Public Safety Signage

Overview

Protecting people. Clearer signs for safer waterways.

Meridian operates hydro assets in some of New Zealand’s most scenic, and heavily visited, regions. As foot traffic around these sites increased, so did the risk to public safety.

Following external safety audits, Meridian initiated a major signage upgrade across its hydro network. Identimark partnered closely with their safety team to develop durable U3 signage that clearly communicated danger helping to protect people while preserving public access to these natural environments.

Challenge

What needed to be solved.

With more tourists and local visitors exploring areas near Meridian’s hydro assets, new safety issues emerged.

Uninformed access to restricted areas, fishing in high-flow zones, and language barriers made traditional signage insufficient. Public safety risks were flagged in formal audits, pushing Meridian to act fast.

The solution needed to balance operational standards with visual clarity for a wide-ranging audience -including non-English speakers, outdoor users, and families.

Key challenges included:

Uninformed public access: People entering areas where sudden water releases posed danger.

Environmental exposure: Existing signs degraded quickly due to UV, wind, and rain.

Language barriers: Need to communicate risks clearly without relying solely on English.

Identimark worked directly with Meridian’s health and safety team to redesign signage that would work across all sites and audiences. This included the use of bold pictograms, large-format icons, and site-specific imagery for better public understanding. We produced durable U3 signs that resist UV and environmental wear, delivering compliance without maintenance. The project included in-field audits, standardised sign designs, and staged installation with QA inspection and asset database updates.

Meridian’s public safety signage now meets modern standards while remaining intuitive for everyday visitors. The upgrade improves both operational safety and the visitor experience, an outcome that will serve New Zealanders and tourists alike for decades.

Key solutions included:

U3 Safety Signage with Multilingual Visuals

Fade-free, UV-resistant signs with icons, pictograms, and photos for universal understanding.

Standardised Sign Design

Consistent layouts across all hydro assets to build familiarity and reinforce recognition.

Site Inspections and QA

Audit-driven design refinement and post-install quality checks for ongoing compliance

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