Relevant considerations

The following sections of this chapter discuss various aspects of sign posting, for the information of an event manager. These sections give an indication of the benefits of various types of signs, their positioning construction and use. When approaching the police and local authority for advice and permission, it may help an event manager to consider which signs could be of benefit at their unique event, and what questions to ask.

Remember, these sections are to raise awareness of the use of signs and ‘advertisements’, but as the event manager you are responsible for obtaining permission from the police, highways authority or local planning office to erect and use any signs.

Sign posting – safety

When erecting and removing signs, safety is a critical consideration. You must also remember that where authorised, signs must be erected within stringent rules and regulations. As an alternative to providing, erecting and removing signs yourself, the RAC and AA both offer a service of providing signs to temporary events. You may wish to discuss your event and proposed sign-posting requirements with them, and ask for a quote to produce, erect and remove signs for your event. Remember that the erection and removal of signs creates a potential risk for several groups of people.

The sign posting vehicle

The signs must be erected at key points and junctions over a considerable area, so if authorised, it is almost certain that your sign-erecting staff would be moving from site to site, or junction to junction in a vehicle.

The proposed erection sites are probably near major junctions and roundabouts etc. busy points and potential accident spots. The added complication of your staff stopping unexpectedly or parking dangerously on bends and junctions could be the direct or indirect cause of an accident, for which you would be liable.

Make sure that when they stop, your sign posting vehicle drivers are instructed to take particular care not to cause an obstruction, or park in such a way that they do not block traffic, or block the view of other motorists at a junction or roundabout etc. As elsewhere, if in doubt, consult the local authority. It is possible that for a fee you could even arrange for them to supply and erect appropriate signage

Your staff

By definition, if permission is given, your staff members would be sign posting at major junctions and so will have to leave their vehicle and move about on or very near to the road, which is probably carrying fast-moving traffic. I suggest that if you do not want to pay the AA, RAC or possibly the local authority to erect the signs for you, and you want your staff to erect the signs:

• staff should be equipped with a fluorescent high-visibility jackets that meet Health and Safety requirements
• they should be instructed to make safety their top priority
• they should take extra care in stopping and pulling away in vehicles
• they should aim to park safely away from the junction they wish to signpost
• they should be instructed as to where to fix the signs, as directed by the local authority or police, or if not specified by them, in accordance with the legislation
• they should also be instructed in the method of fixing the signs to posts etc., which must not cause damage to any street furniture, fences etc.
• signs should not be erected in a way that causes or allows them to overhang the road, where a vehicle may hit them, or cause a high-sided vehicle to swerve around them
• event signs should not obscure or distract members of the public, particularly drivers, from any existing signs
• the signs must be erected securely so that they will not fall onto the road, or on vehicles or pedestrians etc.
• staff must only erect signs as per an agreed sign schedule, and must record where signs have been placed – for later collection.
• they must be trained in and familiar with all tools and equipment they are using all tools and equipment must be of an acceptable standard and quality
• when removing signs all traces of their presence should be removed, and damage caused reported to the highways authority.

Assistants to sign erector

For safety reasons any member of staff who is erecting signs should have an assistant to help them.

The assistant can watch and steady the bottom of a ladder and guide the public around any ladders or other equipment. They will also be warning oncoming traffic of the work, warning the sign erector of any dangerous traffic approaching because he or she will be looking at the sign itself. The assistant can also help to carry the equipment from a safe parking area; without an assistant, the sign erection staff may be tempted to park close to a junction and consequently park dangerously.

Insurance

When enquiring about insurance, you should enquire about the possibility and cost of insuring staff for the erection and removal of signs, against injury to themselves and against the signs falling on and damaging property or people, or causing damage to street signs or fences etc., or causing accidents during erection or removal.

The public

The authorities will almost certainly insist that you or the signing organisation are insured against injury to members of the public. If liable, the event manager could be liable for hundreds of thousands of pounds of damages. For this reason it is best to pay an organisation to suply, erect and remove the signs, then they carry the liability.

If not, you must insure yourself and your staff to cover the erection and removal of the signs, as well as any injury to the public, whether caused by accident or negligence. Your insurance cover should also indemnify you against claims that the presence of your signs caused an accident, by obstructing the view of an existing sign, or blocking the view of a driver at a junction for example.

The cost

The cost of making a sign can vary between minimal – if you use available materials for on-site signs – and considerable – if you are required to have off-site signs made to street sign standards.

Only you know what is involved in your event, so only you can make the decision as to whether the cost of making signs by your chosen method, to the correct legal standards, can be justified by the income to be derived. As a rule of thumb, the first couple of times an event is run, ‘cheap and cheerful’ is probably the best policy. If an event becomes a large annual extravaganza, then it may be worth investing in some more permanent and professionally produced signs, advertisements and notice boards. Until then, be miserly with sign-posting budgets where possible, while making sure that they fulfil the purpose for which they are intended, attracting people, indicating the route, pointing to entrances and exits, warning of danger, etc.

