SPECIAL Feature


When he raised this issue in a recent article on LinkedIn, feverish debate followed. “Iron- ically, I think it hit a nerve with people who do it right – I think the people who don’t do it right probably kept quiet!” he says. “I think people got quite tense thinking I was attack- ing the installer and not taking into account manufacture, but if you’re a good, qualified installer, you wouldn’t fit poorly-manufac- tured signage in the first place. A lot of the installers are subcontractors working for lots of different sign companies, so they tend to have to fit whatever they’re given. If they are given a poorly made built-up letter for instance without the right number of fittings and fixings on the back, they’ll tend to feel obliged to go and fit it, whereas we’re of the mind that’s not good enough. Of course, there’s a conflict of interest, because refus- ing to fit it can mean they don’t get paid.”


Norman notes the point of the article was to try and raise awareness of the importance of quality installation, noting that the consequences of a poorly fitted signs could be fatal.


“If they’re locally


based, there’s a good chance they might have installed a sign that you’ve encountered, so it’s worth enquiring”


The totem pole is then fixed into place.


Raising awareness and standards For Norman, having discussions about installation both online and off is all about trying to raise the standards of the industry.


Professional installation is as much about safety as it is aesthetics.


“Let’s make sure we do it right – make sure your sign fitters have the experience and have the right qualifications, because if you only use qualified sign fitters, you’re half way there to ensuring it’s a safe and professional job,” he says. According to Norman, there are a few things sign manufacturers can do to assess the level of experience possessed by a potential sign fitter.


52 Sign Update ISSUE 170 APRIL 2017


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