Earlier this week, The Co-op were fined £400,000 after pleading guilty to a Health and Safety offence, which resulted in the death of 74 year-old Stanley May in July 2015. May had been visiting the Supermarket's Truro branch, where a faulty chiller was leaking for 44 hours, causing the pensioner to fall and sustain a head injury which led to his death.

Although this example is one of many health and safety prosecutions to be made in recent weeks, this case is all the more tragic and concerning due to it's highly preventable nature. In all public spaces and work areas, it is important to remember that slips, trips and falls are one of the most common hazards to impact both employees and members of the public. It seems that due to the domestic nature of these incidents, their seriousness is often underestimated by organisations, causing health and safety standards to fall below the required level and allowing incidents to occur.

This case demonstrates that slips, trips and falls can be fatal to those who are put at risk, which highlights the vital need to maintain and execute health and safety measures which prevent these incidents. This can be done by correctly following a set of simple but effective health and safety measures, including the following:

• Training & Communication - Staff should be kept well informed of health and safety measures, and should always communicate the need for action when additional measures are needed to maintain standards.

• Maintenance of Equipment - A contributing factor in this case was the faulty store equipment, which had been unsuccessfully fixed and left to cause the hazard which led to Mr May's death. It is vital that all equipment is efficiently maintained and inspected to prevent such hazards, and effectively dealt when a potential risk is detected.

• Clear Warnings - Although a wet floor sign had been placed near the leaking chiller, the effected area extended beyond this point, rendering the warning ineffective. In addition to using the proper safety signage, more steps should be taken when to deal with the issue, including restricting access to the area completely if the hazard cannot be controlled with visual warnings alone.

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When it comes to calibration, it is necessary to ensure all of your equipment is regularly calibrated to confirm it is working efficiently and that there are no issues with your machinery. Calibration Labels are an essential item in any workplace to make sure this happens, which is why we offer a bespoke custom calibration labels here at LabelSource. 

In our calibration category, you will be able to find a selection of calibration labels readily available for you to use right away. This selection includes our tamperproof calibration labels which fragment upon removal and our tamper evident calibration labels which contain a silver polyester backing that separates upon attempted removal and leaves a pattern on the equipment. Both of these calibration labels ensure your equipment is safe and secure. 

However, if you are looking for a custom calibration label, you've come to the right place. We strive to suit all of our customer's needs, so whatever you would like your custom calibration label to be, we will work to achieve your vision. Whether you're seeking a UKAS (the United Kingdom Accreditation Service) Approved Custom Calibration Label or one that is in a certain size or material, you can be sure we will do our best to provide you with just this.

To find out more about our Custom Calibration Labels, you can either send your requirements to info@labelsource.co.uk or call us on 0800 3761 693.

Quarries can be dangerous places, at the best of times, and the potential hazards are manifold, even if the site is operational or dis-used. Many of these hazards may exist where rock or aggregate is being extracted by a combination of drilling, boring, blasting or crushing. Some of these hazards for working quarries are outlined below, with links to Label Source products to create awareness of these occupational health and safety dangers.

Breathing hazards can be caused by airborne dust particles, which are a natural consequence of the quarrying process, and these can be combined with inhalation of engine exhaust fumes or fumes from welding  can lead to respiratory problems, particularly silicosis (from exposure to silicon particles).

Eye hazards can be caused by contact with dust, stone fragments or from on-site arc welding can damage the retina.

Ionising radiation hazards can occur from naturally released radon gas, and from the use of radioactive substances within instrumentation.

Non-ionising radiation hazards stem from over exposure to the UV in direct sunlight, and from the infrared and ultraviolet effects from arc welding which can affect those welding and others in the proximity.

Hearing hazards from excessive noise levels from plant, equipment, vehicles and blasting can lead to deterioration in hearing to deafness, or the onset of the hearing sensation tinnitus.

Vibration hazards can include HAVS (Hand arm vibration syndrome) from the continual handling of equipment such as road breaking hammer drills, angle grinders, chain saws and disc cutters, resulting in complaints such as finger blanching, pain, and permanent loss of sensation. In addition, whole body vibration symptoms can be caused from operating quarry vehicles and fixed plant, which can cause back and neck pain.

Skin complaints can lead to skin cancer for exposure to excessive ultraviolet light, and dermatitis from contact with oil lubricants, grease, solvents and bitumen.

Manual handling injuries can be caused by operating heavy quarry equipment, the manual shovelling of earth, clay and shales, and the lifting and carrying of heavy stones.

Weather hazards include operating in high or low temperatures, in excessive humidity, heavy rain or snow, and skin exposure to sunlight as covered above.

