Marking Tape: A Cost-Effective Way to Make Your Workplace Safer

One of the most inexpensive, but important ways to increase safety in the workplace is with marking tape and reflective tape. Tape markings alert both employees and visitors to potentially dangerous areas as well as guide the flow of pedestrian and machine traffic to ensure safety. This is one reason why OSHA and other government agencies require marking floors and other hazardous areas with tape. Here are six of the most impactful ways to use tape in the workplace:

1) Warehouse Floors: Clearly marking floors in the workplace is critical to worker safety and the safety of other pedestrians. The most frequent use of floor markings are those that clearly designate pathways for pedestrian and vehicle uses. This helps avoid the confusion that commonly leads to collisions.

2) Hazardous Areas: Visually alerting people to potentially hazardous areas is essential, especially areas that contain dangers such as electrical panels, toxic chemicals or potentially harmful concentrations of air born particulates.

3) Tripping Hazards: The most commonly cited floor marking-related OSHA violation is the absence of proper marking for tripping hazards. Be sure that steps and any area with grading is clearly marked.

4) Heavy Machinery: Marking areas around equipment helps avoid someone coming into contact and/or tripping over the unit. Additionally, marking the equipment itself with reflective tape greatly reduces the risk of injury for both stationary AND mobile units.
 
5) Barriers & Posts: Collisions with posts and barriers in the workplace are responsible for many worker accidents and injuries. Applying reflective tape to barriers and posts reduces the risk of accidental impact.

6) Power Outages: Reflective tape is essential in the event of a power outage as it can guide people safely though areas of a building with minimal light.