Custom Safety Signs: How to Stay Safe & Stand Out

Custom safety signs are safety-related notices that are tailored to specific needs or conditions within a workplace, facility, or environment. These signs are designed to convey important safety information or instructions that are unique to a particular location or situation. They can be customized with specific text, symbols, or images to address particular hazards, risks, or safety protocols that are not covered by standard signs.

Custom safety signs might include:

Warning signs
To alert people about specific hazards (e.g., “Caution: Wet Floor” or “Warning: High Voltage Area”).

Directional signs
To guide people safely in the event of an emergency (e.g., “Exit Only” or “First Aid Station This Way”).

Prohibited signs 
To indicate actions that are not allowed for safety reasons (e.g., “No Smoking” or “No Entry for Unauthorized Personnel”).

Personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements 
Custom signs that specify what PPE must be worn in a particular area (e.g., “Hard Hat Required” or “Wear Safety Goggles”).

Instructional signs 
To show proper safety procedures or actions (e.g., “Use Lockout/Tagout Procedure Here” or “Follow Safety Protocol”).
The customization allows businesses or organizations to meet specific safety regulations, add branding, or address specific issues unique to their environment.

Why Customization Matters in Safety Signs?

Customization matters in safety signs because it enhances the effectiveness of communication, ensures compliance with safety standards, and improves the overall safety culture in a workplace. Here's why it’s important:

Tailored to Specific Hazards
Every workplace has unique risks. Custom safety signs can be created to address specific dangers that might not be covered by standard signs. For example, a manufacturing facility might need signs for specific machinery or chemicals that pose particular risks.

Clear Communication
Custom signs allow for precise, clear, and relevant messaging tailored to the audience. If employees or visitors encounter signage that directly relates to their environment or tasks, they're more likely to understand the risk and take proper precautions.

Legal Compliance
Different industries and regions have specific regulations around safety signage. Custom safety signs ensure that companies meet local regulations and requirements, helping avoid fines, penalties, or lawsuits due to non-compliance.

Promotes Workplace Safety Culture
When safety signs are specific to a company’s operations and risks, it shows that the company is actively involved in maintaining a safe environment. This reinforces the importance of safety and promotes a culture where employees are more likely to follow safety procedures.

Branding and Aesthetics
Custom signs can align with a company’s branding while still being functional. The use of colors, fonts, and logos ensures that the safety signs blend with the workplace environment and are easily recognizable. This aesthetic appeal can also encourage employees to take safety seriously.

Increases Attention and Retention
Custom safety signs are more likely to grab attention and be remembered. Standard signs may be overlooked because they are generic, while a sign that’s directly related to an employee's specific environment is more likely to stand out and be retained in memory.

Overall, customizing safety signs creates a more effective and responsive safety system, leading to fewer accidents, better compliance, and a safer workplace overall.

Materials and Durability For Safety Signs

The type of material you choose for your safety signs is important to ensure that they last for many years to come. Harsh conditions found in the environment will quickly deteriorate your signs if they are not built from durable materials. Choose materials that are suitable for the intended environment, whether indoor or outdoor, ensuring longevity and resistance to elements.  Pannier offers the following materials:

Fiberglass Embedment

Pannier Fiberglass Embedded panels are the standard on which Pannier’s reputation for reliability has been built. Every one-piece Fiberglass Embedded panel delivers superior digital color accuracy, vibrancy, resolution and UV resistance that stand the test of time.

Our proprietary production process ensures that all signs and panels are designed to resist the extremes of weather, are recoverable from the effects of graffiti, and are virtually maintenance-free – making them ideal for almost any outdoor or indoor installation. They are also constructed in a full range of thicknesses and custom shapes, as well as in framed or frameless applications.

Gel Coat Laminate

Pannier Gel Coat Laminate (GCL) signs and panels combine the quality and durability of fiberglass with a highly scratch resistant matte finish – making it ideal for applications where a textured look is preferred, yet durability and superior graphics quality are a must.

Each GCL panel delivers the digital color accuracy, resolution and UV resistance that customers have come to expect from Pannier – while providing scratch resistance that is superior to comparable materials. Pannier’s proprietary manufacturing process for GCL creates a chemical bond that enhances the panel’s physical properties – including flexural and tensile strength. The result is a one-piece product that never peels or delaminates, resists the extremes of weather and the effects of graffiti, and is virtually maintenance free. Like all Pannier products, GCL panels are constructed in a full range of custom shapes, as well as in framed or frameless applications. 

We recommend using our traditional Fiberglass Embedded signs for indoor safety signs, and gel coat laminate for outdoor applications that experience harsh UV exposure for the majority of the year.



