SOME PEOPLE ACTUALLY DO THIS FOR A LIVING

Often considered as simply an activity to raise donations, a team-building exercise, or even as an addition to the bucket list; in many industries abseiling from high rise buildings forms an essential part of the working day

MANY INDUSTRIES USE ABSEILING

The more cautious of people may prefer the use of elevated platforms to abseiling, however, there are many industries where abseiling is the only viable option for workers to inspect, maintain or repair machinery and buildings.

Industries which require abseiling to gain access to inspect, repair or maintain multi-storey buildings and other large structures include:

• Offshore oil and gas platforms;
• Renewable energy such as wind generation on turbines, blades, and towers;
• Industrial cooling towers at power stations and petrochemical plants;
• Painting or coating, cleaning maintenance or bird control of bridges communications masts, cranes, sports stadia, and other highrise buildings;
• Entry to confined spaces, shafts such as storage tanks, tunnels, chambers, and access shafts;
• Erection and removal of banners or signs;
• In mining and quarrying;
• Military;
• Shipping and harbours;
• Cliff rescue;

THE DANGERS OF ABSEILING

In 2015, IRATA (international rope access trade association) indicated that there had been 103 reported events that year, of which 61 were classified as dangerous incidents (which could have led to harm or injury), resulting in 41 injuries (4 being reportable) and one fatality.

Unsurprisingly the most common sources of injury during abseiling were due to falls from height. Typically there were due to ropes being severed by sharp edges, falling edges, cutting by high power water jets, blasting equipment, chainsaws or melting by heat lamps. Due to this diversity of hazards, extreme caution should be taken even if using two independent anchor points. 

Less common sources of injuries can be sustained from entrapment in confined spaces, physical strain injuries, or impact injuries sustained from adverse weather conditions, particularly high winds.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUIPMENT INSPECTION

In order to reduce injuries to a minimum, periodic inspection of work equipment is essential to ensure safe operation of the fall arrest system. 

Whether abseiling is used for occupational or recreational purposes, periodic inspection should be undertaken to ensure equipment complies with EU directive 2001/45/EC. These are the minimum health and safety requirements for the use of equipment for work at height. 

 LABEL SOURCE'S INSPECTION TAGS

Label Source has produced a series of tags for safety inspection of fall arrest systems. These can be used to inspect:

• Fixed anchors;
• Eyebolts;
• Safety harnesses;
• Safety helmets;
• Eye protection;
• Any personal protective equipment (PPE).

For further information on these products, please contact Label Source by e-mail at sales@labelsource.co.uk or contact our sales department by telephone on 0800 376 1693 ( or +44 1443 842769 if outside the UK). 

With over two decades of experience in supplying industrial nameplates, you can be sure we have the product for you here at Label Source. 

When you work within an industrial vicinity, it is important to have accurate nameplates which will withstand the harsh conditions. To meet this demand, we supply a range of different materials to create nameplates with, including plastic, anodised aluminium, stainless steel, brass in a variety of colours. 

Here are some of our most popular types of industrial nameplates.

Anidosed Aluminium Industrial Name Plates (Full Colour)

Material: Anodised Aluminum

Thickness: 0.5mm

Benefits of Anodised Aluminium Industrial Nameplates

Hardwearing and durable, we think anodised aluminium nameplates are one of the best materials to use in an industrial environment. It can also be produced to display your own full-colour design which will stand out. All you have to do is upload your design and we will print it onto your anodised aluminium tags.

These nameplates are also:

• Suitable for machine identification
• Ideal for equipment badges 
• Durable
• Abrasion-resistant
• Chemical and oil resistant
• Weatherproof
• UV light resistant

These industrial nameplates can also either be drilled or applied with self-adhesive backing. If you would like them in a different shape, size or thickness too, we can facilitate this for you. Just give us a call on 0800 3761693 (in UK) or +0044 1442 842769 (outside UK). Browse our full range here. 

Custom Stainless Steel Nameplates (Single Colour)

Material: Stainless Steel

Thickness: 0.9mm 

Benefits of Custom Stainless Steel Industrial Nameplates

Nameplates and tags made from stainless steel come with a variety of benefits. For one, these nameplates are fully customisable. You can upload a custom design, select a print colour and even sent artwork instructions with your order. 

