What to Consider When Installing a Sign

The following guide outlines some of the key considerations when you are thinking about wanting a new sign installed for your business. Not an exhaustive list, the below offers guidance and key questions you can ask us along the way. We at Signs Express will always guide you along the process and proactively help you handle these points, as our professionalism is one of the reasons we are the UK leading Sign and Graphics business.

So, here's what you need to know about planning permission, making sure your sign is safely installed when it is done by installers working at height and other considerations.

Signs require Advertising Consent which is part of the planning control system

Some signs are excluded from control or have ‘deemed consent’ so that the planning authority’s permission is not needed, provided the advertisement is within the rules.

Other signs that fall outside these categories will need the planning authority’s consent. Typically these will be

some illuminated signs
fascia signs and projecting signs on shop-fronts or business premises where the top edge of the sign is more than 4.6 metres above ground level
most advertisements on gable-ends

The process may take up to 6 weeks and you will probably have to pay a fee, but it's worth doing because the council might object and force you to take down whatever it is that's bothering them. The easiest way to apply for planning permission is via an online form on your local authority website or by calling their planning department directly; they'll usually give you all the information needed to complete the application as well as advice about whether your proposal requires approval from them before starting installation work.

There are also different rules for listed buildings or those in National Parks/Conservation Zones.

For further reading please view this Government Document.

Working at Height - people working at height are required by law to be properly trained and certified.

You need to be aware that you are legally responsible for the safety of your employees and any contractors carrying out work on your site. Any person working at height must be properly trained and certified so you should check that any contractor has the correct qualifications.

It's also important to make sure that all the necessary safety equipment is available, including personal protective equipment such as:

Helmets
Safety harnesses or lanyards and fall protection anchors/systems (if required).

The best way to approach this Health and Safety aspect would be to complete a RAMS document. RAMS stands for Risk Assessments & Method Statement — an important health and safety document that is completed to ensure that a specific activity or task can be carried out in a safe manner without putting employees, contractors or the general public at risk of injury.

Risk assessments are used to record hazards identified in the workplace, assess the likelihood and severity of risks and to plan adequate control measures to eliminate or reduce those risks.

Method statements build on the information outlined in risk assessments, expanding on hazard identification and management and control measures. They detail how specific activities can be carried out safely, describing control measures and safety precautions

Method statements are written for specific, high-risk work activities such as working from a height or using dangerous equipment. Tasks are broken down into steps, the hazards involved in each step are assessed, and then control measures are described in detail so that the resulting document can be easily followed by workers and contractors. It acts as a step-by-step guide to carrying out tasks safely.

All our Signs Express Centres and installation partners have the correct credentials to work at height and carryout thorough RAMS assessment before work commences.

Illumination – the choice is yours

There are many options to consider when specifying a sign. The most common option is LED lighting, which is our recommended choice for most signs. LED lights use less energy and last longer than other types of lighting options, so you can be sure that your sign will stay lit up for years to come! There are other ways to illuminate your sign as well—fluorescent tubes and incandescent bulbs are both effective at casting light on your message in a variety of colours. However, these methods require more power than LEDs do and might not be suitable for all applications due to being less efficient or having shorter lifespans than LEDs.

Environmental Impact - how to reduce the carbon footprint of a sign installation.

If you are an organisation where eco-considerations are part of your values, you may want to consider ways to reduce the ecological impact of your new sign to stay true to your message.

Consider solar power as a source of energy for your sign. Solar panels are relatively inexpensive and can be installed on your roof or ground without affecting the appearance of your business or property. If you have an existing sign that runs on electricity, consider converting it to solar power so you lessen your carbon footprint even further while also reducing operating costs and increasing profits!
LEDs are another option for lighting up signs with limited environmental impact as they use much less energy than traditional lights and may last up to 10 times longer than regular bulbs (which means fewer replacements and therefore less waste).
Finally, choose signage materials that are recycled to be part of your project or choose easily recyclable materials, so when someone does throw away their old one after its useful life has ended then it won't become part of our planet's growing waste issues.

Signs Express have been producing and installing signs for over 30 years. With 3 decades worth of experience, the considerations outlined above are regular occurrences that all of our centres are experts in dealing with, so you can concentrate on running your business. There may well be more considerations that will need to be addressed depending on the type and location of sign you would like to install. We would recommend you involve Signs Express as early as possible in the process as this will allow the project to run as smoothly as possible.

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