Stocksigns

Following five years of consultation, in 2022 a new fire safety legislation was introduced in response to the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy. Amongst the new regulations were rules on wayfinding signage, which came into force in January 2023. If you are planning a new project or are involved in the retrofit of an existing building, it is crucial that you understand these requirements and ensure that any wayfinding signage is implemented correctly.

Background
In the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, a series of inquiries were launched to establish the cause of the fire, the building materials responsible for its rapid spread and why the rescue services struggled to save trapped residents.

Amongst other conclusions, Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 noted that the 24 storey block of flats had only one staircase with sporadic signage to indicate floor and flat numbers. This combined with poor visibility and sign design made it difficult for the emergency services to judge which floor they were on or to find the flat they were being directed to as quickly as possible. Another factor contributing to the tragic event was the result of refurbishment work in the tower. Wayfinding signage had not been updated and, as a result, some of the signs were incorrect, misleading the firefighters further.

As a result of the inquiry and its findings, the report recommended mandatory wayfinding signage should be introduced in specific circumstances.

What has changed?
The inquiry recommended (Recommendation 33.27) that all existing high-rise buildings – those with a roof height over 11 metres – be fitted with clear wayfinding signage that can be read in all conditions. These recommendations generated The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, Regulation 8, which legally mandates that all existing high-rise multiple occupancy buildings be equipped with wayfinding signage on the landings of all protected stairways, and every protected corridor or lobby that a firefighting lift opens into. This signage should also clearly identify each floor and the flat numbers found on that floor.

This comes into force alongside existing legislation, which already requires all new-build high-rise residential buildings to have the aforementioned wayfinding signage. However, it is advised that ‘responsible persons’ may wish to consider installing signage in all types of buildings – high-rise or otherwise – in order to protect residents.

In addition to specifying which buildings require signage, Regulation 8 of The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 also states that all signage should conform to paragraphs 15.14 – 15.16 of Approved Document B Volume 1. This document specifies the location, size, shape, visibility and height from the floor of any wayfinding signage in a building and should always be consulted when planning a project.

How we can help
Through careful consultation with a dedicated account manager, we can help our customers understand and implement the relevant regulation wayfinding signage. Furthermore, by managing and producing all our quality signs in house, we are able to tailor each product to the needs and preferences of the customer – producing the ideal custom signage for your next project.

In addition to this, because our catalogue of fire safety signage is compliant with IS07010, our customers can rest assured that our in-house experts can deliver all the necessary signage to satisfying The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.

By Melissa Barker – Stocksigns Ltd Group Marketing Assistant and Resident Beagle Mum

Let’s face it, we all need road signs to help direct us from A to B.
Guiding you along the way, they keep you on track and make you aware of the dangers ahead. But some signs, they just know how to make your journey so much better. Some weird, others funny, they compel you to stop in your tracks and have a good laugh.

But in true British fashion, there are instances where we come across some utterly bizarre road signs and meanings that put a smile on our faces behind the wheel.

Prepare to be amazed by the collection of sign pictures that I have taken when I am out and about! Signs that I find amusing and baffling around Cornwall, Surrey, and Kent. You will have to let me know if you find any odd signs on your everyday commute. But don’t take your eyes off the road for too long.

Wild animal road signs are used to advise oncoming drivers of the presence of wild animals which could create a potential hazard on your route.

Otter crossing spotted in Cornwall!

But sadly, I didn’t spot any otters whilst I was there. Maybe next time.

SLOW - Hedgehogs Sign
Why did the hedgehog cross the road?

To get to the other side obviously!

Ducks Crossing - Melissa And Chewy
All the ducks are swimming in the water according to Lemon Jelly as they once sang about it in the late 90s, apparently, they are not. They are crossing roads, I guess to prove they are no chickens!

Except For Access with a sticker
As cool as it looks, you mustn’t try to pull off motorbike stunts over cars whilst wearing jazzy outfits. Best to leave that to professional stunt performers.

I’m pretty sure that the Stegosaurus became extinct 150 million years ago in what is now Utah, so I’m not quite sure how they ended up in present day UK!

Although, upon closer inspection it does seem to be another one of those otter crossing signs – someone has just drawn on it.

Why did the Archaeopteryx catch the worm? Because it was an early bird!

Humps for 10 yards
Throughout Kent, there are hundreds of road signs that have a sticker of a black cat peering around in the corners. The mysterious black cat has been popping up on road signs along major routes and rural lanes. Yet despite the fact that cats appear everywhere and are very common no one seems to know the answers.

Black cats can have various superstitions surrounding them, with some suggesting they bring bad luck, others good luck. Whatever the reason, it’s still fun to spot them.

No high heels on the mountain
Here’s one that we spotted on our annual charity mountain hike in Slovakia this year.

I’m not quite sure who would attempt to climb the highest mountain in Poland in high-heels – but whoever they are they’re not allowed to do it anymore!

My ankles hurt just thinking about it.

Here we catch up with our Marketing Executive Kelly Spear to find out about her background, her current role and also her extensive pet collection.
How did you get into marketing and what first led you to Stocksigns?
My career began in 2017 when I joined a global technology provider and distributor Westcon-Comstor as a Marketing Apprentice. Since then, I’ve worked for a number of large B2B companies including Sivantos Group and, most recently, Restore Record Management, working my way up from Marketing Assistant roles and progressing to Marketing Executive. Last year I secured my job here at Stocksigns. The team have been incredibly welcoming and I’ve enjoyed getting up to speed with both the Stocksigns and Messagemaker brands ever since.

What does your role entail?
My role is incredibly varied, which I really love. I cover everything from organising marketing campaigns and materials, to drafting and uploading blogs, updating and maintaining the website, creating email campaigns, helping with social media content and reporting on campaign results to the sales team. There’s always something different to do – I think the only constant is the amount of tea I drink every day!

Although most of my work has a digital focus, Daniella, our Marketing and Graphics Manager has been on maternity leave so I have been looking after a few other marketing areas, including managing the flow of content from our external PR agency.

You also have an important role to play in terms of sustainability at Stocksigns, tell us about that?
When I first interviewed with Daniella and Danny, our MD, I mentioned my interest in sustainability – both the environmental and social aspects. While I personally do my best to recycle and live sustainably, I feel that big corporations need to take more accountability as there’s only so much the average consumer can do or afford.

Having heard me speak passionately on the subject and agreeing, Danny encouraged me to sign up to the Supply Chain Sustainability School on behalf of the company. The Supply Chain Sustainability School is a free-to-join learning environment that aspires to upskill those working within the built environment sector. So far, we have reached Silver status as a result of our continued engagement with the school, and using the knowledge I’ve gained, I’ve been running internal CSR training sessions, covering topics such as the importance of ESG/CSR and the circular economy. I also regularly share insight from the school with the wider company at our monthly meetings, and I look forward to telling them all about the School’s Net Zero Summit that I am attending in September.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love animals and have quite the menagerie at home. I have tarantulas in just about every size, shape and colour (including one so pink that it would fit right into the set of Barbie), scorpions, a centipede, various colonies of isopod species, 3 leopard geckos, 3 crested geckos, a leachianus giant gecko, a dwarf monitor lizard and a box full of fruit beetles – who needs to go to the zoo when there’s one at home!

I spent some time studying Animal Care at Brinsbury College before my apprenticeship and I also used to volunteer at a local falconry centre. I would love to one day get involved with various animal conservation programmes and have been looking into working with sharks off the coasts of South Africa.

Aside from animals, I enjoy gaming and can often be found on my PC (or Nintendo Switch during work breaks) playing Warhammer 40,000 games, various survival crafting titles, and the occasional bit of Stardew Valley or Minecraft. I’m also admittedly a bit of a Star Wars nerd – I even have my own Mandalorian cosplay – and am planning to go to the next Star Wars Celebration in Japan in 2025. Finally, I also love creating artwork, and at one time considered a career as a digital illustrator and animator. As such, my notepads are always covered in doodles – mostly of dragons.

What do you like about working at Stocksigns and what do you hope to achieve?
One of my favourite things about Stocksigns is how close and supportive we are as a team. In a smaller company, you feel more integral and more appreciated, while milestones are more highly celebrated as everyone feels so invested in the company, its progress and development. It makes for a really positive environment.

In terms of what I would like to achieve, I’m determined that we will soon reach Gold status at the Supply Chain Sustainability School and also hit Net Zero by 2030, if not sooner. Personally, I’m working on building my confidence and skillset to include all areas of marketing and have found covering for Daniella in some areas to have been a real confidence boost.

Reducing accidents in the workplace is extremely important in all industries, including manufacturing, heavy industry, on construction sites but also important in office-based environments too.

Safety signage is an essential tool in ensuring compliance with specific legislation. Safety signs help create a safe working environment, offering guidance to those in the workplace or workplace area, whether they are members of staff or the general public. This helps protect people and property when unexpected occurrences arise by warning of potential hazards and reminding workers of safety measures and protocols that must be followed.

Aside from providing essential information to ensure safety, modern safety signs are more visually appealing and easier to understand and follow.

The first step towards understanding which signage is required is to undertake a risk assessment. Identifying potential hazards and risks posed to people working or visiting your site is paramount. According to the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, employers are required to use adequate safety signage where there is a significant risk to health and safety.

Safety signs and symbols are important safety communication tools, indicating various hazards that are present in plant sites or workplaces. Effective signage warns workers to watch out for hazards by giving required information and safety instructions, increasing safety awareness.

Each work area might require different workplace health and safety signs and symbols. This is because each work area can have a plethora of different hazards. A risk assessment of each activity or designated area will help identify hazards. Appropriate actions for ensuring safety can then be drawn up and selecting the appropriate safety signs can then be selected. Where possible safety signs are shown to be changed (at least their location) to keep the safety message fresh and to avoid “sign blindness”.

Safety signs and symbols consist of messages, words and pictorial symbols with a variety of sizes, shapes and colours. All the shapes and colours are standardised. Each shape has a different meaning, and each colour reflects a specific meaning.

