Visual Safety 101: Building a Comprehensive Safety Program in Your Workplace

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to today's webinar, Visual Safety 101: Building a Comprehensive Safety Program in Your Workplace. We're thrilled to have you join us for what promises to be an incredibly insightful session. Today, our own global product manager, Paul Schneeberger, will be educating us on the importance of building a documented visual safety plan, how to improve communication through signage and labeling, and how we can simplify GHS, lockout tagout, and emergency procedures. Paul brings a wealth of knowledge and practical experience to the table, and we're eager to learn from his expertise on this critical topic. Before we begin, please note that this webinar is being recorded and a link will be made available after the session. Finally, we will be answering questions from the chat at the end of the presentation. Thank you again for joining us. Let's get started.

Hello everybody. Just one quick housekeeping item: if you are struggling to see the screen or the slides, please shoot a message to Will in the chat and he can help troubleshoot that for you. To introduce myself, I've been an employee here at Brady Corporation for 12 years, serving in a variety of roles on the product management team. I currently manage our signs and labels product offering, but in the past, I have managed several of our other product lines, including lockout tagout, asset ID, and our traffic products.

I am incredibly passionate about safety. I believe that people should be able to show up at work, feel safe, and go home to their families at the end of the day. Achieving this standard is a collective team effort between employers and employees. I also have a background in chemistry, which relates directly to our upcoming discussion on GHS. Early in my career, I performed chemistry safety demonstrations for elementary, middle school, and high school teachers. If you have ever seen a demonstration where drops of sulfuric acid burn straight through a sock, you understand exactly why safety protocols and PPE are so vital to making our environments safer.

When you run a business that utilizes hazardous chemicals or industrial machinery, knowing where to start with a safety program can feel overwhelming. The first step for any safety professional, operations manager, or sales representative is to identify the specific hazards in the facility. You cannot make a workplace safer if you do not know what hazards exist. Walk through your facility and evaluate the variables: Are your employees working with hazardous chemicals, such as four-liter bottles or 55-gallon drums of acetone? Do you have forklifts or other powered industrial trucks moving around in the same areas as pedestrians? Are you operating industrial machinery to cut or fabricate materials?

You must also evaluate your fire prevention program, as almost any business can face a fire hazard, especially those operating ovens or high-temperature equipment. Consider whether tasks generate silica dust, create excessive noise, or require lifting heavy objects. Look for electrical hazards, wet or icy manufacturing floors, or seasonal slip-and-fall risks in the parking lot. Finally, note if your teams are working at heights. This comprehensive building audit is where every safety program must begin.

Once established, a safety program requires ongoing evaluation. This is not a one-and-done task. If you reconfigure your warehouse or upgrade your equipment, your safety protocols must adapt accordingly. Programs should be reviewed periodically to ensure they account for new technologies, new machinery, and new employees. If you simply write a safety plan and lock it in a drawer, it will quickly become obsolete. Ultimately, the benefits of an active safety program are insurmountable. They build a corporate culture where people feel secure, protected from severe workplace injuries, and confident that they will go home safely each day.

Every year, OSHA publishes its top 10 most cited workplace violations. This list typically includes fall protection, hazard communication, ladders, respiratory protection, lockout tagout, powered industrial trucks, eye and face protection, machine guarding, and scaffolding. These citations cut across multiple industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, education, and oil and gas. Interestingly, when a company is cited for a lockout tagout violation, it is rarely because they lack physical locks or tags; it is usually because they lack a comprehensive, machine-specific safety program. Today, our focus is entirely on the program and the surrounding culture rather than the physical products.

OSHA mandates that businesses maintain written safety plans for specific environmental risks, and individual state branches may require additional documentation. We will focus on five core required plans: emergency action plans, hazard communication programs, lockout tagout programs, confined space programs, and workplace hazard assessments (which dictate PPE requirements). These plans must be written, stored securely, and remain completely accessible to your employees and compliance inspectors. Having a documented, defendable, and actionable plan proves that your organization is doing its due diligence to protect its workforce. Integrating clear signage and labels into these written plans serves as a vital visual reminder for employees, helping mitigate human error.

To understand how to mitigate these risks, we look to the hierarchy of controls. Developed by the National Safety Council in the 1950s and endorsed by OSHA and NIOSH, this framework provides a structured approach to resolving workplace hazards. The hierarchy is organized from most effective to least effective: Elimination (physically removing the hazard), Substitution (replacing the hazard), Engineering Controls (isolating people from the hazard), Administrative Controls (changing the way people work), and Personal Protective Equipment (protecting the worker with PPE).

To illustrate this, let’s look at a common hazard: forklifts operating near pedestrians. Can we eliminate forklifts entirely? In a massive warehouse, that may be impossible without advanced, fully automated robotic aisles that a small business cannot afford. Can we substitute the hazard? In some zones, we can substitute a heavy forklift with a manual pallet jack to lower the risk profile. Can we use engineering controls? Yes, we can install physical guardrails and high-visibility floor tape to completely isolate walking paths from driving lanes. Can we implement administrative controls? We can post traffic maps, mandate safety training, and enforce strict pedestrian pathways. By successfully combining engineering and administrative controls, we often eliminate the vehicle-pedestrian hazard entirely, meaning employees do not need to rely on high-tech PPE sensors to stay safe.

