Page 1374 - Xmo Strata - Bulletin Archive

Health, Safety & Environmental Bulletin No 510

07 April 2016

Sign Fixing Integrity

As you will be aware, falling signs have resulted in many injuries and unfortunately several deaths.
Please click the following link for examples http://xmostrata.com/about-us/why-choose-xmo-strata/

Some time ago, we identified that fixings provided by a very professional sign manufacturer to fit their
signs were not fit for purpose. We dealt with the issue quietly and with no fuss, but reflected on what
could have happened if our engineers hadn’t been properly trained and had fitted with what they were
supplied with – the consequences are frightening!!

A large retail chain contacted us because they had several large ‘Retail Shed’ signs fall down and
wanted independent engineering reports and a warranty as to the fixings that were there – we politely
declined to quote for warrantying someone else’s installation based on the facts that had been provided.

On another occasion we were alerted to a problem whereby a customer had several large signs fall down
in areas of significant footfall and we were asked if we would carry out an independent assessment of
several sites.

The results were that a staggering 91% of the signs were secured by fixings that were not in line with
expectations.

Whilst we had no involvement in any of the jobs, the findings were frightening and posed more
questions to us than answers:-

• Were the unapproved fixings that had been used safe?

• The client is vicariously liable if the signs do fail and injure a site patron, but was it the
individual installer or their employer that had selected the unapproved fixing?

• How do we know that the fixings we use are safe?

• Do our engineers use fixings that we aren’t aware of?

After several discussions with engineers and site audits of our own, we concluded that our teams are
following the training, Safe Systems of Work and fixing guidelines that we issue and the structural
calculations conducted to select the fixings specified are robust, BUT our Safety Lead Team wanted
proof of actual load testing being done with the fixings in situ on site.