Floor marking tape

Last updated
5S reczny wozek paletowy.jpg
Floor marking 5S safety Scanfil Sieradz.jpg
Tape being used to designate a pallet jack storage area (left) and to mark aisles and an area around an electrical panel that must remain unobstructed (right).

Floor marking tapes are adhesive tapes used to mark hazards, divide spaces, create aisles, or provide directions. They are commonly used in industrial and manufacturing facilities for floor marking. They are made of multiple different materials, including PVC and vinyl, and vary in thickness from 5-mils to 55-mils for a wide range of durability options for manufacturing facility floor marking. The best floor marking tapes are usually 50 to 60 mils thick. Most tapes come in a variety of color options and even hazard patterns to meet U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration/ANSI requirements and other safety standards. Some tapes are made with higher reflectivity and may even glow in the dark.

Contents

Floor marking tapes can also be useful for helping workers put materials and equipment back in the right place, making it a key 5S, Lean manufacturing implementation tools. [1] Creating distinctions between finished goods, raw goods, to-be-repaired goods, and equipment ensures mistakes are minimized and productivity and safety are both at the highest levels.

Usage

5S and Lean manufacturing

Floor markings are an important part of step 2 of 5S, Set In Order (Seiton), organizing workspaces by denoting walkways, work spaces and storage spaces. In addition, floor markings are used to denote requirements to keep the area in front of fire extinguishers, fire hoses, first aid equipment and exits clear. [1]

Hiroyuki Hirano's 5 Pillar of the Visual Workplace, proposed a scheme for markings that used not only color, but the size of the line and if the line was solid or broken, to convey meaning, expanding the possible messages that could be communicate, with only three colors. [1]

ColorLine type and widthMeaning
RedSolid line
100 mm (3.9 in)
Fire Protection equipment and apparatus
YellowBroken line
100 mm (3.9 in)
Exit and entry lines
YellowBroken line
100 mm (3.9 in)
Door swing lines
YellowArrowDesignate traffic direction flow
WhiteSolid line
50 mm (2.0 in)
Place markers for in-process inventory
WhiteCorner line
50 mm (2.0 in)
Place markers for operations
WhiteBroken line
30 mm (1.2 in)
Place marker for non-production and inventory items
(Ashtrays, clipboards, etc.
RedSolid line
30 mm (1.2 in)
Storage area for defective goods
Black
Yellow
Striped Line
30 mm (1.2 in)
Marking hazards

Building evacuation

Starting in 2009, the International Fire Code required structures over 75 feet (23 m) to have exit paths and stairway steps marked by a luminous path to guide people evacuating to the exit. A way of satisfying this requirement is photoluminescent tape, which glows in darkness without any external power source. [2] The IFC also requires that obstacles that are within 6.5 feet (2.0 m) of the floor surface be marked with luminescent striped tape, with an alternating striped pattern of luminous material and non-luminous black. [3]

NFPA 101 also requires egress signage to be provided in most occupancies--including, but not limited to, assembly, educational, hotels, mercantile, and business--on exits other than main exterior doors that are not obvious and identifiable as exits. These markings need to be visible from any direction of the exit access and are required to be internally or externally illuminated. The illumination of the exit markings needs to be confirmed via a visual inspection at intervals not exceeding 30 days. If the occupancy is also required to have emergency lighting, these illuminated exit signs need to be provided with emergency power. The same methods of testing the emergency lighting can be used for testing the exit marking illumination emergency power as well. [4]

OSHA regulations

OSHA does not have a specific standard for floor marking. However other rules and policy interpretations has provided some guidelines.

1910.175(a) requires when mechanical handling equipment, such as forklifts and Powered industrial trucks are used, that permanent aisles and passageways must be marked. [5] [ failed verification see discussion ] In 1972, OSHA clarified that it considers 'appropriately marked' to mean a line at least 2 inches (51 mm) wide, with the recommendation being a line between 2–6 inches (51–152 mm) wide. [6] The agency also indicated that any color could be used and that the line could be continuous or formed by a series of dots, squares, stripes, as long as it was clear it defined an aisle area. [6]


Materials

Tape

Tapes are replacement for paints for floor marking. Tapes are much faster and easier to install and replace, which dramatically reduces down times related to painting aisles and rails. Many floor tapes are scuff and break resistant, unlike paints that will chip and scratch off. Tapes that are printed with stripes, chevrons and Sillitoe tartan patterns are far easier and faster to install than the same patterns when painted. Floor tapes also have a storage advantage, with being less temperamental, with longer shelf lives than paints. However, tape does have drawbacks. It can tear, peel and fail to adhere to some floor surfaces. Further, tape can introduce a trip hazard if it is peeling.