Read our blog Sign Blindness: What is it and How can it be Avoided?
Once the relevant signage is in place, there is a legal duty for companies to maintain safety signs and ensure that employees receive correct instructions and training on what the safety signs mean and the measures that must be followed.

Prohibition
A red circular band with a diagonal crossbar on white background, the symbol within the circle to be black denoting a safety sign that includes a certain behaviour is prohibited.

hazard Health and Safety signs from Stocksigns
Hazard
A yellow triangle with a black border and a symbol in yellow denoting a safety sign that gives a warning of a hazard.

mandatory
Mandatory
A blue circle with a white symbol denoting a sign that indicates that a specific course of action must be taken.


Fire Equipment
A red rectangle or square with a symbol in white denoting a safety sign that indicates the location of the firefighting equipment.

safe-condition
Safe Condition
A green rectangle or square with a symbol or text in white denoting a safety sign providing information about safe conditions.

Safety Signs are crucial in any work environment. The primary importance of displaying them is to prevent injury and ensure staff and visitors are aware of the possible dangers and hazards in certain situations and/or environments. Whether you require permanent signage to notify people of prohibitions, warnings, and mandatory requirements or for locating and identifying emergency escape routes and first-aid facilities – there is a Stocksigns solution for you!

This year our team have endeavoured to climb the highest mountain in Poland, Mount Rysy and take a trek through Paradise Valley for local charity – The Children’s Trust
Stocksigns Marketing Assistant, Melissa Barker, gives the scoop on how it went down:

Now I have had the chance to take stock & reflect on what’s been an unforgettable few days in Slovakia, the graft, the slog, the self-doubt. The team struggling, and you want to give up but know you shouldn’t. You Finally approach the summit, eyes widen, heart races. You find those final steps, raise your hand in victory touch the summit stone… Then it’s all downhill from there!

Day 1 Paradise Valley
No snakes just ladders and lots of them! We walked just over 13 and a half miles with an elevation game of 2999ft. This was the warm-up of exceedingly strenuous valleys, gullies, and ravines. It includes 75m ladder climbs, waterfalls, and some jaw-dropping scenery. For this challenge, A person who is sure-footed, unlikely to slip or stumble, and has a good head for heights is the ideal candidate!

I am pleased to say that even with a wobbly ladder here and there and no safety equipment, the team took it all in their stride and got on with it.

It was a peak experience!

Although our legs really hurt after this hike. But that’s fine, who KNEES ’em?


Day 2 Mount Rysy climb
A 13hr, 14 miles & 1,400m ascent of Poland’s highest mountain from the Slovakian side of the High Tatras. It was a very early start for the crew again on Sunday. We had no idea how long this would actually take. Day two was so tough. As one, we tackled valleys, a series of rails, cables, and bridges steep rocky switchbacks, scorching midday heat & some lethal snowy sections to reach the 2500m summit.

No one was prepared for the steep slippery snow section, we had quite a few falls and lots of snow ploughing on the way down. There were so many technical sections. If you are not one for heights then this would have not been for you! walking next to the rock’s face, a tad scary.

Simply a monumental effort from everyone involved. The scenery was out of this world.

After the poorly knees, the crew put in a ton of leg work today. Actions peak louder than words.

Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory! We have definitely put in the legwork!

The charity for this year’s challenge is The Children’s Trust. The UK’s leading charity for children with injury. Based in Tadworth (local to our Stocksigns/Messagemaker HQ) the Trust runs a range of specialist care, education, and therapy services for children and young people from across the UK and is the UK’s largest rehabilitation centre for children with acquired brain injury.

The Stocksigns team was joined by friends from Balfour Beatty, Gatwick Airport, VVB Engineering, Mason Street Furniture, Tennants UK, and more. We are proud to share with you that over £15,000 has been raised for the Children’s Trust.

We are so pleased and proud to share with you that we raised over £15,000 for the Children’s Trust in Tadworth. Thank you all for your support and donations, this fantastic amount of money, and will go a long way in helping this fantastic charity.

Safety signage plays a crucial role in maintaining a safe working environment within industrial spaces.
The role of signage is to provide important information and instructions to workers and visitors, helping them to avoid potential hazards and accidents.

Within industrial spaces, there are a plethora of risks to a person’s safety. From production line machinery and manufacturing equipment to forklifts, working at height and the occasional stray wire or packaging that poses a trip hazard.

In addition to improving safety, effective signage also ensures compliance with relevant regulations and standards. It is important to regularly review and update signage to ensure that it remains effective and relevant to the changing needs of the workplace. Overall, safety signage should be considered a key component of any safety program in industrial spaces.

Safety Signage and the Dangers of Quarries
By their very nature, quarries can be dangerous places to work in and visit. Heavy plant and machinery, mining and moving materials back and forth, cliff faces, unstable edges and sudden drops, as well as the risk of falling debris.

Though not all hazards within a quarry environment are potentially fatal, plenty of other risks can severely impact people’s lives – such as hand-arm vibration, manual handling issues and respiratory issues from dust.

Effective signage is key to highlighting and preventing all manner of accidents at quarry and aggregate sites. Traffic management signs within and around the site can help reduce the number of vehicle-orientated accidents. Mandatory signage instruct workers to wear the correct PPE on site and clearly mark pedestrian walkways.

Trespassing signage should be used as part of perimeter maintenance around the site, dissuading the general public from entering a quarry. Amongst other hazards, it is not unheard of for members of the general public to enter (often disused) quarries and decide to take a dip in the icy cold, deep waters. Despite advertising campaigns, unwitting individuals put themselves and risk of cold water shock and tragically in 2018, 8 males between the ages of 13-31 lost their lives within disused quarry lakes in the UK.

Charity fundraising is a big part of life here at Stocksigns Ltd. and Messagemaker Displays and each year we aim to go bigger and better.
This year, in our Slovakia Summits challenge, we have set our sights on climbing the highest mountain in Poland, Mount Rysy, from the Slovenian border as well as a trek through Paradise Valley – all in just two days. The aim is to raise vital funds for our chosen charity The Children’s Trust – and we need your help!

The Slovakia Summits challenge will start on Friday 30th June with a 18km trek through Paradise Valley and its variety of valleys, gullies and ravines. After a night’s rest, the team will then head on to Mount Rysy, the highest mountain in Poland and located in the Tatra National Park. Of its three summits, we’re looking to ascend the north-western summit at 2500m.

The team consists of 8 employees who are up for the challenge and have been undertaking practice climbs and walks together in preparation for the main event.

Danny Adamson, MD, who will be part of the group commented:
“We never shy away from a challenge and this year it’s going to be the biggest one we’ve faced with two separate locations in two days. We’re all really passionate about giving back to the local community and now more than ever charities need the support of donations. The challenges we set ourselves here are tough, but we always rally together and it’s going to be a fantastic experience for a really worthwhile cause.”

The Slovakia Summits challenge will raise money for The Children’s Trust, the UK’s leading charity for children with injury. Based in Tadworth and local to the Stocksigns Ltd. and Messagemaker Signs HQ, the Trust runs a range of specialist care, education and therapy services for children and young people from across the UK and the UK’s largest rehabilitation centre for children with acquired brain injury (ABI).



Laura Carter, our Sales Account Manager, shared her own reasons for taking part in the challenge:
“I couldn’t resist signing up to such an incredible challenge and a once in a lifetime opportunity. The training we have been doing as a team has been brilliant, seeing colleagues outside of work and giving each other the motivation needed to carry on with the challenge. We’ve all been pushing ourselves to do the best we can, and it’s been far from easy. For me personally, this has been hugely outside of my comfort zone.

“The Children’s Trust do incredible work day in and day out with high needs children. Our Production Manager shared some inspirational stories with me about children who have life-altering injuries yet continue to work hard every day. Ultimately this is why we are doing it, and I’m so proud to be working with such a brilliant team who are collectively supporting an inspiring cause.”

Our hiking boots are at the ready and we can’t wait. Should you wish to support the team and help us to achieve something wonderful for The Children’s Trust – then please, please make a donation today. Every little helps!

Back in 2010, in our transition from silk screen to digital printing, we brought a first-generation swissQprint Impala. This machine, which was the 15th swissQprint machine to be placed in the UK, has served us for around 12 years – and has only broken down 3 times in this timeframe. Many years of printing later, we decided it was time for an upgrade.

Reliability and sustainability were the two key factors in our decision-making, with print quality being a no-brainer!

And so, after months of researching the market, we approached swissQprint again – and brought ourselves a new printer.

The new fourth-generation Impala is three times faster than our old one and much more sustainable. The Impala 4 prints the same volume of media whilst using just 10% of the energy of the old one, thanks to its UV curing capabilities and reduced power consumption requirements. Sustainability was a key factor in our decision-making, with the reductions in emissions and electricity savings of this new printer being a key stepping stone in our goal to reach Net Zero by 2030.

This new Impala 4 printer marks the 100th machine in the UK.

Stocksigns Ltd has implemented a new Quarterly Volunteering Programme for 2023, and to kick off, a small team from different departments had a mucky Friday out-of-office helping out at Surrey Docks Farm. Corporate social responsibility is something we feel very strongly about and we know the value and importance of giving back to the community.

Who are Surrey Docks Farm?
Surrey Docks Farm is a working city farm and charity that enables the whole community to learn about farming, food production, and the natural environment. They deliver a range of accredited training projects for adult students with learning disabilities and get involved with community projects. They are also particularly reliant on donations to help them stay open so volunteering is essential for them to keep going strong.

So what did we do?
We were welcomed by the lovely Gemma who gave us a tour of the farm where we learned all about the charity and the community projects that they run. There was also a young group of pupils from their Forest School on the day. The Forest School is a long-term program that teaches through play, exploration, and healthy risk-taking solving real-life problems, and building self-belief and resilience through hands-on experiences. More of their workshops can be found here

Our guide and supervisor for the day Gemma, pointed out that they have large rainwater tanks, around the site which the farm uses to harvest rainwater from the building roofs which they use to flush the toilets for most of the year.