You can apply this same framework to a hazard like working outside on a 120°F day in Arizona. You cannot eliminate the sun, nor can you substitute it. However, you can use engineering controls by building cooling canopies or installing outdoor misting systems. You can use administrative controls by shifting the work schedule to cooler overnight hours, providing frequent rest breaks, and mandating proper hydration protocols. The hierarchy of controls is an exceptional tool for resolving any safety challenge, and we will reference it throughout this session.

Let's break down the Emergency Action Plan (EAP). If your facility has more than 11 employees, OSHA requires a written plan detailing workplace emergency procedures. This document must include formal procedures for reporting emergencies, clear evacuation escape routes, and distinct protocols for designated employees who must shut down critical infrastructure before exiting. The building must be equipped with proper exit signs, "no exit" designations for utility closets, and visible egress markings—such as photoluminescent path markers that glow if the power fails.

Your plan must also include an active employee roster to account for everyone at your external assembly or muster points. Designate specific team leaders for each department so your organization can track who is on vacation or away from the office during an evacuation. Employees must undergo emergency training at least once a year. Additionally, verify that emergency equipment, such as evacuation bags loaded with blankets for winter weather, are properly marked and stationed near exit doors.

Different types of emergencies require distinct visual safety strategies. For a chemical manufacturer facing a massive spill, the plan must outline a dedicated spill response team and a clearly labeled spill cart. This cart must be inspected periodically to ensure spill pads and neutralization materials have not expired or suffered water damage. For fires or explosions, the building must feature prominent signage marking fire extinguishers and alarms, alongside outdoor signs designating clear assembly points.

Conversely, severe weather events like tornadoes require the opposite reaction: instead of evacuating, employees must be directed via clear signage to an interior, windowless storm shelter. Finally, your EAP must address workplace violence protocols, which will vary based on your specific facility type and state regulations.

The second required initiative is the Hazard Communication Program, which applies to any facility managing hazardous chemicals. This plan is standard in chemical processing, oil and gas, manufacturing, and food and beverage environments. The goal is to guarantee that employees understand the specific dangers of the chemicals they handle daily. Historically, this was known as the "Right to Know" standard, but the implementation of GHS in the United States and Canada shifted the philosophy to the "Right to Understand." This program relies on accurate container labeling, safety data sheets (SDS), employee training, and a comprehensive chemical inventory.

Proper secondary container labeling is a critical component of hazard communication. Consider a common scenario where a worker routinely dispenses acetone from a properly labeled 55-gallon primary drum into a smaller secondary container. If that standard container goes missing, an employee aiming to get the job done quickly might be tempted to pour the acetone into an empty, unlabeled water bottle. If another worker suddenly suffers an acid splash to the eye a few hours later, their first instinct will be to grab the nearest water bottle to flush their face. Without clear labeling, they could accidentally flush their eyes with acetone instead of water.

To prevent these dangerous scenarios, your plan must establish a clear strategy for labeling secondary containers, whether that involves pre-printed labels or an on-site industrial label printer. Your hazard communication plan must also ensure that outside contractors follow your chemical safety procedures and that all facility chemical pipes are clearly marked to eliminate unknown variables. Additionally, maintaining a precise chemical inventory is crucial for emergency services. If a fire breaks out, the fire department's first question will be whether you store flammables or oxidizers, and they will need your inventory log to target their fire suppression efforts safely.

Next is the Lockout Tagout (LOTO) program, which requires employers to establish strict energy control procedures, employee training, and periodic inspections. When lockout tagout is cited by OSHA, it is frequently labeled a paperwork violation because companies often buy locks and tags without building a formal program around them. A compliant program requires documented, machine-specific energy isolation procedures. It must explicitly train and distinguish between authorized employees (those locking out equipment), affected employees (those operating the machines), and general staff.

LOTO systems must be thoroughly organized and standardized; you should never rely on a random bin of mismatched padlocks and mystery keys. From a visual safety perspective, best practices include mounting visual, step-by-step lockout procedures directly to the machinery and utilizing photo-ID lockout tags. Printing an authorized employee's face directly onto their safety tag humanizes the protocol, making it clear exactly who is working inside the machine and drastically reducing the likelihood of a dangerous lock violation.

Our fourth focus area is the Confined Space Program, which requires organizations to categorize spaces into non-permit required confined spaces and permit-required confined spaces. Non-permit spaces do not contain severe atmospheric or physical hazards and include areas like standard attics, crawl spaces, or ventilated tunnels. Conversely, permit-required confined spaces contain immediate hazards such as entrapment risks, restricted entry and exit points, or hazardous atmospheres. Examples include chemical tanks, manholes, storage silos, and industrial pits.

Entering a permit space requires a formal written permit verifying that atmospheric testing has been completed and that a dedicated rescue plan is active. A compliant confined space program incorporates regular employee training, calibrated air-monitoring equipment, annual procedural audits, and a mandatory worker buddy system.

