It must be a sign
OSHA-approved warning and danger signs have multiplied over the years, while at the same time getting a bit more to-the-point as far as illustrating accidents and injuries. And by to-the-point…
OSHA-approved warning and danger signs have multiplied over the years, while at the same time getting a bit more to-the-point as far as illustrating accidents and injuries. And by to-the-point I’m talking about they frequently show the overtly graphic nature of what happens when hard, heavy, sharp things meet soft, fleshy body things.
There’s nothing wrong with this, as safety for all shop workers is the number one priority. If these newer, more graphic safety signs get workers’ attention, they’ve done their job. On the other hand, if you can’t have a little fun once in a while …
As an exercise in humor — or, perhaps, a bit of winter silliness — I decided to come up with some substitute warning signs that, although firmly tongue-in-cheek, nonetheless mean business. At least, in their own way.
My starting point was to take actual graphics from some of these warning signs and strip away the existing text, while keeping the graphics unchanged. Then it was just a matter of coming up with some new text that was just as serious as the old text but addressing shop and workplace issues that must surely exist in some alternate universe.
A.J. Hamler is the former editor of Woodshop News and Woodcraft Magazine. He's currently a freelance woodworking writer/editor, which is another way of stating self-employed. When he's not writing or in the shop, he enjoys science fiction, gourmet cooking and Civil War reenacting, but not at the same time.