Little did we know, the site, a former wharf, has had at least seven different uses over the last 300 years – most of which have left something behind that we can see at the Farm today, from physical structures to artifacts found on the foreshore. You can read more about it here

Following the tour, we had our health and safety briefing when it was time for us all to muck in and muck out!

Time to get to work
We worked hard in the morning on animal care duties: mucking out the goats, sweeping the goat’s yard (two minutes later it needed doing again!) grooming and mucking out the donkeys, sweeping the sheep’s yard, and taking the younger goats for a walk!

We all had time for a goat selfie or two!

The fun part was taking it in turn, to work on biochar processing to add to their compost production, by the end of the day some of us had great techniques.

After an action-packed morning, in the afternoon we were hard at work again. This time digging, wheeling & spreading woodchips on the wildlife garden paths. This back-breaking task involved moving the wood chips from one end of the farm to the other to then lay it all out. Not only was this A great team-building exercise to finish off the day! We left the farm feeling so good on that Friday. #Feelgoodfriday!

It’s all about giving back
Surrey Docks Farm is an exceptional cause that educates and helps their local community whilst being sustainable at the same time. Volunteering not only comes with a touch of team-building and cute goats, but this day of hard work is vital for the farm to keep operating and keep doing the great work that they do.

Stocksigns’ Quarterly Volunteering Programme has been set up as part of their overall CSR business initiatives. Alongside offsetting carbon emissions, lowering our carbon footprint, and climbing a mountain every year for fundraising, volunteering will now mean we can directly support local communities and charities.



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What is UKCA/CE Certification?
UKCA/CE marking is a self-certification scheme, meaning that when a product is UKCA/CE marked, the manufacturer has verified compliance with the essential health and safety requirements as indicated in the applicable European product directives and regulations.

Every permanent Road Traffic sign which is installed on a public highway must be UKCA/CE Certified.

Stocksigns is a member of ARTSM (Association for road traffic safety and management), as such all of our UKCA/CE signs meet the EN 12899-1-2007 standard.

Why choose Stocksigns for your UKCA Traffic and Car Park Signage Requirements?
2-3 working days lead time.
Dedicated Account Manager
Made by a fully accredited and Certified Manufacturer
Long-lasting, high-quality signs
Every type of CE sign is available from warning road traffic signs and directional traffic to speed limit signs.

EV Charging Point Signs
With an estimated 715,000* zero-emission Battery Electric Vehicles currently on the UK’s roads and plenty more on the way, it is becoming increasingly important to install new charging points across the country. Highlight the charging points on your premises with our EV charging point signage.

*Estimated number of EVs according to the RAC

Applications for UKCA Traffic and Car Park Signage
Construction site Temporary Parking Signage
Electric Vehicle Charging points
Industrial Car Parks
Facilities Management
UK Highways

Case Study: Supplying traffic signs in Gloucestershire with Knights Brown
As part of Gloucestershire County Council’s £150 million scheme to improve its highways, Knights Brown installed a series of designated crossing points, widened the junction, and raised the level of the surrounding roads. Stocksigns provided a number of mounting directions, speed limit and give way signs that helped to improve motorist and pedestrian safety.

Knights Brown Case Study UKCA Traffic and Car Park Signage Blog
LED Traffic and Car Park Signs from Messagemaker Displays
Our sister company, Messagemaker Displays has developed a range of high visibility vehicle activated LED signage solutions which are suitable for highway or site safety use – helping you meet road safety targets and enforce speed limits. The team also designs and make a wide range of standard and bespoke LED text and numeric displays for use in car parks or close distance traffic management applications.

How do Photoluminescent Fire Safety Signs work?
Photoluminescence occurs when a material absorbs photons (light energy), stores and then emits them back when the light source is removed i.e. in the dark, creating a noticeable lighting effect. Our Photoluminescent safety signs are designed to absorb photons from ambient light and then re-emit them in darkened conditions.

For your signs to be effective they will require initial activation from a good light source – this can be either natural or artificial.

Why choose photoluminescent signage?
In the event of an emergency, photoluminescent signage is the optimal solution. Visibility can be greatly reduced in a power cut or fire, with traditional electrical exit signs being susceptible to a loss of electricity and potential damage from structural shock and falling debris. Photoluminescent signs do not require electricity and are highly visible even in total darkness, making them perfect for providing your customers, visitors and staff with the essential information that they might need in an emergency.

Cost Savings
With an internal lifespan of up to 25 years, these signs can also help you save money by not using electricity. Photoluminescent signs are also cost-effective as they do not require maintenance – bypassing the need for costly regular testing regimes that are associated with ensuring the correct functionality of electrical signs.



Reduce your Carbon Footprint
Being lit 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, traditional electrical signs are environmentally unfriendly due to their never-ending demand for electricity. Reducing your number of electrical fire exit signs and opting for their photoluminescent counterparts is a cost-effective way to reduce your carbon footprint.

In addition to performing as a construction site perimeter, hoarding can be an incredibly useful tool for developers. It can function as a platform to display eye-catching advertising or critical safety messages. Alternatively, it can be used to help a building site blend into its surrounding environment. In this blog, we explore these possibilities further and look at how Stocksigns can work with developers to create the perfect hoarding.
Legal requirements
Since the publication of the Construction Regulations 2015, a building site is legally required to feature a protective boundary to ensure the safety of the general public. There are no set limits to the height, but most sites opt for hoarding of at least two metres in height to provide an adequate level of coverage. In urban environments or where there is an increased likelihood that a child may attempt to gain access, a higher fence may be needed.

Messaging opportunities
Given hoarding is a necessity, it makes sense to utilise the opportunity it also provides to display messaging or imagery. For example, health and safety signage is often printed on hoarding, to alert those who enter the vicinity or are nearby of potential site hazards. This can also keep costs down as developers will not need to buy additional safety signage. Alternatively, hoarding can be used to advertise the development itself, the companies involved or even an investor’s business.

On the other hand, the space could be used to highlight the steps the developer is taking to lower environmental impact or how the site is contributing positively to the local community. In this way, the hoarding can act as a cost-effective alternative to a billboard.

Aesthetic appeal
One major advantage to putting imagery on a hoarding system is that it makes the site look visually more appealing and professional. Developers seeking to maximise aesthetics during construction – and minimise the impact of the site on its surroundings – might look to specify hoarding that blends in with the environment. For example, hoarding with an image of a woodland in a particularly rural location, or an image of the sea could work well in a coastal setting.

The visual impact of a building site is being increasingly emphasised by organisations such as the Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS). Every organisation that is registered with the scheme commits to conforming to the Code of Considerate Practice, which has three key areas: Respecting the Community, Care for the Environment and Value their Workforce. Once a project has been completed it will be scored out of 50. If a developer optimises the use of their hoarding, regularly updating it and keeping it clean and graffiti free, they can improve their score considerably.

Our hoarding offering
Unfortunately, many developers do not maximise their hoarding and settle for plain panels or temporary fencing. Whilst this may be cheaper in the short run, developers that choose this option forfeit a fantastic messaging opportunity.

Here at Stocksigns, we can provide a full, bespoke and cost-effective hoarding service for either small independent construction sites or larger commercial projects. Our team can help to produce artwork or make any supplied artwork print ready to bring the design to life.

What’s more, we are committed to sustainable practices. When a customer approaches us and gives us the specification information such as the intended life span, length and height, we can offer hoarding that is completely recyclable. This could be ideal for developers looking to improve the environmental credentials of their projects or are registered with the CCS.

Stocksigns can also provide banners that are used to cover scaffolding. This provides a lower budget opportunity to brand a site or to advertise. Rather than being thrown away, these banners can be taken down, transported between sites and re-used.

Ultimately, hoarding presents developers with a great opportunity to communicate with the public, increase their own environmental credibility and improve the aesthetic impact of their construction site. Get in touch to maximise the potential of the hoarding on your next project.

Introduction
Do you know of the latest regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (Fire Safety Order) update? Part of the update is a need for essential, life-saving signage in high-rise buildings.

Being one of the UK’s leading safety sign manufacturers we have been helping our customers improve the safety of their buildings through general safety signs, floor identification and wayfinding signs for years. However, now there is a deadline!

From the 23rd of January, there are a number of legal requirements for high-rise blocks of flats, in response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report.

A lot of buildings have had their signage put in, but if you haven’t gotten around to it, don’t panic! We are here to help.

Wayfinding Signage Requirement
Part of the regulations is the installation of Wayfinding signage. In a nutshell, you need:

– Signs that are visible in low light or smoky conditions
– Identified flat and floor numbers
– Signs located in stairwells and common areas
– Signs must be in a Sans Serif font (so it’s easy to read)
– The design must be highly contrasting so it is easily legible

Contact Us
Contact our expert, friendly team here now and they will walk you through the process and get you some high-quality compliant signage manufactured.
Call: 01737 774072
Or
The main principles to follow in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 Update
When firefighters reach the landing of any stairway, there should be signage that clearly indicates to them the floor number on which they are located and the flat numbers on that floor.
Stocksigns Solution: High-quality, compliant signs, including Floor Markers, Wayfinding and Flat Floor Directory for lobby areas.
When firefighters use a lift designed for their use to reach floors, the same signage should be clearly visible to them when the lift doors open.
Stocksigns solution: We’re up to date on the legislation and will have recommended signs for you.
The signs must be visible both in normal conditions and in low lighting or smoky conditions.
Stocksigns Solution: Have you thought of using Photoluminescent signage? A popular choice with Stocksigns’ customers in the event of low light conditions. If you need us to design the sign, they will be high contrast and easy to read.

Sign Specifications
Don’t worry, we have this all-in hand! Stocksigns have made it super easy to ensure, most importantly, that your signage meets the legal requirement, whilst still looking good even when there isn’t an emergency.

The team have created an efficient process tailored to this legislation update to get your signs up in no time.