See also

Related Research Articles

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is a regulatory agency of the United States Department of Labor that originally had federal visitorial powers to inspect and examine workplaces. The United States Congress established the agency under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which President Richard M. Nixon signed into law on December 29, 1970. OSHA's mission is to "assure safe and healthy working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance." The agency is also charged with enforcing a variety of whistleblower statutes and regulations. OSHA's workplace safety inspections have been shown to reduce injury rates and injury costs without adverse effects on employment, sales, credit ratings, or firm survival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occupational Safety and Health Act (United States)</span> United States labor law

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 is a US labor law governing the federal law of occupational health and safety in the private sector and federal government in the United States. It was enacted by Congress in 1970 and was signed by President Richard Nixon on December 29, 1970. Its main goal is to ensure that employers provide employees with an environment free from recognized hazards, such as exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive noise levels, mechanical dangers, heat or cold stress, or unsanitary conditions. The Act created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

In firefighting, the policy of two-in, two-out refers to United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) policy 29 CFR 1910.134(g)(4)(i). The respiratory protection standard requires that workers engaged in fighting interior structural fires work in a buddy system; at least two workers must enter the building together, so that they can monitor each other's whereabouts as well as the work environment. There must also be at least two standby personnel outside the fire area prepared to rescue the inside firefighters should the need arise. One of these outside firefighters must actively monitor the status of the inside fighters but the second outside firefighter may perform a variety of other duties, such as pump operations, incident commander or outside hose line operation. There are no provisions in the standard to waive the requirements for either the "two-inside firefighters" or the "two-outside firefighters", although the circumstances under which this provision applies are more limited than generally understood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire safety</span> Practices to reduce the results of fire

Fire safety is the set of practices intended to reduce destruction caused by fire. Fire safety measures include those that are intended to prevent the ignition of an uncontrolled fire and those that are used to limit the spread and impact of a fire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emergency exit</span> Pathway out of a structure designed for use during emergency evacuations

An emergency exit in a building or other structure is a special exit used during emergencies such as fires. The combined use of regular and emergency exits allows for faster evacuation, and emergency exits provide alternative means of evacuation if regular exits are inaccessible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emergency light</span> Backup light source used in power outages

An emergency light is a battery-backed lighting device that switches on automatically when a building experiences a power outage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Confined space</span> Space with limited entry and egress and not suitable for human inhabitants

A confined space is a space with limited entry and egress and not suitable for human inhabitants. An example is the interior of a storage tank, occasionally entered by maintenance workers but not intended for human occupancy. Hazards in a confined space often include harmful dust or gases, asphyxiation, submersion in liquids or free-flowing granular solids, electrocution, or entrapment.

Process Safety Managementof Highly Hazardous Chemicals is a regulation promulgated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). It defines and regulates a process safety management (PSM) program for plants using, storing, manufacturing, handling or carrying out on-site movement of hazardous materials above defined amount thresholds. Companies affected by the regulation usually build a compliant process safety management system and integrate it in their safety management system. Non-U.S. companies frequently choose on a voluntary basis to use the OSHA scheme in their business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dangerous goods</span> Solids, liquids, or gases harmful to people, other organisms, property or the environment

Dangerous goods (DG), are substances that when transported are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment. Certain dangerous goods that pose risks even when not being transported are known as hazardous materials. An example for dangerous goods is hazardous waste which is waste that has substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emergency evacuation</span> Urgent removal of people from an area of imminent or ongoing threat

Emergency evacuation is an immediate egress or escape of people away from an area that contains an imminent threat, an ongoing threat or a hazard to lives or property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5S (methodology)</span> Workplace organisation method

5S is a workplace organization method that uses a list of five Japanese words: seiri (整理), seiton (整頓), seisō (清掃), seiketsu (清潔), and shitsuke (躾). These have been translated as 'sort', 'set in order', 'shine', 'standardize', and 'sustain'. The list describes how to organize a work space for efficiency and effectiveness by identifying and sorting the items used, maintaining the area and items, and sustaining the new organizational system. The decision-making process usually comes from a dialogue about standardization, which builds understanding among employees of how they should do the work.

