Color-coded tape: 4 applications to keep you organized and safe
When it comes to safety, color-coded tape may not be the first item that enters your mind. Nevertheless, one of the key factors to staying safe on the job when moving or when working with heavy equipment is staying organized — and that’s where color-coded tape products from tesa come in.
Check out these four applications of color-coded tape designed to keep you organized, efficient and safe on the job.
1. OSHA floor marking guidelines
One of the most frequent OSHA violations is a “Walking/Work Surface Violation.” This citation is issued when there is an area where employees work that is not marked to identify potential dangers or safe pathways.
Here are the requirements for floor markings and aisle width:
•To ensure the greatest visibility, OSHA recommends making floor marking lines between two and six inches wide. However, they must be at least two inches wide in all cases.
•Any aisles should be a minimum of four feet wide, or at least three feet wider than the largest piece of equipment that's used in the aisle.
•If a facility has an unusual surface, such as a dirt floor, OSHA permits the use of traffic cones, flags, barrels or similar marking methods, as long as the employees are trained on the system.
These areas must also be marked with specific colors. For example, red identifies a fire-related hazard, while yellow signals caution and marks physical hazards.
One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to meet this OSHA standard is by using a color-coded adhesive, such as floor tape from tesa. An adhesive allows for OSHA guidelines to be met with the same great look and durability of paint, but at a lower cost.
Marking the floor with color-coded adhesive tape can provide crucial information, warn of hazardous areas and protect your employees on the job.
2. Wire color coding
Unorganized wires can lead to a reduction in productivity since workers must spend time determining what goes where, but they can also be a potential safety hazard. In the United States, retail buildings must follow U.S. Electrical Wiring codes which provide color codes used for power wires in “branch circuits” and the load.
These systems are common in home and office environments:
•Phase 1 - Black
•Phase 2 - Red
•Phase 3 - Blue
•Neutral - White
•Ground - Green, Green with yellow stripe, or bare wire
These higher-voltage systems are common for industrial motors and equipment:
•Phase 1 - Brown
•Phase 2 - Orange
•Phase 3 - Yellow
•Neutral - Gray
•Ground - Green, Green with yellow stripe, or bare wire
Keep your wires marked clearly for organization and safety purposes with adhesive color-coded tape from tesa. From smaller computer wires to metal bundling and marking, tame your wire tangles once and for all, no matter the size.
3. Marking performance venues
Performance venues need to be organized and efficient to keep shows running smoothly, as well as to ensure the safety of the acts, crew members and audience.
Gaffer’s tape is an adhesive that's designed to be easily removed and not damage surfaces. In the entertainment industry, gaffer’s tape is often used to tape down cables to prevent tripping hazards and label equipment for maximum efficiency.
The wide variety of gaffer’s tape color choices gives users several options to best ensure success. For tape that will be within view of the audience, a color to blend in with the stage may be the best choice. In other instances, a clearly visible color is needed to make sure the tape stands out, such as marking the edge of a stage or alerting of a safety hazard backstage.
No matter your need, consider gaffer’s tape as a perfect way to keep your performance venue organized, efficient and safe.
4. Labeling moving boxes
While relocating your business is a major event, you can limit your stress and disorganization by clearly labeling your moving boxes with colored tape.
Label each box's colored tape with descriptive information, marking down the contents of the box, the general weight of the box and whether or not the contents of the box are fragile. Consider using a different color tape on the box depending on the room that the box will be placed into.
Next, adhere the colored tape to the sides of the boxes so that it can be clearly seen by movers.
By using colored tape, you can ensure the pertinent information on your boxes stands out to movers and is easily identifiable. This can help increase the efficiency of the move and reduce the chance of your items becoming unorganized.
Trust tesa for your industrial color coding tape solutions
Get in touch with tesa today to find the color coded tape solutions to fit your business needs!