A Quick Outline of the Regulation Requirements
We have outlined the basics and provided links to official legislation for the full information and official guidance to help you comply with the latest update to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (Fire Safety Order).

External Wall systems
Provide information about the design and materials of the external wall system
Inform Fire and Rescue Service of any material changes
Provide info related to the level of risk and mitigating steps taken
Lifts and Key Fighting Equipment
Monthly checks on the operation of lifts which will be used by firefights and evacuation lifts
Check key pieces of all other firefighting equipment
Report defects to lifts and equipment
Faults to be fixed within 24hrs
Information Boxes
Install and maintain a secure information box in the building
The box must contain the name and contact details of who is responsible for the building
Must also contain hard copies of the building floor plans
Wayfinding Signage Requirement
Must be visible in low light or smoky conditions
Identified flat and floor numbers
Located in stairwells and common areas
Building Plans
Must include locations of key firefighting equipment
Provide electronic copies
Place hard copies in a secure info box on site

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is becoming an integral part of business strategy across the world. Sustainability is a key focus for both businesses and individuals alike – we only have one planet after all.

Here at Stocksigns, we are dedicated to keeping our planet alive whilst creating a sustainable supply chain for our customers.

By applying a positive & innovative approach we will overcome problems and embrace new and exciting opportunities together. In taking this approach, we will nurture a great place to work, allowing us to reach our full potential and ultimately share in the company’s success.

Sustainability sits at the heart of all our innovations.


Every progressive step must be a step towards lowering our carbon footprint and making a positive impact on our environment


Net Zero by 2030
We are dedicated to help create a better environment for wildlife, people and the planet – for both current and future generations.

We are actively measuring, target setting, reducing and offsetting our
carbon emissions in order to reach our goal of becoming Net Zero by 2030.

We are working toward this goal through:

REDD+ Protecting the Amazon and UK Trees
Providing Clean Cookstoves in Kenya
Renewable Energy, delivering wind generation in India

Sustainable Manufacturing
As both a manufacturer and supplier, we recognise that we have an impact on the environment. Through reducing our waste, providing innovative products and recycling, we are able to help keep our planet healthy whilst also sharing the environmental benefits to our customers.

Our sustainable offerings include:

Providing Non-PVC, recyclable sign material
Reducing manufacturing waste
Closed loop recycling

Charity
We know the value of giving back to the community. Every year the team takes part in fundraising events. These include challenging hikes and climbs and sleeping rough to raise funds for the homeless.

Here are some of the charities that we support:

YMCA (Redhill)
The Lucy Rayner Foundation
St Catherine’s Hospice
The Children’s Trust
This year, our team spent two days climbing Slovenia’s largest mountain in order to raise money for The Children’s Trust.

The Stocksigns Sustainability Roadmap – coming 2023

Dangerous jobs are often necessary and can be found in a variety of industries.

Workers succumb to work-related injuries and diseases from a wide range of safety risks and hazards.

But in which occupations do these injuries and deaths take place? What are the most dangerous occupations to work in?

In this article, we reveal the UK’s most dangerous jobs and most common workplace deaths. These dangerous jobs help maintain the everyday function of society.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/pdf/fatalinjuries.pdf

The Most Dangerous: Construction
Unsurprisingly, it is a construction that is deemed to be the most dangerous career in the UK. While high scaffolding, cranes, and large machinery are all essential for many of these risky industries to work. Last year saw 39 construction workers killed following accidents on sites https://bit.ly/3vWYswv The absolute number of workplace deaths in construction is four times higher than the average across other industries. But this is partly due to the high number of people working in the industry.

When it comes to dangerous workplaces construction sites are ranked among some of the most hazardous Being surrounded by heavy machinery, materials being loaded and unloaded, and unique hazards and obstacles seemingly at every turn, it can be difficult to avoid personal injury. Whilst some hazards are easy to spot, others are less so. Here are some common causes of injury on a construction site.

Fire and explosions
On any given construction site there is a host of electrical systems, half-completed piping as well as flammable materials and chemicals. It’s common knowledge that electricity and water don’t mix, but it’s still an issue on construction sites https://bit.ly/3vVJRkZ

Falls
Unfortunately, the risk of falls, slips, and trips comes with the territory of working on a building site. It’s not uncommon to find floor openings, incomplete roofs, and surfaces that don’t have strong support structures. The reliance on ladders and scaffolding also increases the risk of falling.

Getting stuck
Construction sites are filled with heavy machinery, vehicles and large, heavy materials.
Getting caught in or between any of the above can result in the worker getting crushed, and potentially fatally wounded.

Overdoing it
Anyone who has worked on a construction site will tell you that it is physically demanding.

Whether you are lifting heavy materials in blistering heat, braving blustery conditions to ensure the job is finished, or working overtime to ensure the deadline is met, working on a construction site can be tough.

Carrying out manual labour in all weather conditions can take a serious toll on a worker’s body.

Working in the sun for prolonged periods can result in heat stroke, which, in severe cases can lead to heart, brain, or kidney damage.

Meanwhile carrying out construction work in the winter months always carries the risk of hypothermia or frostbite which can lead to workers losing their fingers or toes.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/pdf/fatalinjuries.pdf

A Close Second: Farming
Much agricultural work is, by its nature, physically demanding. The risk of accidents is increased by fatigue, poorly designed tools, difficult terrain, exposure to extreme weather conditions, and poor general health, associated with working and living in remote and rural communities.

Common accidents and hazards around the farm.
Heavy equipment
Tractors, plows, and other machinery are large and heavy and often require a lot of training to operate properly. Tractors tip over more easily than many people imagine and tractors are involved in approximately 44 percent of farming accidents. Perhaps the most baffling aspect of this is that most tractors do not include seatbelts.



Suffocation and Asphyxiation accidents
The grains that make our bread and pastries present a significant threat to farmers. Silos and other grain storage facilities have incredibly poor ventilation grains such as wheat and soybeans produce a fine powder that can make it difficult to breathe. As if that’s not terrifying enough, silos also present the opportunity for farmworkers to fall into the grain. Because silos can hold an incredible amount of grain, it’s pretty common for farmers to fall into the grains and suffocate as a result

Chemical Exposure
pesticides is not good for anyone to ingest. The product is often sprayed liberally onto crops using large machines and distribution methods. The chemicals linger in the air for a long time and are easily inhaled during the workday. During harvesting, these same chemicals come in contact with the skin, causing further exposure. Pesticide exposure can cause rashes, breathing issues, vomiting, and long-term lung issues.

Transportation incidents, which include tractor overturns were the leading cause of death for these farmers and farm workers.

Heart-related accidents
Heatstroke, dehydration, UV poisoning, and

GOOD PEOPLE AND GOOD VALUES – IS A GOOD SIGN
Here at Stocksigns and Messagemaker Displays – our corporate social responsibility is something we feel very strongly about. With the end of the year almost upon us, it’s an ideal time to reflect on the achievements we’re proud of and look towards the new year with a clear focus on our aims. Here, Danny Adamson, Managing Director, shares more.

I have always felt that a good business is one that is both ethical and accountable to itself, with people that are respected and valued for their contributions. For me, the aim has always been to create a workplace that’s just a great place to be. That’s the foundation of the culture here and I really feel that our staff value this too.

We also want to run a successful business in a sustainable manner; in a way that limits our impact on the environment and sees us genuinely give back to the communities around us.

I appreciate a lot of organisations might say something similar when asked, but I like to think that here, when we say we’re going to do something – we do it. I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved this year and we manage our CSR approach daily through the following:

Our people
We invest in time, training and well-being initiatives to help keep our staff happy, healthy and motivated. From Pilates sessions, health checks and team walks, we also introduced a cycle to work scheme and put mental health support in place. For professional development, we offer bespoke training and coaching to allow individuals to reach their full potential – with recognition awards and regular team building events to help us to connect and socialise.



Efficient, progressive and sustainable
When it comes to manufacturing and supplying signage, we ensure that we use non-PVC, recycled sign materials wherever possible, reducing manufacturing waste and energy use. Through Messagemaker Displays, our commitment to product innovation means our energy efficient LED signage is compatible with renewable power sources and IoT technology.



Environmental impact
We are actively measuring, target setting, reducing and offsetting our carbon emissions so I am proud to say we are Carbon Neutral. We are currently three years into measuring our carbon footprint and we’re on the path to Net Zero – which we aim to have achieved by 2030. Given the nature of our business, our main challenge in terms of reducing carbon emissions is our fleet of cars and vans– so we have plans in place to tackle this next year.



Charity fundraising
Customers and followers of our social channels will be aware just how committed we are when it comes to raising funds. Over the last five years I am incredibly proud that we have raised over £47,000 for vital charities. Our staff have slept rough for homelessness charities, climbed mountains in Slovenia and hiked the Jurassic Coast – and with the support of our generous sponsors – continue to raise the bar year on year.

New year, new challenges
So, what’s next for Stocksigns and Messagemaker Displays in 2023?

I’m delighted to announce we will be heading to Slovakia to climb Mount Tatra and to undertake two hiking routes through Paradise Park for charity
We will also be implementing a quarterly staff volunteering scheme
The launch of a completely PVC free range of signage by 2024
The implementation of an end-to-end signage recycling scheme
We will make the switch to electric and hybrid vehicles for our fleet
Finally – we want to introduce renewable technology and power across our business
We’ll be keeping our customers and followers up to date on our progress in the coming months. As ever, there will be challenges, and a huge amount of work being done behind the scenes to make this all happen. However, I know that with such a passionate and committed team here, we can achieve it.

An important part of any construction site, safety signs are designed to communicate clear, concise messages. Failing to understand the message of a sign puts workers in danger of significant injury, which, in some cases, can be fatal.

Generally, safety signs should follow ISO 7010 which is an established system for the standardisation of safety symbols. This way everyone can understand the important safety message. Site signage can be customised to match a company’s branding but the text and symbols must be clear so that needless accidents are avoided.

