If you thought asbestos was a thing of the past, think again. Before the turn of the millennium, asbestos was used in all types of building for its insulative and fireproof properties, and while we now know how harmful it can be to human health, asbestos is still commonly found in homes, offices, schools, hospitals, and other buildings.

Here are some sobering facts from the Health and Safety Executive:

• 20 tradespeople die every week as a result of previous exposure to asbestos
• 5,000 workers are killed by asbestos-related diseases every year - fewer people are killed in road accidents each year
• Asbestos can be responsible for many life-threatening lung problems, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis and pleural thickening

The HSE is currently running a #BewareAsbestos campaign to raise awareness of asbestos, the dangers associated with it, and the fact that it is still very common in the present day. Any building that was constructed before the year 2000 could potentially contain asbestos, and if it does, this poses a risk to everybody, especially any tradespeople (electricians, plumbers, contractors, etc.) who carry out work in the building.

Here at Label Source, we sell a wide range of asbestos warning signs that can be used to warn workers and the general public of asbestos problems on your premises. Here are some of the signs we can provide:

Click here to see the rest of Label Source's asbestos signs.

The Carrick Times - a weekly newspaper covering the town of Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland - ran a story last month that rather struck a chord with the team here at Label Source. The report stated that walkers had been ignoring safety signs that were put in place by the local council to keep people away from a dangerous coastal path that had recently seen a series of rockfalls:

"Signage has been erected to warn the public of the danger and barrier fencing has been installed to physically prevent public access...the path currently represents a very real and present danger"

It is hard to know what goes on in the mind of somebody who ignores warning signs and wanders into such a hazardous area. Standardised safety signs are designed to be as visible as possible, and so - unless the Carrickfergus council are positioning them out of sight - we can only assume that people are wilfully flouting the restrictions and hopping the barrier that would otherwise keep them out of harm's way.

This, sadly, is not the first we've heard of people ignoring safety signs and putting themselves at risk. We as a nation seem to think that health and safety is something we can afford to disregard, but measures like this are designed to keep you safe (whether from rockfalls or other hazards).

It's even worse when you realise that people in other parts of the world are going out of their way to get signs like these put in. Consider the story of the Australian woman whose granddaughter stepped on a venomous stonefish on the shore of a local river; ever since this incident, she has been battling to get a safety sign placed near the river, but the local authorities have so far been of very little help, it seems.

Clearly, we should be thankful for the health and safety laws that get safety signs where they need to be in the UK. Ignoring those signs is foolish and potentially very dangerous - if you've ever walked straight past a hazard warning without taking any notice, make sure it doesn't happen again!

We have had an excellent 2014, and would like to thank everyone who has contributed to that.  We hope 2015 will be even better! Order your products now, to start the New Year off, ensuring you are following the safety regulations by making sure all signs, labels, tapes and tags are displayed clearly in your workplace.

We want to ensure that your company is abiding by the regulations, take a look at our website where we can help with any regulations which you may need in your workplace. You can also contact our sales office: 

On 08003761693 in the UK

or +441443842769 for International calls outside of the UK

or email us on sales@labelsource.co.uk

Start your New Year off to good start by displaying your safety signs and labels in and around the workplace to ensure that your workers are safe.

We often hear of companies who have been taken to court over health and safety violations. Some organisations have been fined thousands of pounds because they didn't use the proper safety signs, or because a certain piece of equipment wasn't being used properly.

Sadly, though, accidents can't always be prevented, and the unthinkable does sometimes happen even in safety-compliant workplaces. Take, for example, the sad story of Nigel Chester: the 46-year-old safety inspector was visiting a Premier Foods factory in Nottinghamshire when he stepped through a 'door to nowhere' and suffered a 13ft fall, resulting in severe head injuries that eventually proved fatal.

Unusually for this type of case, though, the company was eventually judged to be free from blame, and Chester's tragic death ruled an accident. Why? Because the door (installed a decade ago during the construction of a gantry that was eventually deemed unnecessary) was locked and marked with an appropriate warning sign. Nigel Chester had unlocked the door using a master key, and he presumably didn't notice the sign, which read "Danger. Keep this door locked. Four metre fall to the floor if opened."

While this sign was sadly not enough to save the life of Mr Chester, it was enough to convince a jury that his death had been an accident, and it seems that the company will not be penalised. We are not suggesting that this should be any consolation to Mr Chester's family, nor indeed to the factory workers who witnessed the incident, but one must wonder how much sooner an accident like this would have occurred had the sign not been in place.

If there are any unmarked hazards in your workplace, be sure to label them with the correct safety signs as a matter of urgency. It's the law, and it could well save lives.

Source: Daily Mail

Get all your signs, labels and nameplates ordered before the mad Christmas postage rush! Here at Label Source we want to please all our customers by getting their products out on time, so don’t leave it too late!

Winter has arrived, and the weather is getting colder. It is that time of year where the cold and the flu are easy to catch, and the wet and windy weather conditions can cause more potential accidents. Get your warning, safety and hygiene signs in to make sure you and your colleagues are fit and healthy this Christmas and New Year.

Label Source provides a range of warning signs, to help identify wet surfaces or slippery floor. We provide a range bathroom signs informing and reminding people to wash their hands, or to use the hand sanitiser.

Order your signs today and get them before Christmas to start the New Year happy and healthy.