The color red is internationally recognized as the color which means to stop or use caution and that’s why the lean 5s standards have suggested red floor tape for helping people identify locations where they should not go in a facility. While there is no set in stone rules from the 5s certification, it is a best practice to use red as the color which indicates people should use caution in an area. Marking the floors of a facility will help people stay in areas where they are supposed to be.
The way you mark the floors of a facility is up the manager of the area. Some companies prefer to use paint and others use tape. The use of floor tape is becoming more and more popular, however, because it is a lot easier to use and less expensive. In addition, the red floor tape can be quickly replaced or adjusted when necessary to accommodate changes in the layout of a facility.
Using Red Floor Tape
One nice thing about red floor tape is that it is bright and easily visible. People can see it without having to look to hard which makes it much safer than lighter colored options. This type of floor tape is also designed for use in high traffic areas like a factory so you can be confident it will last a long time. Given the fact that floor tape is quite inexpensive it make for a very economical way to mark your floors and improve the safety of an area.
Where to Use Red Floor Tape
Most facilities will use red floor tape around potentially dangerous areas such as near moving machinery or where vehicles are frequently going to be driving. Anywhere that people should not generally go could be marked off with this type of tape to ensure they are aware. Even the people who do go in these areas will know where the danger begins so they can keep their eyes out for machines or other dangerous items in the area.
OF course, each facility can choose to use this type of floor marking for any use that they would like. It is a general guideline that red is associated with stop so almost all factories and manufacturing facilities will only use red to encourage people to be more careful and avoid certain areas. Proper placement of the tape and a regularly scheduled inspection and cleaning can help improve the effectiveness of this type of floor marking.
While it is specifically designed to mark different areas on the floors, you can also use it to help bring attention to other areas as well. Some companies will wrap support columns in red floor tape if they are within a restricted area. This gives people another chance at seeing the red tape and knowing that they are in an area where people generally should not be without authorization. Even when the restrictions are not due to danger this is a good way to help guide the employees and especially visitors away from places they should not be going.
Additional Resources
- Floor Marking for Factories– creativesafetysupply.com
- Red Floor Tape– aislemarking.com
- Safety Audit Turns to Floor Marking Tape for Help– blog.creativesafetysupply.com
- Safety Floor Tape– floor-tape.com
- Keeping Up-To-Date With Floor Marking Tape– lean-news.com
- How To Mark Your Site With Floor Tape for Ultimate Safety– realsafety.org
- Floor Tape Applications– floortape101.com
- Effective Floor Marking in Warehouses– floor-marking-tape.com
- Free Floor Tape from Creative Safety Supply– 5snews.com