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Do I Need Custom Catering Signs for My Kitchen?

Custom catering signs are a helpful option to consider for many kinds of kitchens, but are they necessary? In this blog, we will explore the question ‘Do I need custom catering signs for my kitchen?’

The team here at Lasting Impressions are here to provide you with the safety signs you need. Whether it is fire safety, construction site signs, workplace safety signs, general safety signs, information or first-aid/medical signs, we have it all.

If you require a custom design, or safety signs that are legally required, we have it. Our competitive pricing shows that we put safety first. With deals on offer, see how we can help you today.

Do signs have health and safety precautions?

Custom catering signs are generally made to reinforce health and safety regulations and proper practice. However, regarding the manufacturing of signs, a regulatory body known as the Health and Safety Sign Association (HSSA) ensures that its members:

Use correct colours and shapes as defined in standards like ISO 3864 and ISO EN 7010.
Employ standardized symbols (pictograms) that are easily understood, often referencing ISO 7010.
Are made from appropriate materials for their intended environment and are durable.
Provide clear and concise messaging where text is necessary.
Comply with the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, which mandates the use of safety signs where significant risks cannot be controlled by other means.

While the HSSA isn’t a direct regulatory body with its own legally binding requirements, its influence is significant.

While manufacturers aren’t legally obligated to be members of the HSSA, adherence to the standards and best practices promoted by the association is crucial for producing legally compliant and effective safety signs in the UK.

Membership in the HSSA signifies a commitment to these standards and provides customers with confidence in the quality and legality of the signage.

Outside the HSSA, sign manufacturers are obligated to ensure that their signs are safe to use, this means ensuring there are no sharp-pointed edges, not made from harmful materials and are clearly legible.

Does a kitchen need custom catering signs?

Almost every kitchen can benefit from a custom sign, even if it’s just one. It is all subject to the kitchen in question. Below are the factors that can decide if you need a custom sign:

The type of food being served in the kitchen
The size of the kitchen
Where the kitchen is (Is it a kitchen in a shared student accommodation? A commercial kitchen space? Or a mobile kitchen etc).
Who is using the kitchen? (Employees, novices, even inmates in jails).

A custom catering sign gives you the ability to communicate in a way that adheres to the intricacies and differences of your specific kitchen, whether the approach is informal or extremely meticulous.

Regardless, as along as the signs are clearly legible, and legally required signs are in place already, you have free reign to add custom signs as long as they are not discriminatory or offensive.

How are custom catering signs made?

When using a professional service like Lasting Impressions, you can expect the following:

An in-depth consultation about the sign you need, whilst seeking to understand the role of your business that can inform the design of a custom sign.
Depending on the use of the custom sign, unique designs can be crafted to illustrate your requirements perfectly.
Inquiring on your current signage (if any) and seeing what you like/dislike about them, allowing us to create a better solution/upgrade for your signage.

With Lasting Impressions, you can be confident in the superior quality and design of our signage. We meticulously follow a strict quality control programme, meeting the highest British and European standards and adhering to ISO EN 7010.

Our membership in the Health & Safety Sign Association further underscores our commitment. We ensure every sign, finished with safer rounded corners for enhanced appearance and reduced risk, reaches you in perfect condition.

Plus, enjoy peace of mind with our 14-day no-quibble money-back guarantee on all stock items.

Need kitchen signs that stand out and meet hygiene standards? Contact Lasting Impressions for custom catering signage tailored to your business.

How can safety signs be customised?

Safety signs may seem pretty straightforward, but there are ways to customise them to make them more relevant to your kitchen, resulting in a more efficient, safe and practical workspace.

Here are some examples of how you can customise safety signs to your needs, and how they help more than the average sign:

1. Specific hazard identification:

“Caution: (Insert specific make and model of equipment)- Trained Operators Only”: Instead of a generic “Caution: (and the equipment)” this specifies the exact equipment, reinforcing that only trained staff should use it.

“Hot Surface: [Specific Equipment Name, e.g., Fryer Basket Handle] – Use Gloves”: Clearly identifies the exact hot surface, preventing accidental burns.

“Wet Floor – Spill Zone Near [Specific Area, e.g., Dishwasher Exit]”: Pinpoints the exact location of a recurring wet floor hazard, allowing staff to be aware and even prepare a cleaning in advance.

2. Workflow and procedure reinforcement:

“Handwashing Procedure: Wet – Soap – 20 Secs – Rinse – Dry – [Specific Location of Paper Towels]”: Provides a clear, step-by-step reminder of the correct handwashing technique and the location of drying materials.

“Chemical Dilution: [Specific Chemical Name] – [Water:Chemical Ratio] – Use [Specific PPE]”: Clearly outlines the correct dilution for cleaning chemicals and the required personal protective equipment.

“Knife Handling Protocol: Carry Point Down – Store in [Designated Block]”: Reinforces the specific safe handling and storage procedures for knives used in that kitchen.
“Waste Disposal – [Colour-Coded Bin] for Food Waste Only”: Uses the kitchen’s specific colour-coding system for waste segregation.

3. Visual cues and language:

Multi-lingual signs with visuals: Combining text in the languages spoken by kitchen staff with clear pictograms to ensure everyone understands the message.

Colour-coding for zones: Using specific background colours for signs in different areas of the kitchen (e.g., blue for hygiene, yellow for general hazards, red for fire safety).

Larger, more prominent signs for critical warnings: Making high-risk warnings stand out with larger text and brighter colours

Using photos or illustrations specific to your kitchen: Showing the exact type of PPE required or the specific piece of equipment being referenced.

4. Integration with kitchen layout:

Signs placed directly at the point of hazard: For example, ensuring a “Caution: Hot Surface” sign is right next to the oven or fryer.
Directional arrows for safety equipment: Clearly indicating the exact location of the nearest fire extinguisher or first aid kit with arrows that are visible from multiple angles.

As you can see, integrating custom signs isn’t exactly reinventing the wheel, but refining it. These simple yet important changes allow your kitchen to run more efficiently, with less confusion. This results in a safer and easier to manage space.

Custom catering sign services

We hope to have provided you with all the answers you were looking for, in addition to further facts and food for thought. Within this blog, we aim to have answered the question ‘Do I need custom catering signs for my kitchen?’

Established in 2002, Lasting Impressions has over 40 years of experience under our belts, our signs, and services are a staple in the South West of England and further afield.

Safety is paramount for us. And if at least one of our signs can guide someone to safety, or avoid a serious incident, then we know we’ve done the best we can.

If you require more information, we are more than happy to hear from you. Follow this link to get in contact with us. You can find our address below.

Address:

Lasting Impressions (Signs) Limited,

Unit 2 Hounsell Building,

North Mills Trading Estate,

Bridport,

Dorset,

DT6 3BE

Telephone:

01308 456721