Implementing effective health and safety measures in the workplace is crucial, being a key consideration for business owners. All employees should be able to go to work with the assurance that their welfare is taken into consideration and knowing they have access to the safety products they need to carry out their duties. More and more businesses are starting to see the benefits of implementing heavy-duty floor tape, a visual communication tool that is designed to enhance health and safety measures, in turn reducing the likelihood of injury. Here are some of the main ways that floor tape can help minimize the chance of accidents at work:
Contents
The Versatility of Floor Tape in Enhancing Workplace Safety
Keep work areas separate
Floor tape can be applied in a way that differentiates the different areas of the site, separating storage areas, loading areas, and areas with machinery operating. This ensures that employees are more aware of their surroundings and helps to prevent unauthorized access to prohibited zones.
Draw attention to hazards
Using color standards that are widely recognized and approved by OSHA, highly visible floor tape can be positioned around the perimeter of working machinery, restricted areas, or unsafe flooring to warn employees of a hazard ahead. This serves as a visual warning which is easy to spot and does not require employees to read signage or remember warnings from training sessions, also overcoming language barriers.
Plot out emergency exit routes
By using floor tape to define emergency evacuation paths and assembly points, a more orderly evacuation can be carried out in emergencies, minimizing the risk of confusion to ensure everyone can get out of the building promptly. Brightly colored floor tape provides clear direction on the floor which is still visible during electrical outages and dim lighting, ensuring everyone can find the nearest exit and avoid chaos during an evacuation.
Convey important messages visually
Floor tape acts as a visual communication tool and thus can convey important messages without having to rely on written instructions or verbal cues. Many workers in the industry are familiar with the meanings of different colored floor tapes so will be able to understand the message being portrayed at just a glance. This standardization of nonverbal communication is a great way to improve safety protocols without having to make significant changes and carry out thorough training processes.
Mark out clear pedestrian routes
One of the biggest hazards on industrial sites is the risk of collision between working vehicles and pedestrians. Floor tape can be used to separate different routes, defining areas that are for pedestrians only and cannot be accessed by vehicles, minimizing the risk of injury. By marking out designated routes for both vehicles and foot traffic, traffic flow around the site is made much more efficient as confusion is minimized and the likelihood of accidents is minimized,
Maintain a tidy workplace
Another common cause of workplace incidents is an unorganized workplace. With excess clutter, dirty floors, trailing wires, and poor storage creating a site filled with hazards, organization is needed to improve workplace health and safety. Floor tape can be used to assign designated areas for equipment storage, encouraging employees to return tools to their base and stay on top of cleaning.
Additional Resources
- OSHA Floor Marking– creativesafetysupply.com
- The Importance of Bollards in Industrial Environments– bollardpostcovers.com
- The Best Way to Apply Floor Tape in the Workplace– facilityfloortape.com
- How to Perform a Successful Visual Safety Audit– safetyvisuals.com
- Floor Marking Tape Color Standards– floormarkingpro.com
- Ready for Emergencies? Learn How Pipe Marking Can Help– pipemarking.info
- How 5S Can Create Sustainable Improvements Across a Business– 5svideos.com
- Floor Marking for Warehouse Traffic– forkliftsafety101.com
- Achieving Organizational Excellence Through 5S Implementation– 5sexamples.com