Here, we take a look at the different types of signage that are both required and commonly seen on a construction site – a quick and useful training tool for workers and site visitors.

Warning Signs
Unlike others, this type of signage does not give instructions on what to do. Rather, it is intended to make individuals aware of a danger or hazard. They are found both inside and outside a construction site, with the text such as ‘Warning, Construction Site’ outside, or perhaps “Warning, Scaffolding incomplete” on site.

In terms of design, the symbols will follow ISO 7010 so there will be a black icon inside a black triangle on a yellow background.

When to use hazard and warning signs:
Electrical Hazards / High Voltage
Wet Floors and uneven surfaces
Asbestos
Scaffolding warnings
Working at height
Plant and heavy machinery

Mandatory Signs
Mandatory signs focus more on immediate action – they inform an individual of what they must do in order to keep safe, such as “Safety harness must be worn.” They are presented as a blue circle with white images and/or text in front.

When to use mandatory signs:
Enforcing PPE Requirements
Site Traffic Management
Visitor Information

Prohibition Signs
Prohibition signs are the reverse of mandatory signs – rather than instructing an individual on what they must do, these signs communicate to an individual what they must not do. This type of sign is often found at the entrance to a construction site, with text such as ‘No unauthorised access’, or “Keep off scaffolding”.

Prohibition signs are circular with a white background, red border, and red diagonal line across the center. Any text must be white and on a red panel below the sign.

When to use prohibition signs:
Entry Restrictions
No Smoking
Parking restrictions

Safe Condition Signs
Safe condition signs are those that alert people of a safe location in the case of an emergency. They can also be used to demonstrate where emergency equipment is kept when accidents occur.

This type of signage is a solid green square or oblong with a white symbol that is often accompanied by text.

When to use safe condition signs:
Fire Exit and emergency escape routes
First Aid station marking
First Aid equipment identification


Fire Equipment Signs
Although safe condition signs are used to locate emergency equipment in cases of accidents, a different type of sign is used to locate emergency fire equipment. This is because fires can spread very quickly, meaning the solution needs to be identified and implemented immediately.

Fire equipment signs are red in colour. To make them distinguishable from prohibition signs, they are square, rather than circular. They also have white symbols and/or lettering.

When to use Fire Equipment signs:
Fire Alarm locations
Fire Extinguisher identification and use

Keep this site safe
As obvious as some of these may be, understanding site signage is essential in avoiding accidents. The construction industry is one of the UK’s most dangerous industries and every little helps in keeping sites safe. Through being aware of the different types of signage, site workers will be able to react quickly to any potential hazard and improve on-site safety.

The signage can also help in minimising accidents with the public. Whether this is managing traffic outside a site or perhaps there are pedestrians who need guidance to take safe routes.

Site managers can further help improve the effectiveness of their safety signs by sourcing signage that is of high quality and is compliant with the latest safety standards – BS EN ISO 7010. At Stocksigns, we have been a leading UK supplier of UK safety signage since 1955 and have a wide range of products that are ideal for construction sites, so we are a good place to start!

Why not take a look at our full construction sign portfolio here: https://www.stocksigns.co.uk/product-category/temporary-construction-signs/

Signage is absolutely crucial when it comes to reducing the risk of accident and injury. However, even clear safety signage can lose its effectiveness through ‘sign blindness. Here we explore the issue – and how best to avoid it.
What is sign blindness?
Safety signs are designed to be easily understood. They use striking colours, clear symbols and minimal text to communicate a message that should be understood immediately. However, certain factors can interrupt this process, and this is known as sign blindness. There are a number of different ways in which this can occur.

Cluster Blindness
This is when a large number of signs all located in one place overload the individual with information. Every second, an average person experiences approximately 40 million sensory inputs. Out of these, the conscious brain is only able to process 0.02%[1]. Consequently, where there is too much signage, important messages can be ignored.

Therefore, signs should be well spaced out and not contain too much information. Rather, they should be clear and succinct and messaging should be prioritised.

[1] https://www.leveragesafety.com/post/safety-sign-blindness

Over-familiarity
https://www.leveragesafety.com/post/safety-sign-blindness

A safety sign is designed to shock people into or out of action. If people are continuously exposed to the same signs, they can, unfortunately, begin to have less impact. A good example of this is the ‘Fire Door Keep Shut’ sign, which despite its message – may not deter people from wedging the door open on a hot day or if they feel they are going to be entering and leaving frequently.

Unfortunately, there’s not a great deal that can be done about over-familiarity. Rather, facilities managers and site managers should reinforce the message of the sign verbally wherever possible. By doing so, the effectiveness of the sign will be refreshed.

Failing to remove temporary signage
Similarly, temporary signage can easily be ignored if not implemented properly. For example, if a ‘Cleaning in Progress’ sign is up, but there is no longer any cleaning in progress, the impact of the sign is likely to be lost in the future. When the real danger appears, the warning is not heeded because the signage has previously been used carelessly.

As such, it is crucial that temporary signs are taken down promptly after a potential hazard has been removed.

Summary
By being aware of the different ways sign blindness can occur, site managers and facilities managers can take simple steps to minimise the likelihood of its occurrence and improve onsite safety.

Here is our checklist of simple methods that can be implemented to avoid sign blindness:

Don’t use more signs than necessary.
Ensure that signage is well spaced out, succinct, clear, and visually appealing.
Reiterate important sign messages verbally.
Be sure to take down temporary signs immediately after the hazard is gone.
Use standardised signs.
At Stocksigns, we have delivered a wide variety of bespoke and standardised signage products since 1955 and played an instrumental role in developing the original BS 5499 legislation that has since been incorporated into ISO 7010. A specialist signage supplier, our product portfolio covers a range of applications – from highways to building sites to offices.

Find out more about our products here: https://www.stocksigns.co.uk/stocksigns-shop/

Some bright spark came up with the idea of installing electricity warning signs on their site!

Electricity is an essential part of our everyday lives and is present in most, if not all, workplaces and homes, but despite its usefulness, it is dangerous.

While your workplace may not seem a high-risk environment for electrical injuries, electrical safety should be considered by all businesses. Poorly maintained or incorrectly used electrical equipment can cause fires, electric shock, or electrocution – resulting in life-changing injuries or death.

Signs are an essential tool to comply with specific legislation, as well as to prevent accidents, to help protect or offer guidance to those in the workplace or workplace area, whether they are members of staff or the general public.

Electrical safety signs are put in place to keep all workers safe.

Types of Electrical Injury
If you touch a live electrical component or wire, an electrical current will pass through the body.

An electrical shock is extremely painful and can result in.

Unconsciousness
Burns along the path of the electric current.
Muscular spasms and serve weakness.
Short, shallow breathing and rapid pulse rate.

The biggest fires and explosions can be caused by the smallest of sparks. Faulty damaged equipment, lack of adequate maintenance, and electrical overloading can lead to overheating which then can cause it to become hot enough to burn and inflict injury. As we know that electricity poses a very real hazard practically in the work place. For this reason, most employers implement rigid risk assessment programmes that consider the risks, hazards, and dangers in a given area or during a specific process, to keep electricity safe and protect lives and property.

We have a range of Electrical Safety Labels and signs available on our site. If you cannot find the electrical safety sign you are after you can now create your own sign or label on the Stocksigns “Designs A sign” online creator or give us a call and our graphic’s team can create label designs for you.

Common electrical hazards.
Many appliances and equipment in the workplace present an electrical hazard, but the most common hazards are:

Damaged equipment and power tools.
Educating Frayed, loose, or exposed electrical cables.
Using electrical equipment near water or with wet hands
Overhead power lines.
Incorrect use of replacement fuses.
Overloaded sockets.
Smoke and smells from equipment.

How to prevent electrical hazards.
Educating your staff about avoiding electric shock can help keep everyone safe and prevent a dangerous accident. Almost every appliance runs on electricity and if it isn’t used properly, it can prove to be an extremely dangerous element. If live electricity touches you or any conductive material, an electric shock can occur.

Common electrical hazards.

We have listed some tips below to help prevent electrical shocks that could lead to serious injury.

Moisture and water
You must keep electrical appliances away from moisture and water. Water is extremely conductive and can lead to electrical shocks. Do not handle extension cords or electric appliances or plug anything into an electrical outlet while you are wet or if the appliance is on a wet surface.

Never connect or disconnect under load.
When an electrical appliance is plugged in and is running, it is “under load” and it should not be unplugged. If you try to unplug the device while it’s on, the flow of electricity might create an arc. This can be very dangerous and give you an electric shock.



Check for improper or faulty wiring.
Do not use line cords that are damaged cracked or frayed, this goes for extension cords as well. Extension cords beyond its maximum amperage, i.e., the maximum amount of electrical current that it can conduct safely. Improper wiring can transfer electricity from the appliance to you, resulting in shocks. Replace all such items and do not use equipment with improper wiring.

Turn off the power.
If you are working on a circuit or device, make sure you turn off the power before you start the work. Turn off the appropriate circuit breaker in the breaker box. If you are working on an appliance with a cord, unplug the cord to shut the power to the appliance.

Electric shock prevention is a goal that everyone should pursue because of the serious and life-altering injuries that can be caused by an electric shock.

We must do everything in our power for electric shock prevention to protect ourselves, our families, our friends, and our communities from the dangers of electric shock.

Electrical safety signs and symbols
Common symbol for electricity is a lightning bolt.

Common symbol for electricity is a lightning bolt.

There are different kinds of electrical safety symbols used on electrical safety signs to provide people with information on what electrical accident can happen and what its probable outcome might be.

Dange

Every year the team at Stocksigns/Messagemaker displays with friends like to push themselves above and beyond for charity. Over the past few years, they have trekked Toubkal, dashed around Dingle, swapped their beds for cardboard boxes in winter, slept rough for the night, and more.
This year we have taken it to a whole another level. That level is above the clouds! Yes, we went to the clouds and above.

After two failed dates, now third time lucky it was finally time to take on the mighty Mt Triglav!