Our final focus area is the Workplace Hazard Assessment Program, which serves as the foundation for selecting personal protective equipment (PPE). When you apply the hierarchy of controls and find that you cannot eliminate or engineer out a hazard, PPE becomes your last line of defense. This program governs respiratory protection, safety glasses, hand protection, fall protection, hearing protection, and safety footwear.

Let's apply the hierarchy of controls to a loud industrial air compressor. Instead of immediately mandating earplugs for everyone in the area, a safety coordinator should see if they can eliminate the noise by upgrading to a quieter compressor model. If elimination or substitution is not feasible, look for an engineering control, such as building a sound-insulated utility room to isolate the compressor's noise away from the general workforce. If isolation works, you completely remove the need for daily hearing PPE in that zone. Hazard assessments must be updated continuously as new machinery is introduced or environmental changes occur, and they should be co-designed alongside the employees who operate the equipment daily.

To wrap up, the most important action you can take is to accurately identify every hazard within your facility. Without that foundational audit, building a compliant, effective safety plan is impossible. Once hazards are identified, systematically mitigate them using the hierarchy of controls, aiming for elimination before relying on PPE. As employers and safety coordinators, it is our responsibility to equip our workforce with the proper tools, technology, and written safety plans to ensure they can do their jobs safely and productively.

Commit to periodic reviews of your safety plans, and actively engage your workforce or safety committees to capture day-to-day operational insights. Making a safety program work requires a deeply embedded safety culture supported by clear signage and industrial labeling. For example, a recent industry article highlighted that Boeing managed to increase its 737 production pace by actively improving its safety culture. They implemented an employee reporting system that caused worker safety submissions to rise by 220% between 2023 and 2024. Furthermore, they ensured that safety concerns were evaluated by impartial managers from entirely different sections of the company. Building an active, transparent program that earns complete buy-in from your employees will naturally foster a stronger safety culture and drive operational success.

With that, I would love to open up the floor to any questions. Please type your questions into the chat so Will can review them. I have also listed my email address on the slide, so please feel free to reach out to me directly if you need assistance following this session. Will, I will turn it back over to you.

Thank you, Paul. We received a question directly from Colin: 'How should we measure if our new safety initiatives are working? Are there any creative ways to measure it?' Measuring safety success is all about tracking culture and awareness. While you should track standard metrics like near-misses and recordable incidents—setting goals to reduce them year-over-year—you can also use creative safety scoreboards and reward systems.

At my very first manufacturing job, our employer took safety milestones incredibly seriously. If the entire facility went safe for six months without a recordable incident, management rewarded all 80 employees with a catered steak and lobster lunch. Investing thousands of dollars into a milestone celebration sent a clear, powerful message to the workforce that management was deeply serious about safety. When an incident does occur, host an immediate review meeting with outside managers to evaluate the event through the hierarchy of controls, working to engineer that specific hazard out of the workflow entirely.

Next, Brian asks: 'I am completely new to this and I don't really know where to start with some of this stuff. Is there any recommendation on how to get started with these types of plans at my business?' If you are building an emergency action plan from scratch, I highly recommend contacting your local fire department. They are almost always willing to visit your facility and help you evaluate your layout free of charge. They want to ensure your building is safe and properly equipped because it protects their firefighters if they ever have to respond to an emergency at your location. They can also offer expert advice on how to store hazardous chemicals properly in fire-safe flammable cabinets, ensuring your facility minimizes potential fuel sources.

Amanda has a question regarding hazard communication: 'Where do I get the information that is required on a secondary container label?' The required information can be extracted from two primary sources. First, check your primary chemical label, which contains detailed signal words, pictograms, and hazard statements. Second, review the chemical's Safety Data Sheet (SDS), which employers are legally mandated to maintain in a central binder or electronic database. Alternatively, you can simplify this process using automated labeling software. Brady offers specialized industrial printers paired with our Brady Workstation software, which features built-in GHS labeling templates. You can simply select a chemical like acetone from the database and print a fully compliant, durable GHS label instantly.

Sharon wants to know: 'How do you encourage and enforce a safety culture in a new company?' Building a safety culture in a brand-new organization relies heavily on visual management and consistent celebration. Install clear safety signage across the workplace, track your safe working days on a prominent digital scoreboard, and implement a visual red-light, yellow-light, green-light system to track recent incidents. Celebrate early milestones—such as reaching 30 days or 90 days without an injury. Celebrating success is especially critical in high-risk environments like heavy manufacturing, chemical processing, or food and beverage, where workers face daily operational hazards.

There is one additional question from Ravi, but I will reach out to you privately after the session to clarify your text. That concludes our presentation for today. We will be sharing this webinar recording via email, allowing you to reference my contact information on the first slide. Please join us for our upcoming monthly visual workplace safety webinars: Floor and Area Markings in June, Facility Auditing for Regulatory Compliance in July, Control of Hazardous Energy (LOTO) in August, and Essential Pipe Marking Requirements in September. Thank you all again for joining us today, and have a safe afternoon.