Survey of Safety Signs Understanding among Industrial Workers in North Khorasan Province in 2022

Introduction: One of the methods of informing industrial workers about occupational hazards in the workplace is the use of safety signs, which are installed in the required places according to the type of workplace hazards. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the level of understanding of safety signs among industrial workers. Method: In this cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study, the level of understanding of safety signs was measured on 150 industrial workers in North Khorasan Province. The data were collected using the ISO 9186–1:2007 questionnaire and the American National Standards Institute ANSI Z535.5 criteria for understanding safety signs. After collection, the data were analyzed using SPSS 21 statistical software. Results: The results of the study showed that 52.6% of the subjects belonged to the age group of 31 to 50 years. The average level of understanding of safety signs was 15.78±15.20. The highest level of correct understanding was related to the "No Smoking" sign, while the lowest level was related to the "First Aid Kit" sign. The relationship between age, work experience, training, and level of education was significantly related to the level of understanding of safety signs (P< 0.05); however, no significant relationship was observed with shift work. Conclusion: The understanding of safety signs among industrial workers was at an acceptable level standard. It is necessary to design understandable safety signs with the themes of "Wear a face shield," "First aid kit," "Danger of toxic substances," and "Emergency exit."