This is Slovenia’s largest mountain and it stands at 9396ft, just shy of 3,000m in elevation. We climbed this mountain for over two days.

The charity for this year’s challenge is The Children’s Trust. The UK’s leading charity for children with injury. Based in Tadworth (local to our Stocksigns/Messagemaker HQ) the Trust runs a range of specialist care, education and therapy services for children and young people from across the UK and is the UK’s largest rehabilitation centre for children with acquired brain injury.

Day 1
The only way is up… we climbed a total of 5025ft elevation.
We walked just over 5 miles to get to the mountain hut. Which doesn’t sound like a lot, it took us just under 5 hours to climb.

When we started at the bottom we were all very chatty, it didn’t take long for it to change, it was a constant climb and the chats became a little breathless. We passed beautiful cows and were lucky enough to spot a couple of Ibex, who looked incredibly graceful walking up and down the side of the mountains, unlike our scrambles!

When we finally decided to lay our heads down for the night, we were not in for a quiet night I am not talking about the snoring and sleep talking, a storm was brewing, and we had thunder and lightning very very frightening!

Day 2
Winter is coming! To the Summit 1200ft elevation.
Forgot whatever heat wave England is having, we have had storms and hail/snow. We are all dressed for the North Pole! Never underestimate extreme and unpredictable mountain weather. Thankfully we had all Come prepared for any weather conditions.

We left the mountain hut at 4.30 am with our guides and safety equipment to make our journey to the summit. The summit is about a 2.5km scramble, this roughly took us 1.30 hours, the climbing route (via Ferrata)… What is a Via Ferrata, you may ask? Well, a Via Ferrata is a mountain pathway that consists of a series of rails, cables, and bridges that lead you from the starting point to the end, walking next to the rock’s face, a tad scary. There were so many technical sections. If you are not one for heights then this is not for you. I’ve never thought of myself as scared of heights, but the via Ferrata definitely had me wondering what the hell I had signed up for, and can only imagine the others were thinking the same too!

That climb was an uphill battle, the struggles some of us were facing were not fun.

When we made it to the top it was all downhill from then!
Eventually, after scrambling on our feet, hands, and even our bottoms, we finally made it. The view was, as I expected incredible, with all the endorphins kicking in, we felt on top of the world.

While we were physically tired climbing up to the peak, it was more about mental fatigue going down. There was lots of bottom sitting and crawling down, we were not graceful like the mountain goats!

We are so pleased and proud to share with you that we raised over £15,000 for the Children’s Trust in Tadworth.

Thank you all for your support and donations, this fantastic amount of money, and will go a long way in helping this fantastic charity.

The Stocksigns team was joined by friends from Balfour Beatty, Gatwick Airport, Nebosh, Tennants UK, and more. They are proud to share with you that w over £15,000 has been raised for the Children’s Trust.

Two weeks ago our employees were transported from their present office desk to a galaxy not so far away (Well…in The Den, our games room in the Stocksigns/Messagemaker HQ)
The employees became Jedi Knights for the day and were ready for the games to begin!

We were divided into three teams and played three sports each; Phanton tennis (table tennis), Palpatine’s pool party (Pool) and Darts Vader (darts)

Each team worked together as they built new relationships, made great memories, And, most of all… had fun!

Did they learn the ways of the force and were they tempted by the dark side?

They felt the force of laughter and were tempted by the dark side, the dark side being the tasty treats of Hans Rolos, Yoda’s Soda, and Light Sabers!

Another Successful team building afternoon from Team Stocksigns.

The construction industry is one of the largest sectors in the UK and many other countries. It is well known for being notoriously dangerous because of the combination of Health and Safety risks involving vehicles, equipment, and manual tasks which few other industries share.

According to HSE.gov.uk, the construction industry has the most fatalities than any other in the UK. It is on par with agricultural, fishing, and forestry with the most work-related deaths.

On the job, these construction workers face a wide range of day-to-day vocational safety hazards such as working from a height, falls, slips and trips, moving equipment such as lorries, cranes, noise, vibration, and manual handling, and this is only half of it.

The dangers of working in construction should never be overlooked, and whether you are an apprentice or a site manager, it is the duty of everyone on-site to keep everyone safe.

According to various industry papers and expert blogs, the top 10 health and safety site hazards in construction are as follows.

The construction industry is one of the largest sectors in the UK and many other countries. It is well known for being notoriously dangerous because of the combination of Health and Safety risks involving vehicles, equipment, and manual tasks which few other industries share.

According to HSE.gov.uk, the construction industry has the most fatalities than any other in the UK. It is on par with agricultural, fishing, and forestry with the most work-related deaths.

On the job, these construction workers face a wide range of day-to-day vocational safety hazards such as working from a height, falls, slips and trips, moving equipment such as lorries, cranes, noise, vibration, and manual handling, and this is only half of it.

The dangers of working in construction should never be overlooked, and whether you are an apprentice or a site manager, it is the duty of everyone on-site to keep everyone safe.

According to various industry papers and expert blogs, the top 10 health and safety site hazards in construction are as follows.

2.Moving Objects
Construction sites are places of constant movement of vehicles, machinery, and equipment. Due to its ever-changing environment, construction hazards continue to change. With many moving objects that you will encounter on a construction site, you will notice that there is a high volume of moving traffic, supply vehicles, diggers, and forklifts all of which move around a usually uneven terrain this can make it difficult to maneuverer around. Therefore, your safety rule should be able to create clear routes for vehicles and ensure that your employees avoid positioning themselves between fixed moving objects.

Construction sites are places of constant movement of vehicles, machinery, and equipment. Supply vehicles, diggers, and forklifts all manoeuvring on uneven ground creates a busy site

As the building site develops the risks associated with it increased accordingly.

The primary sources of risk are as follows:

Poor working light
Heavy-duty vehicles
Overhead lifting equipment
Little space to manoeuvre
Working close to moving objects
Reducing the risks.
The workforce should wear protective clothing such as high vis jackets to be seen by moving vehicles, as well as steel-toe shoes and helmets to protect them against moving/falling objects. Finally, they should be trained to keep vigilant and aware of their surroundings and to avoid hazards.

3.Slips, Trips, and Falls
Slips, trips, and falls can happen in almost any environment. Construction sites can sometimes become a maze of equipment, debris, dirt, and more. Navigating around a busy site, even when being cautious can still cause workers to slip and trip. When you consider all the things that happen above it’s no surprise that slips, trips, and falls could happen on an almost daily basis.

The primary sources of risk are as follows:

Wet and slippery surfaces
Uneven surfaces and ground
Loose cables
Materials or equipment left unchecked
Those in control of construction sites must effectively manage the site so that workers can move around it safely.

Reducing the risks.
A good start is to provide designated walkways with good conditions underfoot and be well lit. Work and storage areas must be kept tidy with designated areas for waste collection. Any slippery areas should be signposted, and suitable footwear provided with a good grip should be worn.

Other HSE figures show that around 61,000 construction workers sustained non-fatal injuries in 2019/2020 and most of these were slips, trips, and falls (26%).

4.Noise & Hearing Damage
Much of the equipment used on a construction site generates high levels of noise, whether that’s hand tools, machinery or heavy duty vehicles

Repetitive, excessive noise can cause long-term hearing damage and can also be a dangerous distraction causing accidents.

The primary sources of risk are as follows:

Po

As of right now, we are super excited to announce that Stocksigns has been accepted into Made in Britain. We are honoured to be a part of the British manufacturing community and be able to proudly show off the use of the registered collective mark.

Made in Britain is made up of experienced and loyal tradespeople/craftspeople who are dedicated to promoting the British market.

Here at Stocksigns we are fully committed to providing exceptional personal service, and the highest of quality signage. We have always been proud of our British heritage which began back in 1955 when we started in a Nissen hut in surrey. Fast forward 67 years and we are still on the Holmethope Estate in Redhill and aware of our responsibility to operate in ways that protect the reputation of British manufacturing.

We are proud to have a wall of fame of registered accreditations/industry standards these are checked and validated every year by industry bodies and now we have our Made in Britain membership certificate to add to it!

At Stocksigns the people behind the company are just as important as the company itself.
We have a close-knit and diverse team here at Stocksigns, made up of different career paths and different social interests. Despite some of our differences (football teams, cats or dogs, rock or pop music, pineapple on pizza!) we are all committed to working in a coordinated and harmonious manner to be able to provide you all with the Exceptional Personal Service that you all deserve. Although the harmonious manner tends to change a little when the bacon butties have been delivered after the company meeting, or when the “It’s my birthday” email gets sent out to say there are cakes they are in the kitchen. We all get a little excited.

The one thing we all have in common is a soft spot for a good cause.
None of the team wants to miss out on the opportunity of raising money for one of our chosen Charities of the year so our team has chosen to endure a few challenges throughout the years. They have painfully hiked up a few hills and mountains, they have endured sleeping rough for one night in winter, played silly office games, held raffles, and even rowed the distance between Dover to Calais and back again.

We are so much more than just a standard sign company.

Founded in 1955, Stocksigns has spent more than 67 years at the forefront of signage innovation.

George and Jeremy have proudly owned Stocksigns Ltd for over 30 years.

As the business has grown, so has our passion, and we are proud to be leaders in our industry.

Stocksigns Exhibition Stand 1960
We are fully committed to providing the very best service, and the highest quality signage. We are fully ISO credited and are leading experts in our field.

We are fully aware of any changes to legislation and compliance, making sure that no matter what the project, you get exactly what you need.

Our sign range includes all forms of safety signs and general signage including Emergency Fire Escape signs, Road and CE Traffic Signs, Fire Exit Signs, Braille Covid-19, Photoluminescent Signs, and Hazard, and Warning Signs through to No Smoking Signs.

A combination of excellent customer service, specialist support, and an extensive portfolio has meant that for another year – Stocksigns remains the preferred supplier of site and road safety signage for Knights Brown. The successful relationship recently led to Stocksigns supplying a key project in Gloucestershire to help improve general safety.

