The federal government’s latest guidelines on what businesses are designated “critical infrastructure” now includes the sign, graphics, and visual communications industry, according to the International Sign Association (ISA). This is especially important since most of the states that have enacted shutdowns use the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) guidelines to determine what is allowed to continue operating.

Since states started enacting “shutdowns” across the country, ISA has been advising sign, graphics, and visual communications companies that they could stay open and operational, to an extent, as long as they have stringent safety and health procedures in the workplace and provide services to “essential business” customers.

The forty-plus states that have enacted “shutdowns” are basing their “essential business” or “critical infrastructure” decisions on those guidelines developed by CISA. For the last several weeks, ISA has been in regular contact with CISA, advocating that they include the sign and graphics industry as “critical infrastructure” because sign and graphics providers enable so many “essential businesses” to operate. Signs and graphics help communicate vital information to the public during these uncertain and changing times.

The latest version of the CISA guidelines includes key part of the sign and graphics industry as “critical infrastructure.” The new language is included under Transportation and Logistics: “Manufacturers and distributors (to include service centers and related operations) of lighting and communication systems, specialized signage and structural systems, emergency response equipment and support materials, printers, printed materials, packaging materials, pallets, crates, containers, and other supplies needed to support manufacturing, packaging staging and distribution operations, and other critical infrastructure needs.”

Still there are steps sign companies should take, according to CISA guidelines, to ensure that they are operating in a safe manner.

A sign and graphics company must first:

Confirm that it has a rigorous safety and health program in place to protect employees in the workplace;

Identify and document its “essential business” customers and “essential business” employees;

Installers and servicers of signs will need to rely on previous language in CISA for construction or electricians.

You can find more details on all these elements here.