Chapter 1 Safety Signs in The Environment PDF

FOR ONLINE USE ONLY DO NOT DUPLICATE Chapter One Safety signs in the environment Introduction...

FOR ONLINE USE ONLY DO NOT DUPLICATE Chapter One Safety signs in the environment Introduction LY In Standard Six, you learnt about environmental cleanliness. In this chapter, you will learn about the concept of safety signs in the environment, interpretation of safety signs and uses of safety signs in N the environment. The competencies developed will enable you to take O appropriate precautions in ensuring your safety and that of others. The concept of safety signs Think SE U 1. Safety signs available in your environment 2. Places where the safety signs are positioned 3. The meaning and importance of safety signs E N In our environment, there are signs or symbols that give signals or warning. LI These are known as safety signs. Safety signs provide information about dangers in items or the environment. Likewise, safety signs provide N instructions that can lead to the protection of living and non-living organisms in the environment. Some safety signs are presented with texts to facilitate O interpretation. However, most of the signs and symbols have no texts. Users in the relevant areas are supposed to understand the meaning of the R signs. Safety signs are used in all countries, and they are placed on items such as bottles containing medicines or chemicals. They are also placed FO on vehicles and vessels such as buses, airplanes, ships, boats and fuel tankers. Similarly, they are placed on buildings to indicate slippery floors and exit during emergencies. They are also placed on items with chemicals or 1 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STD 7.indd 1 26/07/2021 12:00  FOR ONLINE USE ONLY DO NOT DUPLICATE potential hazards. In addition, these safety signs are placed on transformers and electric poles with high voltage. Safety signs are important because they help us to take appropriate precautions when using such items and equipment. They also warn us against risky environments, such as playing or passing across high voltage cables. Types of safety signs There are four major types of safety signs, which are LY (a) prohibition, (b) warning, (c) mandatory, and N (d) emergency. O Each type of the safety signs is presented in a specific shape and colour. The shapes and colours of the signs are governed by the international safety regulations as shown in Table 1. SE Table 1: Types of safety signs, their colours, instructions, and characteristics U S/N. Types of Colour Instructions Characteristics Example safety signs 1. Prohibition Red (a) Danger Red circle or E (b) Stop quadrilateral (c) Turn off or (rectangular or N shutdown square), black (d) Vacate image on a white LI (e) No entry for background unauthorised and red border. N person Some of these signs have a O red diagonal line through them. 2. Warning Yellow (a) Be careful Triangular, a black R (b) Take image on a yellow precaution background and a FO (c) Danger nearby black border 2 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STD 7.indd 2 26/07/2021 12:00  FOR ONLINE USE ONLY DO NOT DUPLICATE S/N. Types of Colour Instructions Characteristics Example safety signs 3. Mandatory Blue Insisting specific Circular, a white behaviour or image on a blue actions background 4. Emergency Green (a) Emergency Rectangular or exit door square, white LY (b) Emergency exit image or text on a (c) First aid or green background rescue facilities or green image N or text on a white background O Note: Some of the safety signs are presented using different colours depending SE on the degree of potential effects in case the precaution is not taken. For example, danger signs may have red, orange or yellow colours. The red colour indicates major effects followed by orange and yellow colours. The danger sign is used in places that can cause severe injuries or death in case U precautions are not taken. A danger sign with a red background and white text is used to indicate environmental hazards which can cause major effects. E The interpretation of safety signs Safety signs offer precautions to users. It is important to recognise these N signs and their meanings. This will help to avoid the possible dangers or accidents which may occur by ignoring the given precautions. Table 2 LI shows some of the safety signs. N Table 2: Interpretation of some safety signs O S/N. Safety sign and Items or places where Effects for not taking interpretation the safety signs are the required precautions displayed R 1. Unauthorised access, One can get health-related such as in the laboratory effects in case he/she FO enters or passes through the restricted areas. No entry 3 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STD 7.indd 3 26/07/2021 12:00  FOR ONLINE USE ONLY DO NOT DUPLICATE S/N. Safety sign and Items or places where Effects for not taking interpretation the safety signs are the required precautions displayed 2. In smoking prohibited Fire can erupt, and it areas such as in filling can cause health-related stations, airplanes, problems to a non-smoker restaurants, schools and who is close to the smoker. other public places No smoking LY 3. Areas where eating or Health-related issues can drinking is not allowed, occur to a person. N such as in a laboratory O Do not eat or drink 4. SE On packages which carry Items can break and result fragile items, such as into loss. U glass utensils Fragile E 5. N On water taps with unsafe Health problems may occur water that is not suitable to a person. LI for drinking, washing, or cooking N Unsafe water O 6. On explosive items such They can explode and as herbicides, paints, cause injury to a person. R solvents, and chemicals used in the laboratory FO Explosive 4 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STD 7.indd 4 26/07/2021 12:00  FOR ONLINE USE ONLY DO NOT DUPLICATE S/N. Safety sign and Items or places where Effects for not taking interpretation the safety signs are the required precautions displayed 7. On items which contain Can cause large body corrosives such as bottles wounds, burn, or destroy containing concentrated various things, such as acids and car batteries, clothes and furniture which can cause eroding or burning LY Corrosive 8. On items that contain Can cause fire accidents N flammable chemicals which catch fire easily O such as spirits, pesticides, colour-removing agents, polishes, petrol, and diesel Flammable SE U 9. On items containing Can cause death in case toxic chemicals, such one touches the items with as toilet cleaning that sign or the contents detergents, chemicals enter the body through E for livestock dipping drinking or inhaling N trough (acaricides), and pesticides: This LI Toxic or poison or sign is also placed on danger transformers and electric poles with high voltage N O 10. On