DIY for better sign safety

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) sign-making and printing is essential for companies focused on occupational health and safety because it enables speed, flexibility, and clarity in safety communication. These are all critical in industrial environments where safety conditions can change rapidly.

Oliver Fernau, senior product marketing manager for safety and facility identification solutions at Brady’s Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) division, stresses that with traditional pre-printed signs, the process can be slow and complicated.

“The end user typically needs to place a purchase request through procurement, get cost approvals from management, wait for artwork approval, go through manufacturing lead times, and wait for shipping and logistics,” he explains. “By the time the sign finally arrives, the situation on the ground could have already changed — leaving workers exposed to unaddressed hazards.”

Fernau says that DIY printing, on the other hand, eliminates these delays entirely. “When a safety need arises, companies can print exactly what they need, when they need it, and how they need it — without waiting on external suppliers,” he expands.

As an example, Fernau focuses on a manufacturing plant: “Imagine a sudden equipment failure causing an oil leak on the production floor. That’s a slip hazard, and workers need to be warned immediately. With a DIY printing system, safety teams can create and post clear warning signs within minutes – such as ‘Caution: Slippery Floor’ – ensuring everyone is aware and can avoid the danger.”

A construction site where high winds make it unsafe to operate cranes is another example where DIY printing offers various benefits. “A DIY printer lets supervisors quickly produce temporary safety notices and restrict access to high-risk zones, preventing accidents,” notes Fernau.

“This kind of immediate, on-the-spot response minimises risk, keeps workers informed, and ensures compliance with safety protocols,” he continues. “With DIY printing, companies stay agile, proactive, and in control, ultimately keeping their people safer and their operations running smoothly.”

Farah Montenegro, local product expert for Brady MEA, cautions that while DIY sign-making has many benefits, it is not without its challenges.

• Training and ease of use: “Take a chemical processing plant — the team’s already dealing with high-stress situations, and if they’re not entirely comfortable with the printer software or how to design clear, compliant signs, it can slow things down when every second counts,” says Montenegro.
• Material label management: “Picture a warehouse with heavy machinery,” she continues. “If they suddenly need hazard labels for equipment and realise they’ve run out of durable label stock, that’s a huge problem. Those delays could leave safety gaps until new materials arrive.”
• Design consistency: In a large automotive factory with multiple departments, uniform, easy-to-recognise safety signs are important. “However, without a solid system in place, different teams might create inconsistent designs, which can confuse workers and reduce the signs’ effectiveness,” she notes.
• Material durability: In oil and gas facilities, the environment – including extreme temperatures, chemicals, and outdoor exposure – can be brutal on signage. “If the wrong materials are used, signs can fade, peel, or become unreadable – and that’s the last thing you want when safety is on the line,” Montenegro emphasises.