Based in Ringwood in Hampshire, Knights Brown has a broad portfolio spanning a number of sectors. As such, the multidisciplinary construction company has a constant requirement for a wide variety of temporary and permanent site and road safety signage. In 2014, Knights Brown was approached by Stocksigns to offer its services. After an initial agreement to supply some temporary site signage, the two companies have since maintained a strong relationship over the last seven years. In fact, Stocksigns has become Knights Brown’s go-to supplier for all its signage needs.

Jeff Kinge, Head of Buying at Knights Brown commented:

“The customer service we receive from our Key Account Manager at Stocksigns is excellent, with a prompt turnaround on any quotes and orders that we place. The personable service is a key factor in why we continue to choose Stocksigns for any signage required on our sites.”

At a recent project, Stocksigns supplied products for use at the junction of the A46 and A4173 in Pitchcombe, Gloucestershire. As part of Gloucestershire County Council’s £150 million scheme to improve its highways, Knights Brown installed a series of designated crossing points, widened the junction, and raised the level of the surrounding roads. Stocksigns provided a number of mounting directions, speed limits,s and give way signs that helped to improve motorist and pedestrian safety.

“Knights Brown operates across various sectors, so access to a wide range of signage systems that can suit every application is crucial,” commented Andy Norman, Key Account Manager at Stocksigns. “By dealing directly with the company’s project managers, site managers, and buyers, we can efficiently organise the distribution of units from our product portfolio for use on Knights Brown’s sites.”

With fire posing deadly risks and devastating consequences, it is essential that fire safety is top of your agenda when considering health & safety signage for your business. Ensuring that you are prepared for the eventuality of a fire help can you avoid employee and visitor injury, protect against costly damages and recently increased health & safety breach fines.

All premises need fire safety signs.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that all workplaces must have adequate safety signs to point people towards fire-fighting equipment, emergency routes and emergency exits. Primarily, they are used to warn and instruct employees of risks to their health and safety.

Working out which ones you need can be a little confusing.

We have put together a simple guide below.

Fire Exit Signage – Fire Exit Sign – displayed along all designated fire escape routes (with arrows) and all emergency exits (without arrows)
Fire Door Signage – All fire exit doors must carry a ‘Fire door, keep shut’ sign. This is an example of a mandatory notice which simply means that it gives an instruction which is to be displayed on each side of all fire doors to ensure safety.
Fire Action Notice – The purpose of a fire action notice is to inform employees or visitors of what action to take in the event of a fire.
Fire Assembly Point – A picture gram or written sign displayed at the outside point of assembly where people must gather after evacuation.
Fire Safety Equipment – In the event of a fire, its vital that people know where to find the firefighting equipment, and which equipment they can use depending on the type of fire.
fire-exit
fire-door
fire-action
Assembly Point
extinguisher
Without proper signage, you are potentially putting employees’ lives in danger.

All of our Fire safety signs are available in photoluminescent material. The glow admitted from the signs will help staff and visitors make their way out of a building or locate fire safety equipment if the lighting fails. There are multiple benefits of your photoluminescent signage

Fire safety signs should always be clear and unambiguous.

Escape routes and doors must be obviously labelled.

Escape route signs must be displayed along all exit routes.

Signs should be positioned at an appropriate height.

Our Site Survey Manager and installation crew can visit your site to specify your complete signage needs, and will expertly install your signs once they are ready.

To read more about the laws and legislations of fire safety signage and what each sign means, click here.

https://www.elitefire.co.uk/fire-safety-signs-law-and-meaning-guide/

References:
https://www.gov.uk/workplace-fire-safety-your-responsibilities

https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/fire-safety-signs/

The Stocksigns Team and Friends have been at it again, we have climbed every mountain and I can confirm the hills were alive with the Sound of Music! The Jurassic Coast Quest took place on the 10th and 11th of July we hiked 50 miles and climbed just under 9000ft of elevation.

Our chosen charity for this year is The Children’s Trust. The UK’s leading charity for children with injury. Based in Tadworth (local to our Stocksigns HQ) the Trust runs a range of specialist care, education and therapy services for children and young people from across the UK and the UK’s largest rehabilitation centre for children with acquired brain injury (ABI)

Day 1

Start time: 6 am

Distance: 24 miles

Elevation: 3310.ft

Time: 7h 51m

We woke up bright and early to the sound of rain hitting our tents… it was damp and dull! Our support crew drove us to our start point in Charmouth where we exctidely jumped off the bus, and headed towards our first climb. At this point, the heavens opened again and it looked like a storm was brewing. Apparently there was some amazing scenery, but sadly we couldn’t see any of it through the thick fog and rain! By the time we had arrived at Chesil Beach, we were greeted with rays of sunshine and blue skies just in time for a re-fuelling stop.

It was sunshine and smiles for miles for some of us after that. A fair few feet and knees were now starting to suffer which was understandable as we had climbed the same elevation as Mt Snowdon.

Day 2

Start time: 6 am

Distance: 26 miles

Elevation: 5639ft

Time: 8h 33m

Another early start in the rain and day two was feeling much tougher from the moment we set off compared to Day 2, although this may be in our heads because we knew Captain Cload had chosen a much more difficult route! The lack of sleep with all the aches and pains were starting to show as the team set off from our campsite and were immediately faced with the first hill. We got to the top only to see that we needed to go straight back down the other side, which became the theme of the next 8 hours. The hills were so steep that some of us preferred to walk up the hills instead of down

to save our poor knees. This was just the beginning of our non-stop steep climbs along the cliffs.

We made it to Durdle Door as a full group but sadly after that we did lose a couple of crew members (they didn’t drop off the side of cliffs, they were picked up by our fabulous support crew) their feet and knees were in bits.

We passed Lulworth Cove and Chapmans Cove then stopped for a quick refuel and a few new blister plasters from the new blisters that we had picked up. Then it was time for the final 10 miles. Where the heavens opened up once again, but we were not about to let anything rain on our parade! We had singing, football chants and music quizzes. It helped bring in the final 10 miles of hills. No wonder day 2 was such a challenge we had hiked almost two Scarfell Pike elevations.

As we approached our finish line, we could see the support crew and fellow walkers cheering for us. We hydrated with a glass of celebratory fizz and took our final team photo of the walk.

There was no rest that evening as the team headed straight out to watch England bring the football home! However, the football did not come home that weekend, but Stocksigns Ltd and friends certainly did! With a whopping amount of money raised for the Children’s Trust Tadworth.

We are so pleased and proud to share with you that we raised over £8,000 for the Children’s Trust in Tadworth.

Thank you all for your support and donations, this fantastic amount of money, and will go a long way in helping this fantastic charity.

You turn up to an abandoned quarry on a hot summer’s day, it is nice and quiet, the water is clear, and it looks inviting.

Adventure awaits…

There’s nothing quite like taking a dip into open water and feeling a massive rush of endorphins, but in reality, adventure does not await when dealing with water safety.

85% of accidental drownings occur at open water sites.

You see a ‘danger, do not no swim’ sign amongst the picturesque foliage, do NOT ignore this, this sign has been put there for a reason.

Quarries, particularly abandoned and disused quarries are very dangerous places, they have several hidden dangers. Deep water, stone-cold water, submerged and abandoned machinery, hidden current, pollution, and dangerous algae to name a few.

Signs are used to inform people of the dangers present in and around the water they are interacting with.

Members of the public must keep away from quarries and do not trespass.

Shop our range of quarry signs here.

Quarries continue to be the leading locations for accidental drowning and unintended entry into the water.

Swimming in quarries is extremely dangerous.

Signs are used to inform people of the dangers present in and around the water they are interacting with.

Our highly visible and easy-to-read quarry signs help aggregate and quarry companies keep their premises safe and secure. By their nature, quarries are extremely dangerous places to work in and visit. There are a number of hazards to contend with, such as falling rocks, deep water, and industrial machinery, and we have health and safety signs for all of these hazards. We can help you to highlight the dangers present in quarries that may not be evident to visitors, especially those who are on your premises without permission or when the site may be closed.

We supply signage for quarries that complies with Quarry Regulations 1999 and conforms to British Standards BS5499. Our range of signs includes quarry safety signs, warnings signs as well as custom signs with site-specific graphics.

Keep your site safe and shop our quarry range here, or call us today on 01737 774072 to talk to one of our experienced sales team.

At Stocksigns, we have an experienced and knowledgeable team. Here, we talk to Steve Wright, Highways Development Manager at Stocksigns to find out about his current role, the most common issues he supports customers with and his future ambitions for the company.

Firstly, please can you tell us about your career history and background prior to joining Stocksigns?

After leaving school in 1976, I primarily worked in the construction and civils industries, accumulating various certifications including a City & Guilds qualification in Bricklaying. During my time working in the civils construction industry, I took on a number of positions from labouring to supervisory and managerial roles, giving me a strong ‘ground up’ knowledge of the industry and how it operates.

I first moved into the sign industry in 2006, working as an installer for a small local business, before later joining a Tier 1 contractor for the Highways Agency Network. Since then, I have accumulated thirteen years of experience within the sign industry, a decade of which has been in senior managerial roles. Finally, I joined Stocksigns Group in 2018, working with both Stocksigns and Messagemaker Displays Ltd. as Highways Development Manager.

Steve meet the team Stocksigns
What does your current role entail?

My role for Stocksigns and Messagemaker Displays is quite varied, but I spend the majority of my time developing new business, particularly in the highways market for both brands. My background in the manufacturing of permanent road traffic signs has helped us grow our client base in this market.

In addition, I have a real passion for health and safety, the environment and quality assurance. This has enabled me to help with the company’s recent ISO and Construction Products Regulation (CPR) assessments.

Can you talk us through an average working day for you?

At the moment I am mostly working from home due to the restrictions of the pandemic. However, an average day for me still includes monitoring contract announcements, contacting both existing and prospective clients and producing quotes, as well as looking after the company’s accreditations and certifications.