items with chemicals or They can cause serious drugs that cause harm or long term health effects. health effects. Examples R of chemicals include pestcides, glue, paint, and FO petroleum products Health hazard 5 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STD 7.indd 5 26/07/2021 12:00  FOR ONLINE USE ONLY DO NOT DUPLICATE S/N. Safety sign and Items or places where Effects for not taking interpretation the safety signs are the required precautions displayed 11. On electric poles and A person can get an electric stations with high voltage shock, and death may occur. LY High voltage N 12. Posted where radioactive Can cause dangerous O materials are handled or effects such as skin where radiation-producing damage, blindness and equipment is used, such various types of cancers Strong radiation as an X-ray room SE U 13. On materials containing Can cause disease biohazards, for example infections E dangerous diseases causing microorganisms: N These include containers for biohazard sample LI Biohazard storage and waste disposal N O 14. On slippery or wet floor A person may slip, fall down, and get injured. R FO Slippery floor 6 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STD 7.indd 6 26/07/2021 12:00  FOR ONLINE USE ONLY DO NOT DUPLICATE S/N. Safety sign and Items or places where Effects for not taking interpretation the safety signs are the required precautions displayed 15. In dangerous places, such Accidents can occur. as areas with ongoing roadworks LY Danger 16. Hand-washing facilities Can result into diseases as in hospitals and infection N restaurants O Hand wash station 17. SE Areas that require eye A person can be affected in protection, such as areas the eyes. with strong radiation U Eye protection E required 18. Areas or materials such Effects can occur in the N as explosive chemicals eyes and face. that can affect the face LI and eyes N Eye and face O protection required 19. On exit doors, particularly Accidents can occur. R on emergency doors as in hospital buildings FO Exit door 7 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STD 7.indd 7 26/07/2021 12:00  FOR ONLINE USE ONLY DO NOT DUPLICATE Activity: Drawing safety signs Materials: manila papers, marker pens, pencils and coloured pencils Procedure 1. Visit places having safety signs and study the signs. 2. Draw the signs on manila paper. LY Questions (a) Which of the items or equipment that you saw had safety signs? (b) What are the safety signs you saw on the items or in the different N places that you visited? (c) What are the possible effects a person can get if he or she does not O follow the instructions of the signs? Exercise 1 Answer the following questions: SE 1. Give the meaning of safety signs. U 2. Why are there different safety signs in the environment? 3. Why are texts included in some safety signs? 4. Use Table 3 to write the appropriate interpretations of the indicated E safety signs. N Table 3: Safety signs and interpretation LI S/N. Safety sign Interpretation (a) N O R (b) FO 8 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STD 7.indd 8 26/07/2021 12:00  FOR ONLINE USE ONLY DO NOT DUPLICATE (c) (d) LY (e) N O (f) SE U E Uses of safety signs in the environment N Safety signs are used in different places and on items available in our LI environment. The following are some of the uses of safety signs: N Indicating danger There are items or places marked with safety signs to caution people against O the possible dangers in case they do not take precautions. For example, some safety signs indicate the risks of X-ray radiation, explosive chemicals, and a high voltage transmission line. These signs require a person to take R precautions as he or she approaches such environments. FO Prevention of diseases Safety signs are used to indicate ways in which a person can be protected from diseases or health effects by adhering to the given safety signs. For 9 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STD 7.indd 9 26/07/2021 12:00  FOR ONLINE USE ONLY DO NOT DUPLICATE example, safety signs on biohazardous items such as waste dustbins in hospitals warn us against touching. This sign protects one from the diseases caused by biohazards. Prevention of accidents Some safety signs can help to prevent accidents. For example, a fuel tanker has a warning sign for highly flammable materials. Therefore, this sign is used to prevent possible fire accident. LY Warning and instructions Some safety signs alert and provide instructions on how to use items or do something carefully. For example, easily broken items are marked with N instructions such as “handle with care” to help carry them safely. Some O chemicals such as insecticides or herbicides are marked as dangerous or toxic. The signs on those chemicals require the user to wear protective equipment to use them safely. Such protective items include gloves, goggles, SE special clothing or overalls, boots and helmets. The flammable safety sign is placed on bottles containing pesticides and perfumes. Therefore, it is advised to stay away from fire sources when using such items. U Exercise 2 Answer all questions in Sections A and B. E Section A N Choose the most correct answer and write its letter in the box provided. 1. The types of safety signs are__________. LI (a) prohibition, warning, mandatory, and emergency signs N (b) emergency, personal, and danger signs (c) mandatory, prohibition, and entry signs O (d) hospital, warning, road, and aerial signs 2. What is the colour used for mandatory signs? R (a) Yellow FO (b) Red (c) Blue (d) Green 10 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STD 7.indd 10 26/07/2021 12:00  FOR ONLINE USE ONLY DO NOT DUPLICATE 3. What does the following sign represent? (a) Toxic (b) Flammable (c) Corrosive LY (d) Harmful 4. One of the following words is not displayed on pesticide containers: N (a) Flammable (b) Toxic or danger O (c) Unsafe water (d) Irritant 5. What precaution should you take to protect your eyes when using dangerous items? (a) Wear a mask SE (b) Use a face cloth U (c) Wear a hat (d) Wear goggles Section B E 6. List four uses of safety signs. N 7. List five items or equipment with danger or toxic signs. 8. Explain five precautions that you will take when using drugs or LI chemicals having a toxic sign. 9. Explain the importance of safety signs. N 10. Explain the possible effects which can occur when using chemicals with the irritant sign. O Vocabulary Explosive a substance that is able or likely to cause an explosion R Pesticide a substance or chemical used to control or kill organisms FO that affect plants, animals, or products X-ray radiation an electromagnetic radiation of high energy and very short wavelength which is able to pass through materials that are opaque to light 11 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STD 7.indd 11 26/07/2021 12:00