Safety Alarms & Warnings

Used primarily in warehouses, manufacturing plants and on busy work sites, safety alarms and warning are products designed to convey messaging to all personnel on site in the event of an emergency. They are also used to signal normal operation to reassure workers that equipment is functioning as expected and that it is safe to operate machinery. Here at Cromwell, we have a wide range of safety alarms and warnings from leading brands such as Schneider Electric and ABB.

What are safety alarms and warnings?

Safety alarms and warnings are devices used to either signify an unexpected fault in machinery or operation within a workplace, or conversely can be used to inform personnel that operations are underway as usual. The most common type of safety alarm and warning devices are signal tower lights, beacons and towers which are colourful cases designed to house a bulb to illuminate when there is an issue on the production line. These can either be flashing or steady, depending on your needs. Sirens and buzzers are also often used in conjunction with lights to create an audible sound when there are issues that could affect the safety of operations or as a warning of a potential hazard.

When are safety alarms and warnings used?

Although safety alarms and warnings can be useful in any workplace, they are most commonly found on sites where noise levels are generally high and a clear and loud signal is needed to warn of any hazards. They are typically found in warehouses, manufacturing plants or work sites where personnel may be operating loud machinery across a large area, so the signal needs to be both audible and visible to all.

Considerations when choosing safety alarms and warnings

• Type - As outlined above the most common types of safety alarms and warning products are signal tower lights, beacons, sirens and buzzers. It's advisable to have both an audible and visual signal to ensure that personnel have an extremely high chance of either seeing or hearing the warning signal for optimum safety.

• Colour - Not all safety alarms and warnings convey hazards or abnormal operation. It's just as useful to have a signal light that reassures personnel that normal operation is underway. For this reason, signal tower lights and beacons can be purchased in various colours to ensure you find the right light to suit your needs. For example, a red light may signify

• Application - Whilst it's always preferable to have both an audible and visual signifier in the event of an emergency or potential hazard, your specific application may only call for a specific type of safety alarm or warning product. Consider which product type would best suit your application to ensure maximum safety of your personnel.

Safety alarms and warnings jargon buster

We want to make it easy for you to shop our range of safety alarms and warnings, so here are some key terms that will help you understand the range and applications a little better.

What does an IP rating mean and why is it important that my product has one?

An Ingress Protection (IP) rating, simply denotes the level of protection that your safety alarm or warning product possesses against the ingress of dirt, debris and moisture. IP ratings are normally stylised as "IPXX" with two numbers which refer to the level to which the product can withstand certain elements.

The higher the number, the better the product is at working in an environment with higher levels of water, dust or dirt. For example, if you know that the product is likely to be subject to adverse weather or will be in a building where dust can accumulate quickly, then it's advisable to select a product with a high IP rating.

FAQs

Why are signal tower lights often red?

Whilst signal tower lights can be purchased in an array of colours including blue, green, amber, clear and red, red is very commonly used on signalling towers specifically. Of the above colours mentioned, red light is the least scattered by fine particles in the air as well as the most visible even in foggy or smoky air conditions, meaning it is the most effective at conveying warnings or signalling something even in adverse conditions.