Here are a few more benefits of stainless steel nameplates:

• Chemically etched
• Supplied in a range of different fixing designs (fixing holes, self-adhesive backing etc)
• Available in marine grades 304 and 316
• Good for outdoor use
• UV light and water resistant
• Scuff and chemical resistant 
• Ideal for machine badges, dials or industrial branding

If you're interested in our stainless steel nameplates, you can browse the full range here. 

If you'd like to get in touch with us about any of the industrial nameplates and tags mentioned, you can either send us an enquiry or give us a ring on 0800 3761 693 (in UK) and +44 1443 842769 (outside UK). 

BS 1710 - The British Way of Marking Pipes

BS 1710 stands for British Standard 1710. This is a framework legislated in 1984 that specifies how pipelines, ducting and electrical conduits should be labelled. The labels and tapes provide a visual identifier to warn of the risks and dangers of the release of pipeline contents and to prevent accidents and injuries from any such release. 

Content Information Code Indicators

Pipe contents must be easily identifiable and labelled with at least one of the following methods, in line with the British Standard 1710 pipe marking code:

• The full name of the content
• Its common abbreviated name
• The chemical symbol
• The appropriate designated colour bands
• Its British Standard 4580 number

Any text or symbols (code indicators) must be printed either in black or white, depending on which shows up more clearly on the assigned label colour for the pipe content.

Direction of Flow

As well as having a content label, each pipe should be labelled with the direction of the content’s flow. This should be on or near the identification colour label.

As with the text, this arrow should be black or white depending on which provides the better contrast against the liquid or gas pipe colour identification.

BASIC IDENTIFICATION COLOURS

BS 1710 gives specific guidelines on the colours of pipeline labelling. Pipelines may be labelled with multiple colours in specific patterns, or they may be labelled with a single colour known as the 'basic identification colour'.

Although there are dozens of different categories of pipeline contents, there are distinct categories of conduits that share the same basic identification colour. The main typical categories for these, and their assigned identification colours, are as follows in the pipe colour coding chart (UK) below.

BS 1710 Colour Chart

You can see what each one looks like in practice, below.

WATER MARKING

WATER PIPELINE TAPE

DRINKING WATER FLOW LABEL

WATER FLOW TAPE

The dark laurel identification colour is used for pipes that contain water of any use. This includes, amongst others, drink water, boiler water, central heating water and fire extinguishing water. 

BS Colour: 12 D 45
HEX Colour: #6A6C3C
RGB Colour: 106; 108; 60

OIL & FUEL MARKING

OIL PIPELINE TAPE

OIL FLOW LABEL

The saddle brown brown colour is used to indicate the presence of oils or fuel, such as diesel, lubricating oil, and hydraulic power oil.

BS Colour: 06 C 39
HEX Colour: #72503B
RGB Colour: 114; 80; 59

GAS & REFRIGERANTS

GAS PIPELINE TAPE

GAS FLOW LABEL

GAS FLOW TAPE

The 'fudge' colour indicates the presence of refrigerants and natural gas.

BS Colour: 08 C 35
HEX Colour: #CFA671
RGB Colour: 207; 166; 113

AIR SERVICES & VACUUMS

AIR PIPELINE TAPE

AIR FLOW LABEL

AIR & VACUUM FLOW TAPE

'Cornflower blue' indicates the presence of compressed air or a vacuum.

BS Colour: 20 E 51
HEX Colour: #6CA4D3
RGB Colour: 108; 164; 21

STEAM

STEAM PIPELINE TAPE

STEAM FLOW LABEL

STEAM FLOW TAPE

The 'dawn grey' label colour is only used for steam pipes.

BS Colour: 10 A 03
HEX Colour: #C9C7BF
RGB Colour: 201; 199; 191

DRAINAGE & EFFLUENT

DRAIN PIPELINE TAPE

Black coloured labels indicated that the pipe contains treated or untreated wastewater.

BS Colour: 00 E 53
HEX Colour: #2F2F30
RGB Colour: 47; 47; 48

ELECTRICAL CONDUITS & DUCTS

ELECTRICITY PIPELINE TAPE

ELECTRICITY FLOW LABEL

The 'apricot' colour indicates the presence of electrical cabling within a duct or conduit. 

