Emergency services barrier tape may be the most recognisable type of tape in the world. Everybody has seen the classic police “do not cross” tape or other types of emergency tape.

Crossing emergency barrier tape can carry with it serious consequences. For this reason, it is important to find out why it is used and how it protects the public.

Below, we discuss how and when the emergency services use barrier tape, as well as why.

How Are Barrier Tapes Used?

Barrier tapes cordon off potentially hazardous areas. They are highly visible and durable, so they can function in troublesome weather or light conditions.

Another reason for the popularity of barrier tape – particularly with emergency services – is how easy it is to set up. All you have to do is affix the tape to a cone or a door frame and, within minutes, an effective barrier is set up to protect the public.

While a variety of industries use barrier tape, it is mostly used by the emergency services.

When and Why Are Barrier Tapes Used By The Emergency Services?

The first use of emergency barrier tape is a little muddy, but there is a consensus that the classic yellow-and-black tape was first used in the 1960s in the United States.

The police used the tape for a few reasons which are still relevant today:

• An eye-catching, provocative design.
• Durable, reliable strength.
• A variety of sizes for a multitude of uses.
• A clear, concise message.

These reasons, as well as the tape’s usage in popular culture, keeps crime scenes and other sensitive areas safe.

So, what does yellow police tape mean? It means that a crime scene has been set up and that the police now “own” that scene for an indefinite period.

In the UK, the yellow-and-black variant isn’t used. Instead, the police use a blue-and-white tape, as well as a few other colours to signify different parts of a crime scene. Red-and-white tape marks the inner cordon, for example, to signify its importance to the crime and the punishment for crossing it.

However, barrier tapes for emergency services don’t start and end with the police. Other emergency services such as the fire department have their own barrier tape.

A red-and-white colourway, known as “firefighter tape”, is used to protect the public from dangerous premises. This keeps the public away from fire-related risks such as smoke inhalation, airborne toxins and damaged buildings.

What Does The Law Say?

The law doesn’t explicitly forbid the crossing of emergency barrier tape, but as soon as a person enters a crime scene, they can be charged with contaminating it.

The penalty for crime scene contamination depends on what you do, but if you’re caught in the act, then the police are unlikely to give you the benefit of the doubt. Whenever a person enters and leaves a crime scene, they dilute the volume of effective evidence.

For other emergency services, barrier tape is merely there to keep you safe. If you cross it, there will be no legal ramifications, but it is a threat to your wellbeing.

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Workplace stress is a major problem in modern working environments. In a fast-moving world, employees of all descriptions can soon find themselves feeling the consequences of consistent stress in their working and personal lives.

According to the HSE’s Labour Force Survey, 602,000 workers in the UK reported suffering from depression, anxiety or stress at their place of employment. This equated to 12.8 million working days lost.

Here, we discuss how health and safety can play a pivotal role in reducing workplace worries, as well as explaining the employer’s responsibility in mitigating work-related stress.

The Employer’s Responsibility

Employers have a legal requirement to reduce workplace stress and put processes in place to protect the mental health of their employees.

If an employer believes a member of staff is dealing with the ill effects of stress, they must put in place a stress risk assessment.

If you have more than five employees, then it is a legal requirement to write the risk assessment down on appropriate paperwork.

The assessment must list the risks and solutions to workplace problems, such as stress. To find these, employers should consider these areas which affect stress levels:

• Demands
• Control
• Support
• Relationships
• Role
• Change

As you can see there are a number of factors employers should consider. The proper approach to investigating workplace stress is to take a broad, considered approach to what may be spiking employees’ stress.

One way to mitigate this stress is proper health and safety, as there is little more stressful than the direct, life-changing consequences of improper employee care.

How Health and Safety Standards Can Help

There are many causes of workplace stress, ranging from small to significant:

• Deadlines
• Lack of independence
• Poor management
• Poor working environment
• Experience of crisis incidents (severe injury, etc.)

The majority involve ensuring your business has sound organisational structure and support for employees, but the last two on this bullet-pointed list can be controlled with a well-organised workplace that adheres to health and safety.

However, to maintain a safe workplace, it is important to reduce stress as much as possible. Stressed employees, on average, pay less attention to their work and make more mistakes which can have a knock-on effect on the overall safety of your workplace.

In terms of direct, acute stress, one of the most impactful things an employee can go through is a workplace injury. By adhering strictly to health and safety standards, you can ensure your workplace has a good working environment while reducing the probability of crisis incidents at work.

Reducing workplace stress should be of paramount importance for any workplace – the benefits are not only clear for your business, but it can have a significant impact on the health and happiness of your employees.

