Security & Safety Signs I Like

People look at you a bit odd when you take photos of everyday things that happen to be security related, but I wanted to show to our American readers some signage that I liked from a recent trip to Europe for a media conference.

First, there's this simple green and white sign that perplexed me at first because of a few things:

1) It's not a sign for the jogging path or the Stockholm Marathon, though it does depict a man running. I was intrigued by the depiction of running, since we condition everyone here in the U.S. to "file out in an orderly fashion." Well, the point is clear, if you need to escape go here and do it fast as h-e-double-hockeysticks.

2) I was also intrigued by the amount of information this sign carries. It lets you know that this is the escape route, that you'll need to go downstairs, and there you'll find an exit door. That's a far cry from our simple "EXIT" signs, though I think they're plenty effective.

3) I noticed that it was not an illuminated sign, which makes me wonder whether it would even be visible in the case of a fire incident.

 

OK, then there's this, from a bank in the city center of Copenhagen.

I like the imagery...no motorcycle helmets (motorized scooters are very common in the town, probably due to the limited parking) and they also convey the fact that the safes are time-locked. However, in the case of this bank, the best security feature may be that you can hardly find anyone to talk to when you go in, so the would-be robbers might just get frustrated after taking a number and instead go try hitting up one of the city's many money-exchange shops (which are very well protected, actually).

--Geoff