6.3 SAFETY AND SECURITY 137 Look up a definition of Personal Protective Equipment on the Internet. How many safety signs can you see every day and where do you see them? SAFETY RULES AND SIGNS Safety at work The safety of workers is a common concern. Newspapers and TV channels often report news of accidents, some of them very serious, which have happened to workers while they were working, and which have sometimes caused the death of the people involved. To avoid this, rules and laws have been made to prevent workers from being hurt or injured when using machines, tools, chemicals or electricity. if you have to lift weights, it is advisable to use a forklift; if this is not provided, learn how to lift weighs properly without hurting your back and possibly ask for help; when dealing with chemicals, make sure they are properly labelled and stored; this will avoid injuries, respiratory problems or poisoning; concentrate fully all the time while doing your job. Safety signs Safety signs are often displayed on the premises where electrical machinery, tools or chemicals are used in order to promote safe behaviour among workers or visitors and warn them about the risks they may be exposed to. Signs can indicate: prohibition: they are usually round and red, often with a diagonal red bar; obligation: they are usually round and blue; warning: they triangular yellow Some rules Here are some examples of general rules to follow in order to work safely: concern: preoccupazione displayed: mostrato; messo in mostra, in evidenza forklift: carrello elevatore injured: ferito involved: coinvolto to label: etichettare premise: locale (n.) to prevent: prevenire safety goggles: occhiali protettivi to warn: avvisare always use Personal Protective Equipment or PPE (protective clothing, a hard hat, safety goggles, gloves, safety boots or shoes) ; always inspect machines and tools before starting working on them, making sure the equipment is in good condition and functioning properly; if you have to use any machine for your job, follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer; make sure that machines and tools are turned off before working on them; are usually signs; directions: they often make use of arrows; emergency equipment: they are usually rectangular, green signs; the equipment to use in case of fire: they are red and rectangular in shape. ONLINE RESOURCES The origins of Women's Day 302 aT WorK Elettronica-Informatica.indb 302 25/01/24 16:10