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To keep peace of mind and body in the workplace, ensure your health and safety guidelines and processes are up to date.

Communicate with employees to discover what they’re worried about and see if there is anything you can implement to improve their wellbeing.

In the short-term, consider our range of safety markers which give you a range of options to foster proper, modern health and safety practices.

Road tape is a temporary solution to road marking problems. Though road markings are commonly created with thermoplastic road paint, this isn’t always possible. This is where road tape comes in.

These have retro-reflective properties and will reflect lights from vehicles, similar to motorway signs when driving at night-time with headlights.

Road tape has a number of uses: for instance, creating temporary road markings while construction workers wait for paint to arrive, or helping to manage traffic in events.

Below, we discuss the different types of road markings, how to apply road tape and the various uses they have.

What Do Road Tape Markings Mean?

When used on roads, road tape must adhere to the marking criteria listed in The Highway Code. Just because it isn’t paint doesn’t mean it can be applied however the applicator wants; road tape still needs to be applied so drivers can instantly understand what it is communicating.

Road markings are broken up into several categories:

• Across the carriageway
• Along the carriageway
• Along the edge of the carriageway
• On the kerb or on the edge of the carriageway

For a full list of road marking meanings, consult The Highway Code.

Much like actual road markings, road tape comes in two colours: yellow and white. Other road tape colours must not be used as these do not fall within the road marking guidelines.

Road tape is incredibly versatile, however – it isn’t only applied on roads. This is thanks to its ability to be used on asphalt and concrete surfaces.

Uses For Road Tape

Road tape can be used for numerous purposes, including:

• Car parks
• Roadworks
• Building sites
• Airfields
• Temporary roads
• Cycleways
• Forklift loading bays
• Warehouses
• Pedestrian walkways
• Loading bays
• Harbours

So, road tape isn’t just used on ordinary roads – it can also be used to help warehouses, airports and building sites organise.

How to Apply Road Tape

Road tape is usually applied by hand, though tape applicators can be also be used. When applied by hand, you must wear protective gloves and clothing.

Road tape must be applied at a minimum of 10°C. If it is applied under this temperature then no adhesive residue will be applied, meaning the road tape will not adhere as well. Protection from heat is why protective gloves must be worn.

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If you require help with managing traffic of any kind, then consider our range of high-quality road tape.

The modern warehouse is full of signs, stickers and tape these days. While we usually expect these to be hung up on walls, safety floor markers are also important, especially in workplaces operating forklifts or those that have employees working from a height.

Safety floor markers and floor signs can assist in anything from managing traffic to enforcing PPE usage, so discover how to use these versatile signs to keep your employees safe below.

Types of Warehouse Floor Stickers and How to Use Them

If there’s a warehouse function, there is likely to be a sticker for it. These stickers include:

• No entry signs
• Pedestrian route symbols
• Directional flow floor markers
• Forklift truck area stickers
• Fire exit stickers

When using these labels, place them where they’re likely to be seen by the greatest number of people. So, if you’re using a forklift sign, use it before the designated forklift area to give those walking ample time to read it, as well as enough time to check for traffic.

It doesn’t need to be too complicated – just ensure a floor sign is not placed in any blind spots. The key to figuring out how to keep a warehouse safe is enforcing a strategy that applies to everyone.

How, then, do you know if you’ve got a “good” floor sticker? All good floor signs must be used on clean, sealed floor surfaces. They are usually made of PVC construction with slip-resistant surfaces and a strong adhesive to withstand traffic flow. They also need to be resistant to most chemicals and cleaning products, to prevent fading over time.

ISO 7010 Colour Coding

All safety floor markers adhere to ISO 7010 colour coding. This, along with the logo used, helps communicate the message of the label across language or cultural barriers.

These regulations break up floor stickers into five categories:

• Prohibition signs – circular, red and contain a diagonal line. For example, the “no smoking” sign.
• Mandatory signs – circular, blue and are normally related to protective equipment. For example, PPE signs.
• Warning signs – yellow, triangular signs that warn of hazards. For example, forklift signs.
• Safe condition signs – square, green signs that point to safety equipment or exits. For example, fire exit signs.
• Fire safety signs – red, square signs that point to fire-safety equipment such as extinguishers.

All safety floor signs must adhere to these design specifications. Otherwise, you run the risk of having signs that aren’t easily recognised in case of emergency.

Incorporate Floor Signs into Your Warehouse Today

Of course, floor markers exist to fortify already existing procedures, not to be your sole safety net. However, as a complementary tool, they are simply indispensable for a modern, fast-moving workplace.

Discover our full range of safety floor markers today.