BS Colour: 06 E 51
HEX Colour: #F18F59
RGB Colour: 241; 143; 89

ACIDS & ALKALIS

ACID PIPELINE TAPE

ACID FLOW LABEL

ACID & ALKALI FLOW TAPE 

'Heather' coloured labels and tapes indicate the presence of caustic acids and alkalis.

BS Colour: 22 C 37
HEX Colour: #7D7A9B
RGB Colour: 135; 122; 155

Label Pipes Correctly with Label Source

At Label Source, we provide everything you need to safely and correctly identify and label pipes. Shop with us for Pipe & Valve Marking, Pipeline Identification Tape, Pipeline Identification Labels, Pipeline Flow Labels, Flow Indication Tape, and any other labels you require for the safety of your facility.

Our Brand-New Inspection Tag Range

Label Source has introduced a new range of inspection tags in semi-rigid plastic (0.5mm thickness), which can be attached to plant and equipment by cable-tie, ball-chain or wire. The range comes in 5 different designs, each with a different word or phrase.

Each tag has month and year sections (2018 to 2023) which can be either punched or marked to indicate when the inspection has taken place, or when the next inspection is due.

The body the tags have a diameter of 35mm, with an additional hole to allow attachment to tags with ball-chain, cable-ties, or string. The products are supplied in packs of 100 identical tags.

Inspected Month and Year Tag

The Inspected tag is used to indicate when a piece of equipment was last inspected.

From £87.60 inc Vat

£73.00 ex VAT

 

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Next Inspection Month & Year Tag

The Next Inspection Tag is used to tag a piece of equipment with the date it next needs to be inspected.

From £87.60 inc Vat

£73.00 ex VAT

 

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Serviced Month & Year Tag

The Serviced Tag is when routine maintenance was last performed on equipment.

From £87.60 inc Vat

£73.00 ex VAT

 

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Tested Month & Year Tag

The Tested Tag is used to indicate when a product was last tested for accuracy.

From £87.60 inc Vat

£73.00 ex VAT

 

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Calibrated Month & Year Tag

The Calibration tag is used to indicate when equipment last was last fine-tuned.

From £87.60 inc Vat

£73.00 ex VAT

 

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For further information please contact Label Source by e-mail at sales@labelsource.co.uk or by telephone 0800 3761693 or 01443 842769.

 

Should Children Go To School On Snow Days? 

As the UK was recently hit by the biggest bout of snow since 2013, hundreds of schools shut their doors leaving the children at home to wait out the wintery blast. However, this has sparked anger amongst many parents as schools just taking the "easy option". But should children go to school on snow days? 

The closure of a school when it snows is usually down to health and safety issues. The headteacher of the school makes the decision to close the doors as they understand the area and it's hazards best. However, as seen in Birmingham, sometimes there can be a blanket closure placed over all schools in the surrounding area.

What are the health and safety reasons for snow days? 

Schools always have the safety of the children at the forefront of their mind and snow increases the risk in many circumstances. The three main factors that impact the decision to close a school are as follows: 

• Can the children get to and from school safely? 

It goes without saying that children need to be safe on the trip to and from school. If they are crossing roads or walking along an icy pavement, the chance of a car collision increases. If they do not have the appropriate warm weather gear, traveling to and from school in the snow could also make them ill.

• Is the school site safe? 

Furthermore, the school also needs to be safe. If it is too cold for the children, the facilities are broken or the snow/ice has made the area dangerous, it is much safer for the children to stay at home.

• Are there enough staff to supervise all the school children? 

Many members of staff may not work in the same vicinity as the school and may have to travel far to get to school. If the snow has been worse where they live or it could be dangerous for them to travel to work, it is safer for the teacher and the children to stay at home. 

So, should children go to school on snow days? 

That's up to the jurisdiction of the school, of course. Any amount of snow or ice could make the school and trip to school treacherous and is that really a risk anyone wants to take? After all, one missed day of school can be caught up on quite easily. 

If your child has an examination on the snow day, the circumstance does change slightly. Exams are expected to go ahead at another location if it is not safe for students to get to school. This will need to be discussed with the awarding organisation and the students involved will be notified as soon as possible. 

Safety signs can help reduce the risk associated with snow. You can browse our wide range of safety signs here and hopefully reduce any risk caused by the white winter we have ahead of us!