Australia Risk Signage


By Doyice Cotten

Opera House

Australia, famous for its opera house is one continent that is full of risks. Whether on land with snakes and spiders or in the water with sharks, crocodiles, and jellyfish, many risks abound. On a recent visit to Australia I noted that in most places tourists and locals alike are warned of existing risks. Some examples are shown below.

Warnings of crocodiles were found near a river crossing and at the edge of a swamp – and of course they wander into the ocean as well (see Photos 2 and 3). One is often warned of “stingers” in the ocean. They are supposed to be extremely painful and often deadly (see Photo 4 and Photo 5 for on-site treatment available for jellyfish stings). The cassowary is a large bird which most Americans have never heard of. They are about the size of an emu and can be quite dangerous at times. Signs (Photo 6) abound in cassowary country.

Some signs simply provide rules or instructions. CPR instructions are found posted at every swimming pool (see Photo 7). Photos 8 and 9 provide examples of car ferry and hang gliding rules. I also noted signage regarding gymnasium rules (see Photo 10) at a resort we stayed at. The gym was very small and unsupervised. I noted that in the same resort, the hot tub in our room had no posted instructions or warnings about use (see Photo 11).  For a little humor, compare the dress code for a restaurant (Photo 12) and a casino (Photo 13). They were close neighbors in a small beach town. Photo 14 shows instructions for safe use of a wheelchair swing on a playground.

On the whole, Australia does very well in this department.
Click on the photos to enlarge or a slide show.