How can floor markings improve safety?

Visual communication is an excellent tool for promoting and maintaining a safe workplace. When people think of visual communication, they often think of safety posters, warning signs, and caution tape. While these are all correct answers, it is important to not overlook floor markings! Whether in a manufacturing plant or in a warehousing facility, you can create safer work spaces with floor markings, like tape, shapes, projections, and signs.

One of the most common floor marking tools is industrial-grade floor tape. A great application for floor marking tape is to help guide people through your facility safely. Use floor tape to create separate lanes for forklifts, industrial vehicles, and pedestrians all moving around the same space together. Hazard tape can be used around dangerous machines to alert works to danger. Floor tape can also be used to mark off aisleways and designate ‘Do Not Enter” zones.

Floor markings also include the use of floor signs. Floor signs can be just like any other wall sign, conveying the same information. You can find stop signs, yield signs, danger signs, PPE signs, and much more in a floor sign option! Sometimes, workers can become “blind” to safety signs. This means they see the same safety sign on the wall every day for a year and their brain starts to tune it out. With floor signs however, they can be a cost-effective and successful way to put these reminders around the workplace.

Floor tape, shapes, and signs and are not an industry-specific tool, and any type of workplace safety program would benefit from a sound floor marking strategy. Working with other departments and developing a plan to implement floor markings can dramatically reduce the risk of accidents and injuries. The first step is to find the right tape for your facility and begin strategizing with the employees!