Improving foot flow and safety standards across your operational area should start from the ground upwards. We explore the topic of floor markings and five ways they can impact on efficiency and safety.
When you’re creating lean and agile production systems or efficient warehouse and logistics operations – or marking out public buildings for pedestrians – you can make the most of your floor space.
Introducing clear floor markings is an easy and effective way to improve transparency and control. Adding guides and indicators on the floor can also assist in managing Health & Safety risks, such as social distancing.
Industrial floor indicators can help zone and position equipment, direct human and vehicle traffic, and organise storage areas. In fact, where commercial floor markings are concerned, the sky’s the limit!
Of course, you could go to the expense of bringing in contractors for industrial demarcation lines or floor signals. However, you can easily meet the same goals in a far more cost-effective and versatile way by purchasing relevant durable floor signs and tapes.
Let’s explore five ways to use Safe Industrial floor markings in workplaces and anywhere people gather.
1. Floor Numbers and Letters
Ideas for marking out factory floors, warehouses and other commercial and public premises can start with basic numbers and letters.
Floor numbers can segregate class line-ups in schools, or indicate different directional reference points in other public buildings. An illustration would be numbering doors to help staff and visitors find their way around your site.
By combining letters and numbers – on your stockroom floor for instance – you can even create a customised system for locating assets and inventory to reinforce racking signage.
2. Anti Slip Rolls
Some floor markings have a dual purpose. Anti-slip roll ingeniously offers you to the opportunity to reduce the risk of slipping, especially in areas where moisture or ice are a risk. However, this safety product also helps you to mark out places to walk within busy work environments – both internally and externally.
Safe Industrial also offers anti-slip footprint stickers which also give direction and improve traction.
3. Graphic Floor Markers
There are times when you want highly visible floor markings to spell out important instructions. This could be the location of fire exits, where machinery or vehicles are in operation or places where eye or footwear must be worn. Floor graphics can also remind people that smoking or mobile phones are prohibited. More contemporary floor signs could indicate where PPE is needed as well as issuing social distancing reminders.
It’s important to find floor graphics that stand up to heavy footfall including ones with an aggressive adhesive that can cope with diverse environmental conditions.
4. Symbol Floor Signal Markers
You could also buy universal symbols to organise the layout of your commercial premises in a logical and unmissable way.
For example, a set of footprints on a factory floor can be understood in any language and can direct pedestrians safely through your site. Or, you could use different shaped, sized and coloured floor symbols to mark out where equipment should be sited. This can maximise floor space in work areas and make stock and vehicle organisation more efficient.
This is another time that quality counts though, as investing in well made PVC floor signals ensures that they survive daily friction from feet and vehicles.
5. Floor Lane Marking Tape
Complex production or warehouse layouts often require a diverse range of floor markings to improve workflow, productivity, and safety. However, some commercial premises – and public sector sites such as schools – need far simpler floor markings.
For a flexible and easy way to indicate layouts and to direct movement across a site, the use of floor lane tape is ideal. Any venue that needs to operate COVID-19 safety procedures could use these versatile coloured tapes to separate and organise footfall for instance.
Though Safe Industrial floor lane tape is durable enough to stand up to considerable wear and tear – including vehicles and equipment passing over it frequently – it can be taken up easily without damaging the flooring surface below. The floor tape applicator will help with accurate application of the tape whilst preventing you from touching the floor (hygiene safety). Making this tape (available in Red, White, Yellow, Green) a great temporary solution for ground level indicator strips.
Free advice on floor demarcation and signage
If you’re doing a risk assessment or looking at ways to improve your premises layout signage, give us a call. We would be happy to provide more ideas for floor markings, as well as cost-effective solutions for safe layouts from the ground upwards.