Other hazards can cover: Injuries from falling rocks; accidents to drivers and pedestrians from vehicle collisions, or overturning vehicles ; confined space incidents; injuries from slips, trips and falls; crush, entrapment, pinch and finger trap, punch or blade injuries can be caused during machine maintenance; explosion and fire hazards from explosives, primers and detonators, from flammable materials such as paint, thinners and cleaning fluids); and COSHH issues from chemical hazards, such as battery and hydrochloric acids etc.).

At the end of quarrying operations, while many of the above cease to be relevant, that does not mean that all safety threats end. Rather the type of risks change. Many result from unauthorised access to the quarry by children, bikers and quadbikers which can lead to safety issues from falling objects, entrapment from digging, falls from climbing, and injuries from slips and falls down steep surfaces or from cliff edges, and overturned vehicles. Flooded quarries can pose dangers from swimming or diving in deep, cold water, with strong under-currents and with the possibility of collisions with underwater obstacles.

Besides the above health and safety products, Label Source has supplied many asset tags for equipment, conveyor belts and rollers, electrical warning labels, maintenance labels and tags, traffic signs, and contaminated land signs. For further information on any of these products, please contact Label Source by e-mail (sales@labelsource.co.uk) or by telephone (0800 3761693 in UK, or + 44 1443 842769 if outside the UK).

When it comes to working with pipes that may contain hazardous substances, clear identification is key to creating a safe working environment. Amongst the thousands of labels, we sell here at Label Source, we also have a variety of Pipe Label Stickers perfect for identifying the contents and flow of each pipe. Our pipe label stickers are colour-coded and available with both adhesive backing and non-adhesive banding in a variety of different designs. 

Clearly marked pipes play a crucial part in limiting the risk of injury or damage, should there be a burst or leaking pipe. There are also standards you need to adhere to if you are working on a marine vessel or in a health care facility, or if you are working with pipes that contain ammonia, so be sure to check which pipe label stickers are essential to your facility.

Here's a quick look at some of the pipe label stickers we offer at Label Source:

Identification Tape Pipe Label Stickers

Suitable for internal use on pipes, drain valves, ducting and flange joints, these Identification Tape Pipe Label Stickers are great for ensuring a unified understanding of what each pipe contains. Available in a variety of different designs, you will be sure to find a pipe label sticker that can identify what your pipes contain. All of our pipe tapes come in a 33-meter roll and are available in width sizes 50mm, 100mm and 150mm.

To browse our range of Identification Tape Pipe Label Stickers, just click here. 

Flow Indication Tape Pipe Label Stickers

Marking the flow of the contents of your pipes is also an important part in maintaining workplace safety. Colour coded, these pipe label stickers will allow you to correct identify the contents and the flow of each pipe with just one glance. For example, blue indicates air and white indicates steam. Similar to our Identification Tape Pipe Label Stickers, our Flow Identification Tape Pipe Label Stickers come in 33-meter rolls, so you will have plenty to spare.

To browse our range of Flow Indication Tape Pipe Label Stickers, just click here.

Pipeline Flow Pipe Label Stickers

Suitable for hazardous substances contained in your pipes, our Pipeline Flow Pipe Label Stickers display the pipe contents and flow even clearer. Brightly colour coded and containing the appropriate hazard warning symbol, these pipe label stickers comply with the BS1710 and BS4800 pipework standards. These pipe label stickers provide a simple yet efficient method of maintaining workplace safety. 

To browse our full collection of Pipeline Flow Pipe Lable Stickers, just click here.

If you have any further questions about our pipe label stickers, feel free to get in contact with us on 0800 3761 693!

Ammonia is a dangerous substance, which means that a thorough risk assessment must be conducted in areas where ammonia pipes are present, in order to ensure that possible hazards are managed efficiently. 

What are the Risks Posed by Ammonia? 

• Ammonia gas can be fatal when inhaled, at a level of just 1 part in 2,000 of ammonia in the air.
• It dissolves into water, forming a corrosive solution that can cause serious burns.
• It is highly reactive, which means that contact with certain materials such as acids and aldehydes can make it even more dangerous.
• It is an environmental pollutant, which means it has the ability to contaminate the natural environment and cause adverse change. 

In order to avoid these potential hazards causing damage, injury or even death, it is important to ensure that ammonia pipes are properly marked! This can easily be achieved by using the correct labels, in order to provide clear indication of ammonia where present. 

Here at Label Source, we stock a variety of pipeline identification products, which includes a selection of ammonia pipe labels:

Identification Tape

This tape is manufactured to BS1710 and BS4800 standards, and comes in the recommended colour scheme (22C37).

Pipeline Flow Labels

These ammonia pipe labels have detachable directional arrows, which are used to inform you of the flow direction, the pipe contents and the relevant hazards. Due to its various hazards, the ammonia label is available with both toxic and corrosive hazard symbols.

See our full selection of pipe marking products here!