Remember, if you select your site carefully, with easy access routes, in close proximity to major roads and motorways, your need for off-site direction signs will be negligible anyway.

Whatever materials are used, the regulations require the signs to be simple, clearly understood and large enough to be seen and understood by drivers travelling at speeds in excess of 30 miles an hour. All signs should have lettering that is large enough to be easy to read, as specified in the legislation. Off-site, signs should contain minimal information, so that a driver only has to glance at the sign to understand its meaning. On-site, signs may contain more information, assuming that generally pedestrians will read them. The sign should also be easily identifiable, not mounted behind a bush, or allowed to become splashed with mud or dirt so as to be unreadable.

Advertising

Signs can also be used to advertise the event before the actual date on which it is to take place. With local authority permission and possibly permission from the owner of the land where you want to erect the signs, you can put up a substantial sign advertising the forthcoming event. These are particularly effective on a main road, where larger numbers of people will see that sign. You must however still abide by legislation and rules relating to advertisements and signs. Do not expect a passing driver to take his eyes off the road to read a sign containing a lot of information!

Remember that depending on the size, construction and location of the sign, the length of time it is expected to be on site, the content of the sign and the event it may be advertising, planning permission may be required. Consult the local authority well in advance.

If allowed, include only the bare essentials in an advance sign at the event site, e.g. event type, event date(s), event time, entry fee and possibly contact phone number.

Where people are just walking past, a sign like this is very effective. However, you might get planning permission for a series of signs. So, the first large sign may say ‘STEAM FAYRE’, the next ‘Sat 12th & Sun 13th April’, the next ‘Entry £1 – Free Parking’ and finally ‘0123 456789’. Using these signs you could inform passing drivers of the forthcoming event, and the driver need only glance at the individual signs to collect all the information.

Such signs could be erected in two ways. Either erect the series of four signs over, say, half a mile of road, so the information is passed on in ‘bites’. Alternatively, one fixed sign could be used, and the content changed once each week. During the first week the sign reads ‘STEAM FAYRE’, the next week it is changed to ‘Sat 12th & Sun 13th April’, etc. Ask your planning department for advice as to the advertising process they would be most likely to permit.

Site signs

At or near the selected event site (perhaps in a shop or garage window) you may wish to erect a smaller and more informative sign that gives local pedestrians more details about the event. If it is displayed as a notice at, say, the gate of the proposed site, it will require permission of the landowner and planning permission. The sign will still advertise the day, date, time and cost information, but should include more that will provide information to local residents and those interested in having a stall or display at the event.

Directional signs

Directional signs must be clearly visible and easy to read. If authorised to erect signs you should adopt a standard approach within the limitations imposed on you, so that drivers become familiar with the signs they are following, allowing them to identify your signs earlier and therefore make earlier, safer signals and manoeuvres.

Remember that you will need left-turn signs, right-turn signs, straight-on signs and possibly signs showing the exit to use from complex roundabouts. For off-site road signs, you will benefit from the expert advice and assistance of the police and local authority, and be working within the framework of strict legislation and regulations.

For events such as marathons and cycle races, route signs are very important. Though marshals should be positioned at all junctions to indicate the route the competitors should be taking, temporary signs will help with the smooth operation of the race. Simple left- and right-turn signs, or straight-on signs at intermediate junctions, will please competitors because they will be able to easily see and follow the route and avoid getting lost or taking short cuts.

At one road cycle race I attended, a lost cyclist was found by a police patrol over three miles off the route after he had missed a turn. He said he had become concerned after he had not seen any marshals for some time, but soon after that he was waved on through a road works by yellow-jacketed road works staff, so he assumed they were marshals and that he was still on the route! The police found him with his down, pedalling hard. When he was stopped and his error was pointed out he let the officers know in fairly basic language how bad he thought the sign posting, management and marshalling for the race was – and they told him to address his complaints to the event manager!

Other information

If possible, I try to include other details on the direction signs that relay important, useful and calming information to the motorist, but planners do not usually allow this additional information – even though some agree that it would be beneficial:

• Distance – where it is a particularly big event, I try to reassure motorists that they are getting closer to the event by printing the distance remaining, e.g. ‘Air Show – 2 Miles’, ‘Air Show – 1 Mile’.
• Fuel – I might indicate that they are passing the last garage before the show site, ‘Last Fuel Before Air Show’, because most people want to go straight home without wasting time in heavy traffic looking for a garage where they can fill up. On your advice the garage may put up a sign!
• Supplies – I could indicate that they are passing the last shops where they can buy supplies. I have only done this where people may want to buy films for their cameras before they reach the site, e.g. ‘Last Films Before Air Show’.
• Directions – I may include directional information where there are categories of traffic that need to be directed to appropriate car parks, e.g. ‘All Air Show Coaches’ or ‘All Air Show Cars’.

Drivers are happier and more relaxed when they think an event has been organised properly, and you have to remember that for nearly all of the people attending your event, your approach signs are where they get their first impression of your event and your organisational abilities.