 

Applications for Custom Safety Signs

Safety signs are used in various environments to communicate hazards and safety measures. Here are some key applications:

Construction Sites
Warn about hazards, PPE requirements, traffic control, and emergency info (e.g., "Wear Hard Hats," "Danger: Construction Area").

Parks
Indicate natural hazards, park rules, and safety resources (e.g., "No Swimming," "Warning: Snakes in Area").

Schools
Guide emergency evacuations, fire safety, traffic, and hazard warnings (e.g., "Fire Exit," "No Smoking").

Industrial Facilities 
Warn of machinery risks, PPE, emergency equipment, and protocols (e.g., "High Voltage," "Wear Gloves").

Healthcare
Mark hazardous areas, medical equipment safety, and patient guidelines (e.g., "Biohazard Waste," "No Cell Phones in ICU").

Retail Spaces
Indicate floor hazards, security, safety procedures, and customer guidelines (e.g., "Wet Floor," "Surveillance Cameras").

Transportation
Direct traffic, show emergency exits, and enforce rules (e.g., "Pedestrian Crossing," "No Smoking").

Chemical Sites
Warn of chemical hazards, spills, and PPE requirements (e.g., "Flammable Gas," "Chemical Spill Alert").
These signs help prevent accidents, guide behavior, and maintain safety in diverse settings.

Bulk Purchasing for Custom Safety Signs

Purchasing safety signage in bulk can be an efficient and cost-effective solution for businesses, organizations, and institutions that require a large quantity of signs to ensure the safety and well-being of their employees, customers, and visitors.

Benefits of Bulk Purchasing

Cost Savings
Purchasing in bulk often leads to significant discounts and lower unit prices, reducing overall expenditure. Fiberglass embedded signs are created with high volume in mind - we can create thousands of signs every day, here in our one location.

Consistency
Ordering large quantities at once ensures uniformity in design, quality, and messaging across all signs.  

Convenience
Reduces the need for frequent reordering, saving time and administrative efforts.  At a lower cost per sign, higher quantities make it easier to justify buying more at once.

Inventory Management
Helps maintain an adequate stock of essential safety signs, ensuring they are readily available when needed.

FAQs About Custom Safety Signs

Why are safety signs important?

Safety signs can help prevent accidents and injuries by providing clear, easy to understand warnings.  During emergencies, they can guide people where to go and how to leave a building. They help ensure compliance with government standards.  Safety signs can help provide instructions on how to use equipment, so things do not have to be taught over and over again. Signs communicate things that people can communicate, but they do their job 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  They are there when knowledgeable people can’t be.

Why are safety signs standardized?

Safety signage is standardized to ensure the communicate is both easy to understand and effective no matter what part of the world you are in. If you cannot read the native language, but you can understand the illustration, you can understand that there is an electrical hazard. 

What colors and symbols can be used in safety signs? 

Colors and symbols play a crucial role in the effectiveness of safety signs. Commonly used colors include:
 

• Red: Indicates prohibition or danger (e.g., "No Smoking," "Fire Hazard").
• Yellow: Indicates warning or caution (e.g., "Caution: Wet Floor," "Hazardous Material").
• Blue: Indicates mandatory actions (e.g., "Wear Protective Clothing," "Obey All Safety Rules").
• Green: Indicates emergency information or safety equipment (e.g., "Emergency Exit," "First Aid Station").

Symbols are used to reinforce the message of the safety sign and are often simple, easily recognizable images that convey the intended meaning quickly and effectively.

Where should safety signs be placed?

Safety signs should be placed in locations where they are clearly visible and easily accessible. They should be positioned:
 

• At entry points to hazardous areas. 
• Near potential hazards, such as machinery or chemicals.
• Along evacuation routes and near emergency exits.
• In areas where specific safety equipment or actions are required.
• At eye level or in locations where they are easily seen by individuals.

Why Choose Pannier for Your Custom Safety Signs

Pannier has been the leading manufacturer of fiberglass embedded panels since 1978. Our proprietary manufacturing process ensures that your signs are built to last for many years to come. Our signs are also backed with a 10 year warranty, so you can rest assured that you are receiving a quality product.

Pannier Graphics was founded in the safety and transit industry.  We have created thousands of signs for subway stations and underground platforms.  We understand what is important to this industry, and there is no explanation needed when you ask for ANSI Red or OSHA specific messaging.  We enjoy partnering with various agencies within the safety world, and hope to connect with you on your next project - large or small. 

For more information on Pannier Graphics’, outdoor interpretive signs, panels and exhibit bases & frames, please browse our website or fill out a contact form. We look forward to an opportunity to help you with your next signage project!