 There are changes in associated legislation;
 There is evidence that the standard is not having a positive impact on safety-related KPIs.

10. FURTHER INFORMATION

For further information, contact your MAT Health Clinic Safety Team.
11. APPENDIX A – EXAMPLES OF RELEVANT SIGNAGE USED

SIGN DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE OF SIGN

Prohibition Signs
REGULATORY SIGNS

Mandatory Signs

Limitation Or Restriction Signs

Danger Sign
HAZARD SIGNS

Warning Sign
 SIGN DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE OF SIGN

Emergency Information Sign

O

G
N
H

R
E

S
T

Fire Sign