What does a blue and white striped tape indicate?

Workers and bystanders are probably more familiar with the yellow and black striped hazard tape, also known as barricade tape, that is universal for alerting people of physical hazards. However, there are other hazard tapes that play an important role in the industrial world such as green and white for safety and first aid, or red and white for fire protection equipment. One of the more infrequently used color combinations is blue and white hazard tape, which denotes defective machinery.

The fact that this color combination is used infrequently does not mean it’s less important than the others. Defective equipment is just as dangerous as physical hazards because it is equally as capable of inflicting serious injuries on employees. This can come at a hefty price for employers in the realm of lawsuits and OSHA violations. Because of that, it is important to mark off defective or malfunctioning equipment with hazard tape after a failed inspection or an instance where someone was injured. This simple action will work to prevent further problems and hopefully alert employers that it needs to be fixed as soon as possible.

Neglecting to properly mark these issues and follow through with repairs can also lead to a loss in productivity. Without making the issue known, the subsequent actions of repairs or replacements are not likely to occur. This can lead to an endless cycle that promotes injury and neglect, which in turn hits productivity hard in the workplace.

Overall, it is important to know the standards and regulations in place that prevent this neglect from happening. Reference ANSI Z535.5 to see the color combination standard for hazard tape. The Z535 standards put in place by ANSI are well known and coveted in the safety world to facilitate a happy and healthy workforce that stays safe while on the job.