As the restrictions lift and face to face meetings become possible again, I will be travelling around the UK to meet with clients and attend exhibitions as a representative of Stocksigns and Messagemaker Displays.

What is the most common issue or product that customers approach you for help with?

I regularly provide support to our customers during the specification of reflective signage to ensure that the correct solutions are selected. Some of our smaller-scale clients rely on the knowledge of manufacturers such as Stocksigns to ensure they receive the correct reflectivity, sign size or post calculations. I also assist many of our clients with the installation of permanent signage, providing advice and support.

Tell us about some of the clients you are working with at the moment?

One of my largest clients is Shift Traffic Events Ltd. As a major traffic management supplier, Shift Traffic currently employs 18 of our Variable Messaging Signs (VMS) for use on a number of sites across the UK. Among these VMS systems is the Tower Unit, one of our most innovative signage units, launched last year. The traffic management tool is designed with energy efficiency in mind and a much smaller footprint to make it ideal for applications where space is limited.

On a personal note, I am incredibly proud of the Tower Unit’s concept as I played a significant role during its development process. Due to my highways and traffic management background I identified the need for a VMS system that did not require towing and enabled multiple units to be transported by a single vehicle. During the development process, I also discussed the Tower Unit’s proposed design with one of our traffic management clients to receive their feedback to optimise the VMS for its intended purpose.

Following the original Tower Unit’s launch, we have since introduced a second version with added features to provide greater flexibility to our customers. At Stocksigns, we are constantly looking at how we can enhance our product portfolio to benefit our clients’ operations. Therefore, we have already started the initial design phase for a third edition of the Tower Unit.

What are you hoping to achieve over the next year with Stocksigns? Any projects in the pipeline?

Personally, I think the biggest opportunity in the current market is the drive towards creating a more sustainable highways industry. As companies are increasingly looking to meet net zero carbon targets, systems that incorporate renewable energy will undoubtedly be the way forward.

Stocksigns is heavily involved in the development of a completely self-sufficient large format VMS. Operating on solar and wind generation while crucially retaining total messaging accessibility for network operators, this would be a signi

A general aim for all facilities managers is to ensure that the organisation they work for has the most appropriate environment for its employees and visitors to the site.

The most important place to start is to ensure that you have the correct signage in place to ensure the safety of everyone on the site.

Have no fear Stocksigns is here!

We don’t want to brag, but we really do know our stuff when it comes to health and safety signs here at the Stocksigns HQ.

We have many years of experience in helping building and facilities managers keep their health and safety signage complete and up to date. From bringing in new signage to updating the old, we can ensure your buildings fully comply with the correct legislation.

Signs are an essential tool to comply with specific legislation, as well as to prevent accidents, to help protect or offer guidance to those in the workplace or workplace area, whether they are members of staff or the general public.

The first step towards understanding which signage is required is to undertake a risk assessment to identify potential hazards and the risks they may pose to people working or visiting your site. According to the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, employers are required to use safety signs where there is considered to be a significant risk to health and safety.https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/l64.htm

Once the relevant signage is in place, there is a legal duty for companies to maintain safety signs and ensure that employees receive correct instructions and training into what the safety signs mean and the measures that must be followed.

A guide to our signs…

Prohibition– A red circular band with a diagonal crossbar on white background, the symbol within the circle to be black denoting a safety sign that includes a certain behaviour is prohibited.

prohibition
Hazard – A yellow triangle with a black border and symbol in the yellow denoting a safety sign that gives a warning of a hazard.

hazard
Mandatory – A blue circle with a white symbol denoting a sign that indicates that a specific course of action must be taken.

mandatory
Fire Equipment – A red rectangle or square with a symbol in white denoting a safety sign that indicates the location of the firefighting equipment

fire-equipment
Safe Condition – A green rectangle or square with symbol or text in white denoting a safety sign providing information about safe conditions.

safe-condition
Safety Signs are crucial in any work environment and the primary importance of displaying them is to prevent injury and ensure staff and visitors are well aware of the possible dangers and hazards ahead in certain situations and/or environments. Whether that be permanent signs to notify people of prohibitions, warnings, and mandatory requirements, for locating and identifying emergency escape routes and first-aid facilities.

As well as permanent signage displaying temporary signage is also very important. For example, where cleaning is underway signs regarding slippery floors are required and need to be visible. Signage can be a great way to enforce safety and make sure care is taken when completing any task.

We have 1000s of products available and our sales team can guide you if you are not sure what you are looking for and for larger projects, we can arrange site surveys and installation.

We also offer an interactive create your own sign service where you can bring your vision to life. We have in place Mandatory, Prohibition, Hazard, and First Aid sign templates with a selection of symbols and custom text for you so you can create exactly what you need online.

We are confident that you will find what you are looking for. However, if this isn’t the case, please call a member of our friendly sales team.

t’s become a bit of a tradition here At Stocksigns that every year we take on a new challenge for a different charity.

At the moment as it stands, we have the green light on the road map to start planning/training for our next event. Last year we hiked the Surrey hills in our little socially distanced bubbles and walked just over 24 miles. We hoped to raise £3342 as that was the total of the elevation for the walk. I can confirm we walked all over that amount and raised an incredible amount (£3800) for the NHS Charities and Rospa.

We are delighted to say that we are back with another charity challenge for this year.

Captain Cload has dug out his map and put on his hiker hat and planned our next expedition, knowing Captain Cload it will be no walk in the park!
Welcome… to the Jurassic Coast!

Over two days we are aiming to hike Dorset’s Jurassic Coast! 75 km and 9,000ft of elevation will make it one of our toughest challenges to date! In past challenges, we have had the luxury of staying in hostels where we had a bed to rest our aching bodies and a warm welcoming shower to wake us up in the morning. This year to add to the challenge we will be camping. I might be crying whilst camping!

Our chosen charity for this year is The Children’s Trust. The Children’s Trust is the UK’s leading charity for children with brain injury. The Trust runs a range of specialist care, education and therapy services for children and young people from across the UK. It includes the UK’s largest rehabilitation centre for children with acquired brain injury (ABI) and is based at Tadworth Court.

Now it’s time for Team Stocksigns and friends, to dust off those hiking boots, get to the pharmacy, and stock up on Compeed, and add energy bars to the weekly shop as our Walk and Talk Wednesdays are back!

Bring on the blisters and the bants it’s time for some new Kings and Queens of the mountains on those Strava segments.

If you would like to make a donation please click here for our Just Giving Page

Hot off the press and straight from the Graphics and Marketing team we present to you the new Sign Catalogue for Stocksigns 2021.

The new online catalogue makes browsing for our signs a lot easier, we have given it a little revamp. Taken out some old and added some new. Wherever and whenever you need clear prominent signage, we are confident that you will find what you are looking for. However, if this isn’t the case, we also offer a full design a sign service which can be found on our website.

Our catalouge includes all forms of safety signs and general signage including Emergency Fire Escape signs, Road and Traffic Signs, Fire Exit Signs, Photoluminescent Signs and Hazard, and Warning Signs, Covid Signs through to No Smoking Signs. Did you know that there is an LED Safety Signs and Temporary LED Traffic Management Solutions? You can find this in our new catalogue too. We can confidently say that our products are high quality and one of the best you’ll find. To ensure it stays that way, all our safety signs are manufactured in compliance with BS EN ISO 7010 and our business is ISO 9001 certified.

Our team has worked so hard on making this new online catalogue easy to follow but if you are unsure of anything you can chat to one of our friendly team members via our live webchat, or pick up and the phone and give us a call. I can promise you; you won’t have to deal with any automated messages, and you will be put through to a human key account manager!

With offices and businesses starting to open back up again, now is a good time to have a quick walk around your premises to check if your signage is up to date. Are your exit routes clearly marked? Could you find your way out if you were new to the building? Do you need a one-way system in place? Etc.

Sometimes a standard sign just won’t do. You need something a little special, something that will stand out, something with a little spice that will get your message across. Why not put your design skills to the test and say it with a sign!

We have worked hard on being able to bring you this option of Design Your Own Sign.

You can create your own sign from scratch using your own images, text, and symbols.

If you need something more sensible, we have in place Mandatory, Prohibition, Hazard, and First Aid sign templates with a selection of symbols and custom text for you to create your own sign.

Please ensure you upload high-quality images (preferably in vector format) for the best result when printed.
For more info https://bit.ly/3u88uaO

CE Certified Road Traffic Signs, we have you covered.

Here at Stocksigns Ltd, we are always looking to improve our products and services so that we can provide you with exceptional personal service. So, we are pleased to share with you all that the latest change to our service is a shorter lead time for CE Certified Road Traffic Signs.

Before today, the lead time on our CE Traffic Signs was 10 to 12 working days (that is not very exceptional is it now!?). So we have invested in new machinery, software, training, and processes to enable a faster lead time of just 2 to 3 working days!
For more information https://bit.ly/2ZPmBok

Want to hear a joke about construction?
We’re still working on it!

Unlike this joke, we have worked hard and finished our task. We have only gone and merged our two brands First Call Signs and Stocksigns. We put our hard hats on, our PPE, and put our tools to work in our brainstorming session and come up with a new name for these two sites. Let me introduce to you all Stocksigns Construction. Now open for business. With everything in one place, we hope to make your sign experience simpler, easier and sleeker.
For more information https://bit.ly/3puBurj

18 months ago, the team at Stocksigns were delighted to announce their Silver Construction Line membership which was very quickly followed up with a Gold membership. The membership is “an increased level of scrutiny and assurance”, which has been achieved through numerous validations assessments for our environmental management, quality management, equal opportunities, modern slavery act adherence, anti-bribery and corruption policies.

For more information https://bit.ly/3eoA5y9

The ‘Men at Work’ sign has been scrapped in a watershed moment! At Stocksigns we are replacing the word ‘Men’ with ‘Workers’ for 2020/21.

We are hoping that the updated signs will help to raise awareness and consciousness that men and women are both very much included in the construction industry.

For more information https://bit.ly/37lwM8K