A placard is a notice installed in a public place, like a small card, sign, or plaque. It can be attached to or hung from a vehicle or building to indicate information about the vehicle operator or contents of a vehicle or building. It can also refer to paperboard signs or notice carried by picketers or demonstrators.

Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response is a set of guidelines produced and maintained by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration which regulates hazardous waste operations and emergency services in the United States and its territories. With these guidelines, the U.S. government regulates hazardous wastes and dangerous goods from inception to disposal.

The Xcel Energy Cabin Creek Fire occurred on October 2, 2007, at Xcel Energy’s pumped storage hydroelectric plant near Georgetown, Colorado, a small town forty-five miles west of Denver. The accident killed five workers and injured three. The incident is thought to be the result of botched work by a contractor and Xcel Energy's willingness to cut costs at the expense of safety.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Physical hazard</span> Hazard due to a physical agent

A physical hazard is an agent, factor or circumstance that can cause harm with contact. They can be classified as type of occupational hazard or environmental hazard. Physical hazards include ergonomic hazards, radiation, heat and cold stress, vibration hazards, and noise hazards. Engineering controls are often used to mitigate physical hazards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barricade tape</span> Security item to mark hazardous areas

Barricade tape is brightly colored tape that is used to warn or catch the attention of passersby of an area or situation containing a possible hazard. It acts as a minor impediment to prevent accidental entrance to that area or situation and as a result enhances general safety. Barricade tape is also known as construction tape or barrier tape, or in reference to the safety hazard involved as caution tape, warning tape, danger tape or hazard tape. When used by police, the tape is named police tape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pipe marking</span>

In the process industry, chemical industry, manufacturing industry, and other commercial and industrial contexts, pipe marking is used to identify the contents, properties and flow direction of fluids in piping. It is typically carried out by marking piping through labels and color codes. Pipe marking helps personnel and fire response teams identify the correct pipes for operational, maintenance or emergency response purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safety sign</span> Type of sign

Safety signs are a type of sign designed to warn of hazards, indicate mandatory actions or required use of Personal protective equipment, prohibit actions or objects, identify the location of firefighting or safety equipment, or marking of exit routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ANSI Z35</span> An American technical standard for safety signs

ANSI Z35.1 the Specifications for Accident Prevention Signs, was an American standard that dictated the layout, colors and wording of safety signs in the United States. The standard is the first American standard that made specific demands for the design, construction, and placement of safety signage in industrial environments. The first edition was published in January 1941, and the fourth and final edition in November 1972. Changes in societal needs of signage, and further research into signage would result in the establishment of a new committee, the ANSI Z535 Committee on Safety Signs and Colors, combining the separate committees of Z35.1 - Specifications for Accident Prevention Signs, Z35.2 - Specifications for Accident Prevention Tags, and Z53 - Marking Physical Hazards Safety Color Code, resulting in a new combined standard, ANSI Z535.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Health and Safety Regulations 1996 specify the safety signs within Great Britain, Northern Ireland has a similar law. It was issued as a transposition of the European directive 92/58/EEC and replaced The Safety Signs Regulations 1980. They consist of "traditional safety signs", such as prohibitory and warning signs, hand signals, spoken and acoustic signals and hazard marking.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hirano, Hiroyuki (1995). "6 - The Second Pillar: Orderliness". 5 Pillars of the Visual Workplace: The Sourcebook for 5S Implementation (First ed.). Portland, Oregon: Productivity Press. pp.  96 - 104. ISBN   1-56327-047-1.
  2. International Code Council (2009). "International Fire Code - 2009" (PDF). International Code Council. pp. 144–145. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  3. International Code Council. "2021 International Fire Code (IFC)". codes.iccsafe.org. Retrieved 27 March 2022. Section 1025 - Luminous Egress Path Markings
  4. Mahoney, Shawn (2020-06-30). "Verifying the emergency lighting and exit marking when reopening a building". National Fire Protection Association.
  5. Occupational Safety and Health Admin., Labor, 29 CFR § 1910.22 General requirements. (2011).
  6. 1 2 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (15 May 1972). "Standard Interpretations (Archived) - Marking and width requirements for aisles in industrial operations". osha.gov.